Robert Peace Piece

So, were you wondering what dinner would be?  Ketchup packages?  Ramen?  I'm sure you were glad it was elegant burgers in honor of the Burger Boyz.  Based on the graduation/fundraiser dinners of vichyssoise, Caesar salad, steak, salmon and chocolate cake, we enjoyed potato soup (TOO COLD out to enjoy vichyssoise!), Caesar salad, chopped steak (burgers with all the trimmings), salmon (thank you Esther and SensaSea!) with store bought cookies and Safford home-made fudge for dessert (I was planning to make brownies, but didn't get around to baking).  Thank you all for helping me get set up and finish the dinner while I tended the grill.

Chris P wrote a great summary of the book - offering wonderful insight into Robert's life and why he made the choices he made.  Krys B noted that the author chose to write this book hoping that it would make a difference to people and how they make their life's choices.  We all agreed that it was depressing to read about the lost potential, but marveled in the remarkable difference Robert made to those people in his world - ..."(he) was like a redwood tree looming large in my life.  His life was cut short before it could reach the full heights of its glory....so many others thrived and found refuge in his shade while he was with us".

It was so much fun to host our annual Christmas children's book gathering and secret Santa gift exchange.  I enjoyed decorating and all the preparation for our evening.  Thank you all for coming, even when it was so icy.  We missed you Chris (keeping warm down south) and Krys (hope you are feeling better soon!) and enjoyed your reports on our book.

Our next read is "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty.  It will be nice to have an easy read during the holidays.  Esther will be our next host and we are tentatively looking at January 6th.  Esther will contact us with the final decision on our date.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year everyone!!!!!

December Meeting

Claudia will be hosting our December meeting.  It is scheduled for December 16th at 5:30.  You are welcome to arrive earlier if you would like.  It will be busy as we will not only be reviewing our latest read, but will also wrap our children's holiday gift books and have our secret Santa gift-book exchange.  Looking forward to seeing you all then! 

A Lovely Evening

Thank you, Chris, for hosting our "summer camp" evening of camp stew and s'more (done two ways!)  Everything was, of course, delicious and all enjoyed a warm and cozy night.  We welcome our newest member, Sandy Safford!  Thank you Debbie D. for selecting "Firelight Girls" written by your friend Kaya McLaren.  It was a story that not only brought back memories of summer camps while growing up, but also delved into being happy with yourself and where you are in your life.  Once again, it showed that none of us are alone; these feeling are universal and we are all experiencing similar feeling.  It is always wonderful to enjoy a lovely evening with friends and to get a good dose of reality!

First Meeting this Fall

Thank you to Chris Peek for hosting our discussion of  The Aviator's Wife, by Melanie Benjamin. We had such a wonderful time at your beautiful home overlooking the Columbia. The meal was just perfect, and it sure was nice to just share good food, great conversation and a lot of laughter.  Welcome to our group Kris B. ! We are happy to have you join us!


The consensus was  that this book was enlightening about the lives of Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, but somewhat less than apparent about what was actual researched facts and what was conjecture.  We felt dismay reading of the character of Charles Lindbergh and incredulity at Anne's willing submission to his demands. However, there is the sense that there was a bond in their marriage that is unknown to all but them, as with all marriages.The magnitude of their celebrity was a revelation. It's destructiveness is reflected in later lives - notably in the tragedy of Princess Diana. There was so much sadness of their loss of baby Charles, and strangeness in their relationship, and questioning of their role prior to and during the war.  It was very satisfying to read of Anne's ultimate break from Charles and courage to follow the wishes of her own heart.    There are unanswered questions such as the destiny of the offspring of  his relationships with other women. We rated the book 3,9.


We are currently reading The Firelight Girls by Kaya McLaren for our November meeting, which will be at Chris Mallon's home on Wednesday, Nov. 4.  For the October meeting, all are invited to read one of the books written by Harper Lee - either the classic To Kill a Mockingbird, or the recently published, Go Set a Watchman, and/or to read The Mockingbird Next Door, by Marja Mills. There will be an Entiat Community Reads discussion at the Entiat Public Library on Thursday, October 15 at 5:30 PM.


If you surrender completely to the moments as they pass, you live more richly those moments.

Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Next two meetings

The September meeting for The Aviator's Wife will be at Chris Peek's and the October meeting will be the CommunityRead at Entiat Library Thursday October 15, "Mockingbird" related books.

Not Squirrel Stew!!!!

Thank you Debbie Gregory for the lovely dinner you prepared for our meeting last night.  Alaskan Salmon in honor of  "Two Old Women" (so glad it wasn't squirrel stew!) preceded by yummy appetizers!  Esther and Claudia shared their bounty of tomatoes and Judy brought a delicious variety of Gala apples for us all.  Combined with enjoying friends and conversation - who could ask for more!

