The Christmas List 12/21/2010

A Very Merry Christmas to YOU!
What a night of good cheer! Thank you Cortney for hosting our December book club and cookie exchange. YUM!

In attendance:
Cortney, Joy, Lynn, Betsy(Lynn's Mom-in-law), Wendi, Jamie, Sarah, and Moana.

Our discussion of The Christmas List by Richard Paul Evans was showered with wonderful reviews. Evans rarely disappoints. Which would explain why The Christmas List was the fourth of his books we've selected in less than three years.
The Sunflower February 2008
The Last Promise May 2008
Grace January 2010
The Christmas List December 2010

We humans...are seriously flawed. The things that are the most necessary, the most critical to us, are the things we take most for granted. Air. Water. Love.
If you have someone to love, you are lucky.
If they love you back, you're blessed.
And if you waste the time you have to love them, you're a fool.
-The Christmas List- p. 296

~*~*~Upcoming~*~*~
We will meet at Joy Paet's Home 7PM January 25, 2011
Our January book(s):


(that's right all THREE! The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay)
for February 2011:

The Art of Racing in the Rain 11/30/2010

Again Lynn! Thank you so much for hosting this month. Your home is so cozy!
In attendance:
Cortney, Joy, Laura, Lety, Lynn, Rachel, Sarah, Tori, Veronica

We read a great book club discussion deserving book.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

This book was delightful. We all liked how it looked at life through a dog's perspective. Some memorable quotes:

• “The visible becomes inevitable.”
• “Understanding the truth is simple. Allowing oneself to experience it, is often terrifically difficult.”
• “No race has ever been won in the first corner; many races have been lost there.”

It comes highly recommended with a small warning about some adult language.

Upcoming for December:
Hosting: Cortney Nadig Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010, 7PM

for January 2011:
(that's right all THREE! The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay)
for February 2011:

The Westing Game 10/27/2010

What a fun evening at Lynn Lambert's home. Thanks so much!
What a whimsical read we had for October.
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

The suggested readers for this book was for 10 and up. It's safe to say each member met that criteria.
The book discussion questions were found online and actually submitted by 5th and 6th grade students. Just the wording of the questions were funny in themselves.
Extra Credit:
The Westing Heirs: loads of fun game site based on the book.

Cutting for Stone 9/22/2010

Whether you read the Hardback at 541 pages:

Or the Paperback at 667 pages:

Cutting for Stone was a sweeping novel of culture and introspection. An unforgettable journey into one man’s remarkable life, and an epic story about the power, intimacy, and curious beauty of the work of healing others.

We had a wonderful Book Club this month! Sarah, thank you for all your monumental efforts. The table was set with Ethiopian delicious dishes and ponder-inducing proverbs.























In attendance:
Sarah, Laura, Lynn, Leticia, Rhona, Veronica, Wendi, Joy, Jamie, as well as a warm welcome to Rachel McGovern!

Upcoming our October Book is:
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
We will be meeting Wednesday, October 27, 2010 at Lynn Lambert's Home. Please bring a Halloween Treat!

***UPDATE***
Congratulations to each of your families!

Moana Piena, daughter Mahealani Hilia'ikeakua Piena, 8lbs. 8oz. and 20 1/2 inches on 10/12/2010


Jamie Dugay, son Tristan Yoshio Nagato Dugay, 9lbs. 8oz. and 22inches on 10/13/2010


Wendi Phillips, daughter Emry Claire Phillips, 8lbs. 3oz. and 21 1/2inches on 10/19/2010.


Amy Cook, son Landen Nubi Keali'ikoa Cook, 8lbs. 4oz. and 20 inches on 10/25/2010.


Kehau Samuelu, daughter Simalua "La'akea" Samuelu 7lbs. 1oz. 20 1/2inches on 11/4/2010.

EAT*PRAY*LOVE 8/18/2010

Dee, Kelly, Lety{Carl}, Cortney, Veronica, Laura, Sarah, Lynn, Jamie, Heather, Joy

It's movie night for the Palehua Book Club!
We met at the Kapolei Consolidated Theaters for the 7:30 showing.



Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

We had great attendance!
Veronica Peterson, Leticia Davis, Lynn Lambert, Dee Boswell, Laura Smith, Sarah Ohki, Cortney Nadig, Jamie Dugay, Joy Paet and a HUGE WELCOME BACK to founding members Kelly Paller and Heather Bernal it was wonderful to get together with you again!

Eat Pray Love was either really, really loved or it left some without the desire to finish. I got to a point I thought I'd put it down but it was a book club read so I just kept-on-keeping-on. However, I have a habit when I read a book club suggestion I like to post-it note the pages I want to remember to mention. Before I closed the cover I had 13 green tabs hanging off the pages. So that's a good indicator of a high probability for discussion.

Thanks for letting me borrow your book Laura!

In addition there are valuable E*P*L discussion questions available on www.readinggroupguides.com.

Quotes:

God never slams a door in your face without opening a box of Girl Scout cookies.(p. 22)

Do not apologize for crying, without this emotion, we are only robots(p.86)

Just as there exists in writing a literal truth and a poetic truth, there also exists in a human being a literal anatomy and a poetic anatomy. One, you can see; one, you cannot. One is made of bones and teeth and flesh; the other is made of energy and memory and faith. But they are both equally true.(p.144)

and my favorite quote was found on page 260

…all sorrow and trouble of this world is caused by unhappy people… The search for contentment is, therefore, not merely a self-preserving and self-benefiting act, but also a generous gift to the world. Cleaning out all your misery gets you out of the way. You cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself but to anyone else. Only then are you free to serve and enjoy other people… When you set out in the world to help yourself, you inevitably end up helping everyone.

~Joy

**UPCOMING** Our September Book is one highly recommended by Molly Koch.
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.
I came across this book trailer:

Happy 7th Anniversary!

While there wasn't a Book Club meeting planned in July, we had a couple opportunities to celebrate. For Laura's birthday many of us met for dinner on July 14 at Aunty Pasto's in Kunia. Then for the opening weekend of Twilight: Eclipse, a group of us watched a matinee at Regal Theaters, July 3.


Aunty Pasto's July 14, 2010

Leticia Davis, Veronica Peterson, Laura Smith, Shelley Atkinson,
Cortney Nadig, Joy Paet, Sarah Ohki, Cindy Barton, Julie Basham

Our August meeting will be held on 8/18/2010 the book is
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia
We will meet at the Kapolei Consolidated Theaters lobby at 7:00 for the 7:30 showing.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan 6/23/2010

Sarah Ohki hosted this evening in her lovely home.

Our June book club choice for the month was
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel.
A vivid depiction of the life of women in a far away time. The practices of foot binding and woman's worth, though understood as culture, are still jaw dropping to read.

"A true lady lets no ugliness into her life. Only through pain will you have beauty. Only through suffering will you find peace."

"Raising a girl and marrying her off is like building a fancy road for others to use."

A very nice reader's guide was included. I liked the interview with the author. It was between Lisa See and her mother, author Carolyn See.

We had to bid farewell to two beautiful members of our Palehua Book Club.

Molly Koch and Trisha Sessions

Molly, Trisha, you will be greatly missed. We love you and wish you the best in all your endeavors.

*Congratulations to Veronica Peterson for the arrival of Carl Rueben Peterson born at 7:23AM 8lbs 9.3oz June 23, 2010.

Graceling 5/26/2010

This month celebrated birthdays!








Trisha Sessions(May 5), Lynn Lambert(May 25),
Sarah Ohki(May 31) and Molly Koch(June 2).

What a fabulous cake Cortney!


For fans of The Goose Girl (Jan.'09 - one of our book club favorites) Graceling by Kristin Cashore will ring true and kick-it-up-a-notch.
Graceling is a term for a person with 'extreme skills' called a Grace. The main character Katsa's Grace is killing, so you can be sure there is violence...and she is supremely skilled.

Quote of Katsa while speaking to her nursemaid:

"I'm not going to wear a red dress," she said.
"It would look stunning, My Lady," she called.
She spoke to the bubbles gathered on the surface of the water. "If there's anyone I wish to stun at dinner, I'll hit him in the face."

