Dangerous by Shannon Hale

Our book club pick for June: Dangerous by Shannon Hale  
Maisie Danger Brown just wanted to get away from home for a bit, see something new. She never intended to fall in love. And she never imagined stumbling into a frightening plot that kills her friends and just might kill her, too. A plot that is already changing life on Earth as we know it. There's no going back. She is the only thing standing between danger and annihilation.

From NY Times bestselling author Shannon Hale comes a novel that asks, How far would you go to save the ones you love? And how far would you go to save everyone else?
  
Reunited with Sarah Ohki visiting from Las Vegas and Joy's Mom Judy Lemmons visiting from Virginia. Also in attendance, Joy, Keri, Cortney, Jamie and Amalie.

June's book club was at Joy's House. We talked about a few TV shows produced by BBC and available on Netflix, Forsyte, Warehouse 13 and Call the Midwife.

In my notes I wrote, "Yummy Food." This happens often.

Summer Book Picks 2014

Congratulations to all the Moms and book clubbers of High School Graduates and Seminary Graduates this year!
May was a month of milestones for many families. In addition, the book club has organized our book club selections for the next few months. We are going to revisit some of our favorite authors!

Our book club pick for June: Dangerous by Shannon Hale  
Maisie Danger Brown just wanted to get away from home for a bit, see something new. She never intended to fall in love. And she never imagined stumbling into a frightening plot that kills her friends and just might kill her, too. A plot that is already changing life on Earth as we know it. There's no going back. She is the only thing standing between danger and annihilation.

From NY Times bestselling author Shannon Hale comes a novel that asks, How far would you go to save the ones you love? And how far would you go to save everyone else?

Book Selection for July:
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
California's gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep.

Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside.

Then she meets Michael Hosea. A man who seeks his Father's heart in everything, Michael obeys God's call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel's every bitter expectation, until despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw.

But with her unexpected softening come overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband's pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael does ... the One who will never let her go.

Our August selection:

Inferno by Dan Brown
 In his international blockbusters The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, and The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown masterfully fused history, art, codes, and symbols. In this riveting new thriller, Brown returns to his element and has crafted his highest-stakes novel to date.

In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces . . . Dante’s Inferno.

Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret passageways, and futuristic science. Drawing from Dante’s dark epic poem, Langdon races to find answers and decide whom to trust . . . before the world is irrevocably altered.

Our September Selection:
 The Maze Runner by James Dashner​
​
"If you ain't scared, you ain't human."

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He's surrounded by strangers--boys whose memories are also gone.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It's the only way out--and no one's ever made it through alive.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying​.

​

This book adaptation was shown prior to seeing Divergent in March. The Maze Runner is set for release September 19, 2014.

There you have it! Happy Reading!

AnguiSH by Lila Felix 7/24/2013

This was my July book club pick and I'm grateful to Cortney for hosting and for reading the book! Her sister Kelly, too! And glad you were able to make it Krystal. This was a funny discussion. There were many quirky quotes and cheesy lines. Angish was an underlying sweet story with a lovely happily-ever-after.

Now for the future we have a game plan! There are a couple of fun books and a movie involved!

 For August we will be reading Austenland by Shannon Hale

from goodreads.com:
Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen;or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?
 

From Shannon Hale's Blog:
This book was made into a movie! This super cute movie comes out either on the NY/LA release date of August 16th or wide release on September 27, 2013. And we as a book club are attending! Stay tuned for further information

For the month of September our Book Club pick is The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors

from goodreads.com
Emmeline Thistle, a dirt-scratcher's daughter, has escaped death twice-first, on the night she was born, and second, on the day her entire village was swept away by flood. Left with nothing and no one, Emmeline discovers her rare and mysterious ability-she can churn milk into chocolate, a delicacy more precious than gold.

Suddenly, the most unwanted girl in Anglund finds herself desired by all. But Emmeline only wants one-Owen Oak, a dairyman's son, whose slow smiles and lingering glances once tempted her to believe she might someday be loved for herself. But others will stop at nothing to use her gift for their own gains-no matter what the cost to Emmeline.

Magic and romance entwine in this fantastical world where true love and chocolate conquer all.