For such an unassuming book, "Two Old Women: an Alaskan Legend of Betrayal, Courage, and Survival" by Velma Wallis, turned out to have a powerful impact on all of us.  The story was simple but touching and full of good morals and life lessons.  We collectively found it very inspirational, learned that we need to take control and responsibility for our lives, and that we need to work at continuing to look for the joy in our lives.  Esther noted that this title is a non-fiction book categorized as a folk tale.  While we have read many different types of non-fiction, this was our first folk tale.  This little book stimulated great discussion about our families and family traditions. 

Our next book selection is "The Aviator's Wife" by Melanie Benjamin.  Although Claudia is up next to host our meeting, Chris Peek asked to host us in September so we can enjoy her lovely home along the Columbia river.  No date was set, but we are tentatively planning to meet sometime during the latter portion of September.  Chris P. will contact us to arrange the date.

Thank you again Debbie G.; we all really enjoyed your home, your hospitality and your lovely bounty.

Question for you

Hi Girls,

I'm just wondering what the date is for Two Old Women and the location.  For some reason, I'm not remembering.  Maybe I have brain overload. LOL

Also, if someone can adjust the average for Sarah's Key.  I finished it and give it a 4.5.  I'm glad I took the time to finish reading it to understand the history.  Too sad for words.  Man can be so cruel.

Hi Ladies, I would be happy to run a carpool up to Debbie's house for the meeting. Just let me know pickup points and times. We can get 5 total into the car. Please email speek@wwdb.org with details. Thanks, Chris P.

More Good Reads

So, Chris has passed the gauntlet.  Yup, I had to open my big mouth.  Actually, I have been enjoying the books I've been reading outside of book club books.  One I found very interesting was "In Montmartre: Picasso, Matisse and the Birth of Modernism in Paris 1900 - 1910"  (Whey, what a title!) by Sue Roe.  It continued along the vein of "The Greater Journey" by David McCullough - yes Debbie G, I am glad you selected that book for us to read! - focusing on the "neighborhood" that most of the artists inhabited.  It also tied in with "The Paris Wife" by Paula McLain, a historical fiction book which focused on Ernest Hemmingway during his "Paris years" which were a similar timeframe.  These books all included a few of the same noted characters so I felt more connected to these individuals and got a clearer notion of what life was really like at the turn of the 20th century.  I learned that I like Matisse's work but am not fond of Picasso's, although I have a much better understanding of the importance of his work, what he was trying to achieve and how he developed his ideas.

Not all of my reading has been so scholarly.  On the lighter side, I've also enjoyed "Chasing Cezanne" by Peter Mayle, "Funny Girl" by Nick Hornby and "Then Again" by Diane Keaton.  A couple of these I checked out online using the Overdrive app as audio books and enjoyed listening to the stories read by actors who were well trained in correct voice and accents which really brought books story to life.  Based on Chris' recommendation, I am just going to start listening to "Being Mortal".

Sharing good reads

Claudia had a good suggestion, about posting "good reads" we've had, between meetings. Christine Peek recommended "Orphan Train" when I asked if anyone had read it. I have been recommending "Being Mortal" by Atul Gawande. Also was curious about Daniel James Brown's other narrative history books and finished "Under a Flaming Sky" and "The Indifferent Stars Above"...discovered that I especially like narrative history. Listened to David McCullough's "The Wright Brothers"...also fits the bill. Happy reading!

The Light Between Oceans

Thank you Barbara for the wonderful meal!  And for being flexible about our suddenly-changing weather.  So glad we were all able to get together. It was so nice to see everyone - and welcome back Chris P - we missed you. 

This book was enjoyed by all.  It was very well crafted.  The author included several points of view on many ideas which contributed to our interesting discussion about this story: good vs bad, life vs death, right vs wrong.  And the varied metaphors for the light were intriguing; a warning of danger, a place of safety, seen for miles yet what was near was always left in darkness.  Sunlight, moonlight; an ancient method of navigation, "every one of its flashes still traveling somewhere into the darkness far out toward the universe's edge".

Our next meeting will be at Debbie D's up-river on June 22 at 5:30pm.  Be sure to mark your calendars.  Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Next meeting at Barbara's May 13

Daniel James Brown speaks 4/9/15

Certainly enjoyed hearing the author speak about his book, how it came about, choices he made in writing, the clip from the gold medal race, and his summary of what he felt the themes were...the ones I noted to myself were the humility and humbleness of these nine young men, that made them unique, but "of their time". Hope others of you will add your thoughts and post on our blog.

Community Discussion Tonight!

 I am really looking forward to seeing you tonight! Not only will it be interesting to hear everyone's opinions and impressions of Boys in the Boat, but it will just be good to see you!

  I also  have tickets for our early admission to the reception for Daniel James Brown, author of Boys in the Boat. If you cannot make it, I hope that you can stop by the library on Wednesday during open hours so that I can give you the ticket. We will get a chance to find seats early as well as meet the author before the general public, since we are an NCRL Book Club.

I am bringing celery boats with Smoky Jal, blue cheese and pimento,   german sausage, with chablis mustard ( since we can't have the wine at the library ) , apple slices, and sea salt potato chips. We'll also have coffee, tea and water.

