Our New Read

Dari has picked our book for January (we are not meeting in December b/c it is a busy month for everyone).  The book we will be reading and discussing in January is My Story by Elizabeth Smart.  Here is a little of what it is about:

For the first time, ten years after her abduction from her Salt Lake City bedroom, Elizabeth Smart reveals how she survived and the secret to forging a new life in the wake of a brutal crime

On June 5, 2002, fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Smart, the daughter of a close-knit Mormon family, was taken from her home in the middle of the night by religious fanatic, Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. She was kept chained, dressed in disguise, repeatedly raped, and told she and her family would be killed if she tried to escape. After her rescue on March 12, 2003, she rejoined her family and worked to pick up the pieces of her life.

Now for the first time, in her memoir, MY STORY, she tells of the constant fear she endured every hour, her courageous determination to maintain hope, and how she devised a plan to manipulate her captors and convinced them to return to Utah, where she was rescued minutes after arriving.  Smart explains how her faith helped her stay sane in the midst of a nightmare and how she found the strength to confront her captors at their trial and see that justice was served.

In the nine years after her rescue, Smart transformed from victim to advocate, traveling the country and working to educate, inspire and foster change. She has created a foundation to help prevent crimes against children and is a frequent public speaker. In  2012, she married Matthew Gilmour, whom she met doing mission work in Paris for her church, in a fairy tale wedding that made the cover of People magazine.


So, pick up a copy from the library, borrow it from a friend, or if you think you may want to own it, purchase yourself a copy.  Happy reading my lovely ladies! 

Our New Read

Alecia has picked our book for November.  We will be reading Still Alice by Lisa Genova.  Here is a little of what it is about...

Still Alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50-year-old woman's sudden descent into early onset Alzheimer's disease, written by first-time author Lisa Genova, who holds a Ph. D in neuroscience from Harvard University.
Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the Cape, is a celebrated Harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping into her life. As confusion starts to cloud her thinking and her memory begins to fail her, she receives a devastating diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer's disease. Fiercely independent, Alice struggles to maintain her lifestyle and live in the moment, even as her sense of self is being stripped away. In turns heartbreaking, inspiring and terrifying, Still Alice captures in remarkable detail what's it's like to literally lose your mind...

So, pick up a copy from the library, borrow it from a friend or buy yourself a copy if you think you would like to own it.  Happy reading, ladies!!

Our New Read

Cecilia has picked our book for September.  We are reading Coming Back Stronger by Drew Brees.  Here is a little of what it is about:

When a potentially career-ending shoulder injury left quarterback Drew Brees without a team—and facing the daunting task of having to learn to throw a football all over again—coaches around the NFL wondered, Will he ever come back? After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, leaving more than 80 percent of the city underwater, many wondered, Will the city ever come back? And with their stadium transformed into a makeshift refugee camp, forcing the Saints to play their entire 2005 season on the road, people questioned, Will the Saints ever come back? It takes a special person to turn adversity into success and despair into hope—yet that is exactly what Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees has done—and with the weight of an entire city on his shoulders. Coming Back Stronger is the ultimate comeback story, not only of one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, but also of a city and a team that many had all but given up on. Brees’s inspiring message of hope and encouragement proves that with enough faith, determination, and heart, you can overcome any obstacle life throws your way and not only come back, but come back stronger.

So, grab a copy from the library or borrow it from a friend, and happy reading!!!!

Our New Read

I have picked the book for August.  We will be reading The Maze Runner by James Dashner.  My sister-in-law read it in her book club and highly recommended it.  Here is what it's about:

Thomas wakes up in an elevator, remembering nothing but his own name. He emerges into a world of about 60 teen boys who have learned to survive in a completely enclosed environment, subsisting on their own agriculture and supplies from below. A new boy arrives every 30 days. The original group has been in "the glade" for two years, trying to find a way to escape through a maze that surrounds their living space. They have begun to give up hope. Then a comatose girl arrives with a strange note, and their world begins to change.

So, pick up a copy at the library, borrow it from a friend, or if you think you want to own it, you can get it on Amazon for $6.35  Happy reading!!!!

Our New Read

Lisa has picked our book for July.  We will be reading When the Storm Passes by Julie Jett.  Here is what it's about:

It's May 22, 2011, in Joplin, Missouri, and thirteen-year-old Avalie Milner has just finished dinner. Within minutes, a mile-wide tornado will change her life. After being rescued from the rubble of her home, Avalie sets out on a mission: to find her loved ones, to restore her home, and to survive on her own in a world that will never be the same.

So, Pick up a copy at the library, borrow it from a friend or if you would like a copy for your personal library It is $8.99 on Amazon for a paperback and $3.99 for Kindle.  Happy Reading, ladies!!!