Princess Academy 3/25/09

Newbery Honor Book
Princess Academy
by Shannon Hale
I loved this book. I'm so glad we chose it for book club and that there were so many that took the time to read it so we could discuss it.

In attendance at the Paet home this evening:
Cortney Nadig
Molly Koch
Moana Piena
Rhona Slingerland
Lynn Lambert, newest baby Masen, and Lynn's mother-in-law Betsy
Joy Paet
Sarah Ohki

We followed the discussion questions found from the publisher's web site. I felt that right from the beginning of Princess Academy the decision of Miri's name by her mother set the basis of who Miri is and what she would become. She was not named for the linder stone but for the miri flower because it "conquered rock and climbed to face the sun" (p. 14). Princess Academy was filled to brimming with beautiful prose.

For April:
Another award winning book.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Because there are 5 Wednesdays in April and to give time to others to read the book. We will meet at Molly's home on the 4th Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at 7 PM. From those of us that have completed The Book Thief already, we believe it is a worthwhile novel and poses itself for good discussion and thought.

The Lucky One 2/18/09

Happy Valentine's Day! Love is in the air!

Thank you Cortney for hosting our meeting in your warm and inviting home.

This evening in attendance:
Cortney Nadig, Lynn Lambert, Arielle Klingler, Trisha Sessions, Molly Koch, Sarah Ohki, Jane Gorton, Kaui Ching, Ann Toilolo, Shirley Chu and Joy Paet

In addition to the farewell for Arielle Klingler, and presenting Lynn Lambert with a gift for the pending arrival of her son Masen, at tonight's meeting we discussed the book:

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

Synopsis: Is there really such thing as a lucky charm? The hero of Nicholas Sparks's new novel believes he's found one in the form of a photograph of a smiling woman he's never met, but who he comes to believe holds the key to his destiny. The chain of events that leads to him possessing the photograph and finding the woman pictured in it is the stuff of love stories only a master such as Sparks can write.

We shared words of love in the form of:
Jane shared a poem Grow Old with Me by Micheal Rew
Cortney shared a sweet Valentine's Card given to her by her husband Aaron. (AWE!)
Joy shared the lyrics to the song A Groovy Kind of Love. *grins*
Arielle shared the following scripture with the word Love substituted for Charity: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Cortney shared The Song of Solomon 8:6-7

~*~*~ Wishing Arielle a fond Aloha 'Oe for her family
on their move to Maryland. ~*~*~










Lynn, we wish you great love as we all anticipate Masen Robert Lambert's arrival.


Lynn showing off the adorable onsie and booties made by Arielle Klingler. Oh, how we are going to miss your talents Arielle!








Lynn Lambert and Shirley Chu





***UPDATE*** Congratulations on the arrival of Masen Lambert. He weighed 8 lbs. 15.8 oz (sounds like 9 pounds to me!) and was 21 inches long. He was born at 6:37 a.m March 7, 2009.

For March:
Newbery Honor Book Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Our next meeting will be on the fourth Wednesday of March, the 25th. We will meet at Joy Paet's home. Our next book is Princess Academy by Shannon Hale.

This is such a refreshingly, tender, sweet, empowering, impressive, lyrical tale - just chock full of words of wisdom.

The Goosegirl 1/21/09

Happy New Year!

Thank you Lynn for hosting the first book club of 2009 at your gorgeous home.

In attendance:
Lynn, Molly, Cortney, Jane, Rhona, Arielle and Joy

Tonight's meeting we discussed a wonderful book:
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

There were nothing but positive comments about this beautiful book.
". . .a tale about learning to rescue yourself rather than falling accidentally into happily-ever-after"
It's a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED read.




An update to our February choice was made and now we will be reading a very Valentine worthy:
The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

Our February Meeting will be at Cortney's Home. Love will be in the air as we are to bring a poem or letter professing LOVE.

In addition, this will be our farewell as a book club for Arielle to wish her well on their move to the east coast.





For March:

Newbery Honor Book Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

This is such a refreshingly, tender, sweet, empowering, impressive, lyrical tale - just chock full of words of wisdom.



Thanks to each of our wonderful book club members for making our once a month get-together so meaningful.