Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley

Thank you for hosting Cortney! Happy Birthday Keri!!

Thank you for the great book recommendation Maria. This was every bit enchanting of a read as could have been hoped for. I can see why it is one of your favorites. Thank you for sharing it will all of us.

From Goodreads.com : A strange imprisonment...

Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage.

When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go, but she answers, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?"

Robin McKinley's beloved telling illuminates the unusual love story of a most unlikely couple, Beauty and the Beast

The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

Thank you to all that attended: Jamie, Lauren, Maria, Cortney, Moana, Keri and Joy

We met at Joy's home. We all enjoyed this book and found the correspondence of letters as a writing style very intriguing. Some of us had watched the adaptation on Netflix and found the movie to be every bit enjoyable as the book. I personally even liked the movie more. I really like the group of actors.  ~ Joy


From Goodreads.com
Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” 

January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb…. 

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. 

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever. 

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

Our 15th Anniversary Celebration July 26, 2018

***UPDATE 9/19/2018***

Book selections for November, January & February

What a wonderful evening!

We opened by welcoming all with this beautiful poem written by Julia Donaldson.

Cortney, McKinley, Jamie, Moana, Joy, Maria, Lauren

Welcome to McKinley and Maria!

Thank you both for sharing a little about books you love.

I think we all received excellent suggestions.

Moana was our winner of the pencil balance/toss/catch game. 11 pencils! Way to go! 😄

Welcome McKinley!

~*~*~*~ bookmarks and pens ~*~*~*~

For the rest of the year:

August ~

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

September ~

Beauty by Robin McKinley

October ~

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

November ~

Tisha The story of a young teacher in the Alaskan Wilderness by Robert Specht

December ~

The Mistletoe Secret by Richard Paul Evans

January~

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

February ~

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

15th Anniversary

You are invited to join in a celebration 15 years in the making!

What: Palehua Book Club

When: ​Thursday, July 2​6​, 7pm

Where: Paet Home

​

Why: any reason is a good reason! How about snacks, games and prizes?!

Come with the plan to share what you've been reading these past few months.

​ Bring the books if you have them and bring a treat to share if you have that, too!​

Can't wait to get together!!

Much love and aloha!​!​

You can call or text me if you have any questions or suggestions 

Heads up for our August Book Club Pick:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

From Goodreads.com

Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.

But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?

Movie: Chaos Walking coming out March 2019

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

A dark, Gothic, dysfunctional, tragic story of love, loss, and crazy people.
Thanks for the suggestion Lauren!

The Orphan Train by Christina Blake Kline

Orphan Train by Christina Blake Kline

from goodreads.com:

A captivating story of two very different women who build an unexpected friendship: a 91-year-old woman with a hidden past as an orphan-train rider and the teenage girl whose own troubled adolescence leads her to seek answers to questions no one has ever thought to ask.

The Mistletoe Inn by Richard Paul Evans and Cookie Exchange

December: The Misteltoe Inn by Richard Paul Evans 300 pages

At thirty-two Kimberly Rossetti, a finance officer at a Lexus car dealership, has had her heart broken more times than she wants to remember. With two failed engagements, a divorce and again alone with no prospects, she hardly seems the type to dream of being a published romance author. Dreading another holiday alone, she signs up for The Mistletoe Retreat, a nine-day writing retreat in Savannah, Georgia. Deep inside Kimberly knows she's at a junction in her life and it's time to either fulfill her dream or let it go. The other reason she decides to attend the conference is because famed romance writer, H.T. Cowell, once the best selling romance writer in America, and the author whose books instilled in her the desire to be a writer, will be speaking in public for the first time in more than a decade.

In one of her breakout sessions Kimberly meets another aspiring writer, and one of the few men at the conference, Zeke, an intelligent man with a wry wit who seems as interested in Kimberly as he is in the retreat. As Kimberly begins to open up to him about her stories and dreams, she inadvertently reveals her own troubled past. As Zeke helps her to discover why her books fail to live up to their potential she begins to wonder if he's really talking more about her life than her literature. But as she grows closer to him, she realizes that Zeke has his own darkness, a past he's unwilling to talk about.