See you tonight!!

Hot Veggie Recipe

So nice to see everyone last night, and isn't the new fire station in Entiat a great facility!  Enjoyed our delicious pot luck as we discussed "Running the Books" by Avi Steinberg.  A different sort of story with moments of great prose.  The story wasn't linear - this happened, then this, then this - but moved back and forth highlighting different aspects and observations from two years of working in a prison.  As always, an interesting and thoughtful discussion.

Apparently my scalloped Portobello and cauliflower hot dish was a hit!  Actually, I found this recipe the previous Saturday at the library in a Taste of Home magazine.  For those of you so inclined, here is the recipe with my modifications (of course):

1 large head of cauliflower, broken into florets
1 lb sliced baby Portobello mushrooms - I used white mushrooms
3 T olive oil, divided
1/2 t salt
4 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 c flour
1/4 t paprika
1 1/4 c half-and-half
3/4 c shredded white cheddar cheese
1/4 c panko - I used plain breadcrumbs

Oven roast the cauliflower: Preheat oven to 400.  In a large bowl, toss cauliflower with 2 T olive oil and 1/2 t salt.  Arrange in a single layer in baking pan and roast 25-30 min or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Alternate cooking method: Place 1" of water and cauliflower in stockpot and bring to a boil.  Cook, covered 7-10 min until tender.  Drain.

In saucepan, heat 1 T olive oil over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and cook 5 min.  Add shallots and cook additional 3-4 min until lightly browned.  Mix flour and paprika.  Stir in until blended: gradually stir in the half-and-half.  Cook and stir 2-3 min until thickened.

Place cauliflower in a greased baking dish; cover with the mushroom sauce.  Sprinkle with cheese, then bread crumbs.  Bake at 350, uncovered, 35-40 min or until bubbly and golden brown. 

Upcoming meeting February 18

The meeting is a potluck, at the new FireStation on Entiat Way, set up at 5 PM.

Lovely evening at Judy's home

Thank you, Judy, for preparing a delicious Peruvian themed event for us to enjoy.  Dinner included a Peruvian style salad of greens with a selection of tasty things to add and four different dressing choices, sweet potatoes and two differently prepared potatoes (a Peruvian staple) and a delicious chicken (which differed from the Peruvian ones we read about as it WAS NOT stringy!).  Along with cornbread and a wonderful apple cake, no one left Judy's house hungry!  Instead of wine, Claudia prepared what seems to be the Peruvian national drink of choice - Pisco Sours.  (Peruvian national Pisco Sour day is always the first Saturday in February, so we celebrated a few days early). 

It was our first meeting at Judy's home, which is full of many mementos (some actually from Peru, such as a guinea pig painted gourd) and Judy has delightful stories for each treasure.  I love the details that Judy discovers in each book we read - for example, per our book, we enjoyed 80's music in the background during our evening.  She also makes sure to note the page that formulates the title of our books.  As always, our discussions are thought-provoking and insightful.

Thank you Judy for a lovely evening, and we are looking forward to the next time you host us! 

Thank you Judy, and next meeting

Will leave the details of our lovely evening at Judy's to Claudia, where we were treated to Pisco Sour cocktail of Peru, by Claudia! 
Our next meeting will be a potluck at the new Entiat Fire Station on Wednesday Feb.18 at 5:30 so you can mark your calendars now.
March 10 we meet at Entiat Library for a special presentation for book clubs and selecting books.
April 7 there will be a local Entiat community read gathering at the library for Boys in the Boat, prior to the county-wide meeting with the author April 9 in Wenatchee. Boys in the Boat will be Claudia's choice for our club read.

"Wild" - the movie....

Boy, was the theater crowded with people who were lining up to see "Unbroken" which had just opened.  Glad Chris suggested we purchase our tickets online.  Cost was $1 more (for processing fees?) but it was worth it to not stand in that line and to know you were getting in to see the show.  I enjoyed the movie but found I wasn't as angry with Cheryl as I was while reading the book.  I realize they had to edit some events to fit the story into the movie time-frame, and feel they really did do a good job presenting the major events and keeping the story true.  I felt more empathy for the movie Cheryl versus the author Cheryl, as they kept bringing her connection with her mother's death into the picture, so it was more obvious (to me at least; where's that 2x4 to whack me on the head!) how much she was dealing with and how much she overcame.  Maybe I was focusing more on how amazingly unprepared she was for her hike and all the mistakes she made while I was reading the book.  They did include some visual things which you recognize if you read the book.  Those who didn't read the book won't notice all these details, but would certainly be able to understand the story and enjoy her journey.

Thanks to Chris for organizing this fun outing!

PS - Don't think I want to see "Unbroken".  I'm sure they did a good job with that movie too, but I don't want to see all the torture that went on in the POW camp.  At least while I read the book, I could limit my imagination and edit out a lot of the gory stuff.