Recipes!

Hey! Sorry to totally be bombarding you with blog updates these days .... I just have a lot of time this week before my class starts next week, so am having fun doing all the nerdy stuff I love to do : )

If you head on over to our recipe blog (via the button in the sidebar) you'll see I posted Anna's couscous recipe. I've made it quite a few times since she hosted last May so thought maybe you guys would like the recipe as well (it's from myrecipes.com so I just googled a bunch of the                                             ingredients and it popped up!).

We obviously don't need to have every single recipe we ever consume as a group up on the food blog, but if you haven't posted there yet and feel like it, go ahead and add a recipe or two from when you hosted. Or just send me the recipe and I'll do it for you!

-Carolyn

Movie Night

Here's a photo I forgot to post from our movie night at Marit's earlier in December when we watched Little Women.

Would anyone be interested in watching another movie? I'd be up for hosting a movie night sometime in February on say, a Thursday evening (weekends are so crazy and Thursdays are the next best thing to Friday!). I just have no idea what movie. It's near Valentine's Day so we could do any romantic comedy or perhaps a romantic classic? Like Casablanca? Or a movie from a great classic book? Suggestions? I'd be up for anything!
-Carolyn

Meeting #10: All the Pretty Horses

We had a great time discussing All the Pretty Horses at Colleen's place this past weekend!

I don't know if any of us totally loved the book, but we did appreciate it and were reminded of our grandpas, many of whom are big western fans and from that era.

Anyone want to add anything about our discussion? Sign into the blog and write-away!

Colleen made 3 fabulous salads which we thoroughly enjoyed -- twice! We had so much food that each bookette was able to bring some leftovers home. Reminder to self: green salad + bowties (and various other salad toppins) = good combo.

And mini cheesecakes for dessert!

I think Morgan wants to team up with Moose (Heidi's dog) as club mascot.

We're all eagerly awaiting the next voting round. Can't wait to crack the next cover!

Carolyn

The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian

Remember this guy? I have to say, he's up there on my list of favorite characters ever. I loved that he spent is years at Shawshank Prison in the library. He completely defied any judgements I had made about inmates. Brooks was kind, intelligent, and good with people and animals. He valued books and made them an important part of prison life. Is Brooks the only one for books in prison?

Brooks Hatlen: prison librarian/trustee and one of the oldest convicts at Shawshank.

I'll get to the point. Solveig told me about the story Art behind bars that she heard on MPR's Midmorning this morning. Being that I've always been interested in prison life (don't ask- weird obsession) and the books/the arts I listened to the story as soon as I got home. We agreed that it must be shared with the other Bookettes right away. 


The guests on today's show were Avi Steinberg (check out his book cover below), who spent time working in a prison library and saw first-hand what books and literature meant to some prisoners and Janie Paul, works with prisoners on creative arts projects.  During the show they share their perspective on arts and humanities in the prisons. The host, Kerri Miller, also takes calls from former inmates and their families. In a time when budget cuts abound, this story makes an compelling argument for the value of the arts in prisons.

Is this fitting with our recent read, The Accidental Tourist, or what?

Janie Paul

Improvisation 3
2005

You can listen here:

How about you? What books have resonated with you? How did that particular book relate to what was going on in your life at the time you read it?

-Marit

Bookettes Annual Report: Year 1

As you can read below, our last bookclub meeting marked our first full year together! And of course, to celebrate in true Bookette fashion, we had to include all of the essentials: wonderful meal? Check. Fabulous dessert? Check. Official poll of our top books of the year? Check!

We conducted a weighted poll where we each gave three points to our favorite book, two to our second, and one to our third favorite book of the year. 

And the Bookettes official favorite book of the year is ... (sound drumroll) ....

Let the Great World Spin, by Colum McCann! (read more about that book here)

And here's how the rest of the books faired:

Did you really think we'd let this big event pass without some official video documenting? Watch our unveiling of the top 4 books here:

It's been a great year ladies! Can't wait to see what books will be on our top-4 of year two!

Meeting #9: The Help

Who turned one year old today?!

The Bookettes!

Today's meeting to discuss The Help marks our one year anniversary as a book club. We celebrated by feasting on some great southern food - complete with grits, shrimp, and cornbread!

(Recipes available here)

Marit, our wonderful host, provided great "southern hospitality", as always.

Check out these cute decorations!

I do believe this is the same Bookette who equipped us all with these pins, a few meetings back:

After lingering in the living room enjoying our apps and discussion, and feasting on grits and shrimp, we honored Minny from The Help -- and one year together -- with:

A Chocolate-Pecan Pie! Of course we left out one key ingredient ; )

~Carolyn

Movie Night!!

It was great to see you all today! I hope you can all make it back here for a showing of Little Women on December 16, at 7:30.

Marit