In attendance this evening:
Molly, Sarah, Joy, Trisha, Moana, Jamie, Veronica, Laura, Cortney, Lynn and Wendi

We enjoyed a quiz to see who was a graceling and what skill they might be graced with. Unsurprisingly(surprisingly?), no one had the Killing Grace. A few with the Fighting Grace. Quite a few with the Relationships Grace and one with the Calming Grace that likely saved us all from a night of undignified behavior! (jury still out on that one)
Thank you all for gracing my life with laughter and sisterhood!
~Joy

The Help - 4/21/2010

What an awesome choice for a book club. There was so much to talk about. These southern ladies were great!

Thank you Lynn for hosting this month.


A Warm Welcome Veronica Peterson!
What a fun group we had.
In attendance: Lynn, Veronica, Joy, Trisha, Laura, Molly, Tori, Sarah, Moana, Wendi, and Cortney

Cortney summed the book up very well by saying, "The Help was a very interesting book to ponder on life, people, and true friendship." How true!

**update** On August 12, 2011 We went to the movies and saw The Help. It was wonderful!!

 

Tori, Rachel, Jamie, Sarah, Joy, Cortney, Barbie, Kainui, 

and not pictured - Sally(made a quick get-away!)

Kane and Abel - 3/24/2010

Joy's review
There were two options for reading this book. The original 1979 version....
or the 2009 'recrafted'(author's own description) version.

****I read the 30th Anniversary Edition****
I believe I would have enjoyed the original more. The added 70 pages or so became more explicit than was necessary. It's 100% the same story, why add the vile language? That said....

What a fascinating book. The premise of two men born the exact day, worlds apart in location and privilege, to await when and how their paths would eventually cross - I was captivated.

This was probably the most Man's Book that I've ever read. It has all the feelings of power, ambition, coldness... Not a lot of nurturing going on.

To sum up: If a group of older gentlemen all got together for their Book Club and were deciding on a book to read - THIS IS THE ONE.

The Princess Bride - 2/24/2010

Sarah Ohki hosted again! Girl you rock! In attendance:
Trisha, Laura, Sarah, Lynn and Joy

~*~*~*~As You Wish~*~*~*~
I love the Princess Bride. It's been a favorite movie for years and years. To finally read it after all the years of enjoying the movie, well, let's just say - it's about time.

William Goldman wrote the screenplay for The Princess Bride as well as this abridgment of S. Morgenstern's work. Although, Mr. Goldman would say "it wasn't so much an abridgment as just 'keeping in the really good parts' and skimming over the rest". If you've seen the movie and love the characters Feezik and Inigo you will enjoy the added back story. I'm glad we chose to read and discuss the book.

Just a side note about Mr. Goldman's comments throughout the book - unarguably this was a tale of 'true love and high adventure' and yet Mr. Goldman infused his own memoir of a failed marriage and poor parenting throughout. Collectively we thought his own reality was distracting, self-depreciating and an unnecessary part of the book.

side note...I wrote down a quote Lynn Lambert mentioned that evening (seriously LOL)

"harvesting bones to buy formula"

Was this a nervous possibility while you and Chris were poor dental school students or something?

Grace - 1/20/10

In January we met at Sarah Ohki's house and laughed and laughed. What a fun night.

We took turns discussing the book Grace by Richard Paul Evans, our book for both December and January. This was a book that made me cry. Pulled at my heart strings. I was glad to know it was fiction, even if the story isn't that far fetched. It was a good book to talk about among friends.
Those in attendance:
Sarah, Trisha, Tori, Molly, Laura, Joy, Lynn, Wendi

For February we will again meet at Sarah's home and have a
twuuu-luuuv-of-a-time
talking about The Princess Bride by William Goldman

~*~*~Upcoming Reads~*~*~
~ Kane and Abel by Jeffery Archer 3-10
~ The Help by Kathryn Stockett 4-10
~ Graceling by Kristin Cashore 5-10

~Joy