The theme of The Mistletoe Inn is that like literature, relationships must be lived with passion and vulnerability to succeed.

review from goodreads.com

A movie was recently released on the Hallmark Channel.

Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos

November: Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos 400 pages
Everyone has secrets. Some we keep to protect ourselves, others we keep to protect those we love.

A devoted city dweller, Cornelia Brown surprised no one more than herself when she was gripped by the sudden, inescapable desire to leave urban life behind and head for an idyllic suburb. Though she knows she and her beloved husband, Teo, have made the right move, she approaches her new life with trepidation and struggles to forge friendships in her new home. Cornelia's mettle is quickly tested by judgmental neighbor Piper Truitt. Perfectly manicured, impeccably dressed, and possessing impossible standards, Piper is the embodiment of everything Cornelia feared she would find in suburbia. A saving grace soon appears in the form of Lake. Over a shared love of literature and old movies, Cornelia develops an instant bond with this warm yet elusive woman who has also recently arrived in town, ostensibly to send her perceptive and brilliant son, Dev, to a school for the gifted.

Marisa de los Santos's literary talents shine in the complex interactions she creates between these three women. She deftly explores the life-altering roller coaster of emotions Piper faces as she cares for two households, her own and that of her cancer-stricken best friend, Elizabeth. Skillfully, de los Santos creates an enigmatic and beguiling character in Lake, who draws Cornelia closer even as she harbors a shocking secret. And from the first page until the exhilarating conclusion, de los Santos engages readers with Cornelia, who, while trying to adapt to her new surroundings, must remain true to herself. As their individual stories unfold, the women become entangled in a web of trust, betrayal, love, and loss that challenges them in ways they never imagined, and that ultimately teaches them what it means for one human being to belong to another.

review from goodreads.com

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

October: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie 315 pages
Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. One of his fellow passengers must be the murderer.

Isolated by the storm, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man's enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again . . .


review from goodreads.com

Movie Release 11/10/2017 staring Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfieffer Penelope Cruz

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer

September: Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult 353 pages
Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.
And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.
A romantic and charming story, this companion novel to Off the Page will make every reader believe in the fantastical power of fairy tales.

review from goodreads.com

My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares

A book with an opportunity to rant. Yay! So, we collectively enjoyed the story of Daniel and Lucy (aka: Sophia, Constance). Daniel has existed many lives and died many times then returns again through reincarnation, subsequently finding Sophia (aka: Constance, Lucy) in some lives and not in other lives. However, the build up throughout the entire book left the ending with much to be desired - with no sequel on the foreseeable horizon. Therein lies the rant. Of course, with Cortney hosting there were scrumptious treats to help ease the rub.

Thank you for hosting Cortney! Lauren and I had a great evening with you!

Some favorite quotes:

"A loving soul was always more beautiful over the long haul, but actual prettiness was fleeting. He used to think that fairness would dictate a conservation of physical beauty over the life of a soul, but it didn't work that way. Fairness turned out to be a human construct, and the universe had little use or it."

"Sometimes he felt sure that the key to happiness was a poor memory."

We missed you additional book club friends! We hope to see you at September's meeting when we talk about Between the Lines by author Jodi Picoult's daughter, Samantha Van Leer.

Also, in case you were wondering........ there was a slight mix-up on my part about August and September's books. It all worked out though. We read the September book but not the August book yet. So in August we talked about September's originally planned book: My Name is Memory. Next month in September we will talk about August's originally planned book: Between the Lines.

In 14 years of Book Club I suppose it was bound to happen. Thank you wonderful Ladies for your unfailing patience with me! ALOHA!

~Joy

We've got a January Book!

Orphan Train by Christina Blake Kline

from goodreads.com:

A captivating story of two very different women who build an unexpected friendship: a 91-year-old woman with a hidden past as an orphan-train rider and the teenage girl whose own troubled adolescence leads her to seek answers to questions no one has ever thought to ask.