Our New Read

Debby has picked the book for June.  We will be reading The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.  It is a fun, light read, and Debby has copies available if anyone needs to borrow one.  Here is a teaser of what it's about:

This ingenious fantasy centers around Milo, a bored ten-year-old who comes home to find a large toy tollbooth sitting in his room. Joining forces with a watchdog named Tock, Milo drives through the tollbooth's gates and begins a memorable journey. He meets such characters as the foolish, yet lovable Humbug, the Mathemagician, and the not-so-wicked "Which," Faintly Macabre, who gives Milo the "impossible" mission of returning two princesses to the Kingdom of Wisdom.

So, grab a copy from the library, or talk to Debby.  Happy reading!

Our New Read

Jen Tripp has picked our next book.  We will be reading The 5 Love Languages: The Secrets to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman.  I think this is going to be a great book that we all could benefit from, not just for marriages, but for other people in our lives as well.  Here is a little of what it is about:

Marriage should be based on love, right? But does it seem as though you and your spouse are speaking two different languages? New York Times bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman guides couples in identifying, understanding, and speaking their spouse’s primary love language—quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, or physical touch.
By learning the five love languages, you and your spouse will discover your unique love languages and learn practical steps in truly loving each other. Chapters are categorized by love language for easy reference, and each one ends with specific, simple steps to express a specific language to your spouse and guide your marriage in the right direction. A newly designed love languages assessment will help you understand and strengthen your relationship. You can build a lasting, loving marriage together.

Pick up a copy at the local library, borrow it from a friend, or if you think this will be a nice addition to your own library it's only $9.07 on Amazon. Here's the link:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Love-Languages-Secret-Lasts/dp/0802473156/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y
So, happy reading, my lovely ladies.  :)

Our New Read

Cecilia has picked our book for April.  We will be reading The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale.  Here is a little teaser of what it's about:

 She can whisper to horses and communicate with birds, but the crown princess Ani has a difficult time finding her place in the royal family and measuring up to her imperial mother. When she is shipped off to a neighboring kingdom as a bride, her scheming entourage mounts a bloody mutiny to replace her with a jealous lady-in-waiting, Selia, and to allow an inner circle of guards more power in the new land. Barely escaping with her life, Ani disguises herself as a goose girl and wanders on the royal estate; plotting how to reclaim her rightful place as the bride-to-be of the Prince of Bayern. Gifted with the ability to speak to animals and talk to the wind, Princess Anidori–now called Isi–falls in love, makes new friends, and collects allies in her quest to claim her title.

It's a really good book, and it's been a long while since last I read it, so, I'm excited to re-read it.  Grab a copy at the library or borrow it from a friend.  Happy Reading, my lovely ladies! 

Our New Read

Alecia has picked our book for March.  We will be reading The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.  Here is a synopsis of what it's about:

A tiny girl is abandoned on a ship headed for Australia in 1913. She arrives completely alone with nothing but a small suitcase containing a few clothes and a single book—a beautiful volume of fairy tales. She is taken in by the dockmaster and his wife and raised as their own. On her twenty-first birthday, they tell her the truth, and with her sense of self shattered and very little to go on, "Nell" sets out to trace her real identity. Her quest leads her to Blackhurst Manor on the Cornish coast and the secrets of the doomed Mountrachet family. But it is not until her granddaughter, Cassandra, takes up the search after Nell’s death that all the pieces of the puzzle are assembled. A spellbinding tale of mystery and self-discovery, The Forgotten Garden will take hold of your imagination and never let go.

Sounds really interesting.  I'm sure we will have a fabulous discussion for this book.  So grab a copy from the library or a friend, and happy reading!

Our New Read

Dari has picked our book for February.  We will be reading Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz.  Here is a snippet of what it is about:

The master puppeteer, Gaspare Grisini, is so expert at manipulating his stringed puppets that they appear alive. Clara Wintermute, the only child of a wealthy doctor, is spellbound by Grisini’s act and invites him to entertain at her birthday party. Seeing his chance to make a fortune, Grisini accepts and makes a splendidly gaudy entrance with caravan, puppets, and his two orphaned assistants.
Lizzie Rose and Parsefall are dazzled by the Wintermute home. Clara seems to have everything they lack — adoring parents, warmth, and plenty to eat. In fact, Clara’s life is shadowed by grief, guilt, and secrets. When Clara vanishes that night, suspicion of kidnapping falls upon the puppeteer and, by association, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall.
As they seek to puzzle out Clara’s whereabouts, Lizzie and Parse uncover Grisini’s criminal past and wake up to his evil intentions. Fleeing London, they find themselves caught in a trap set by Grisini’s ancient rival, a witch with a deadly inheritance to shed before it’s too late.

So pick up a copy at the library, borrow it from a friend or if this sounds like something you would like to have in your personal library I'm not going to stop you from buying a copy. :) Happy reading ladies!