January 2022

 

Our next meeting will be January 28, 2022. Denise will provide some food, Rachel will bring book selections, and Lisa will facilitate our discussion of this month's book, The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne, by Elsa Hart. The Contra Costa County Library (ccclib.org) had an interesting summary of the author's life: 

Elsa Hart is the author of several acclaimed mystery novels set in eighteenth-century China, including City of Ink , one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2018. She was born in Rome, but her earliest memories are of Moscow, where her family lived until 1991. Since then she has lived in the Czech Republic, the U.S.A., and China. She earned a B.A. from Swarthmore College and a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law.

A plot summary of the book: 

London, 1703. In a time when the old approaches to science coexist with the new, one elite community attempts to understand the world by collecting its wonders. Sir Barnaby Mayne, the most formidable of these collectors, has devoted his life to filling his cabinets. While the curious-minded vie for invitations to study the rare stones, bones, books, and artifacts he has amassed, some visitors come with a darker purpose. For Cecily Kay, it is a passion for plants that brings her to the Mayne house. The only puzzle she expects to encounter is how to locate the specimens she needs within Sir Barnaby's crowded cabinets. But when her host is stabbed to death, Cecily finds the confession of the supposed killer unconvincing. 

December 2021

 

Our next meeting will be Friday, December 17, 2021. We will meet once again at Fran's house at 7:00pm.  

This month we will read The Pull of the Stars, by Emma Donoghue. The briefest of descriptions:  A novel set in 1918 Dublin offers a three-day look at a maternity ward during the height of the Great Flu pandemic.  Yes, we have chosen to read a pandemic book. 

Rachel will bring a snack, Lisa will bring book selections for the January meeting, and Kim will lead our discussion. 

November 2021

We begin the holiday season this month by reading Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners, by Gretchen Anthony. On Friday there were 38 copies available from the Contra Costa Library, so getting the book should not be a problem. Mrs. Baumgartner writes a holiday newsletter every year, but this year she sits down to write the letter and has some difficulty putting a positive spin on the activities of the family. Throughout the book we find out why. 

We will be meeting at Fran's house again. Friday night, November 19th. Lisa is bringing a snack, Kim will bring book selections, and Sheila will be leading the discussion. 

September, 2021

This month we will be reading White Mirror, by Elsa Hart.  There are two copies currently available in the Contra Costa Library, an audiobook available, Contra Costa does not have any digital copies. I was able to snag a digital copy from Sacramento Public Library, so check all the resources available to you. Amazon has used copies starting at $7.95. 

This is a mystery featuring  the imperial librarian Li Du, in  the autumn of 1708, in Tibet. We will read about hstorical times and new places. This is the second novel in a series featuring Li Du, and we were assured that this book is a standalone book. 

Our next meeting will be Friday, September 24, again at Fran's house. Additional illumination will be provided.  Sheila will be something to eat, Donna will bring books for October's selection, and Mae will facilitate our discussion. 

 

May 2021

This month we will be reading Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis,  a hit series on Netflix last year.  This book was written in 1983, and tells the story of a female chessmaster from her hcildhood as an orphan to a life of worldwide acclaim.  

April 2021

This month, we will be reading Dracula, by Bran Stoker.  Dracula is an 1897 Gothic horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. It introduced the character of Count Dracula and established many conventions of subsequent vampire fantasy. [from Wikipedia]. 

It turns out that there are many many copies of this book available, in many many formats from the library, the internet, and other sources of books and audio recordings. . In fact it is available free from Google Books! 

Kim will be bringing our next book selections and Lisa will lead our discussion. 

March 2021

This month's meeting will be on Friday, March 26, 2021.  

Lisa will be bringing the book selections. She and Kim traded months - March and April. 

We will be reading A Week in Winter, by Maeve Binchy.  NOTE:  This will be our 250th book!!!

A Week in Winter follows the efforts of Chicky Starr who turns a rundown coastal Ireland mansion into a holiday resort and receives an assortment of first guests who throughout the course of a week share laughter and the heartache of respective challenges. 

Sharing a week with an unlikely cast of characters is pure joy, full of Maeve’s trademark warmth and humor. Once again, she embraces us with her grand storytelling.