We had a wonderful book club party at Sally Graham's house! Thank you for all your hospitality, Sally - your home is lovely, and the weather was perfect for a candlelight book club on the deck. The book for the month was Women in Sunlight by Frances Mayes.
Most of us thought the book was a light, fun read, perfect for summer. Maybe just a touch too perfect? The fantasy of being able to jet off to Italy, find a mystical love match, find freedom, all while simplifying life, with no budget worries at all, felt facile. What if we want to complicate life, for the sake of freedom, open things up, instead of narrowing them down? Some of us felt a tiny bit targeted, a bit "marketed to". The idea of going to Italy, inspired by all the wish fulfillment, beautiful scenery and "ambles" in the book has taken hold, and so we have decided that we are going there, and will have book club in a Tuscan villa. Susan V. knows a person named Elizabeth Minchilli who can help us eat our way through Italy. Literally.
At this point we were very happy thinking about the next time we get to go to Italy (or anywhere, oh, hey, Celia!), and also decided that we should go to Bordeaux, where there is another very knowledgeable guide and gorgeous Air B&B host, named Kim Freeman. I'm thinking there is something to this ex-pat deal, and that I'd be darling at it.
Which leads to next month's read, Karen Abbot's Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy, the true story of four women who went undercover during the Civil War. Abbott's research is very thorough - all dialogue, quotes, and actions are from primary sources, letters, diaries, court proceedings and the like. I got the audio book, and Bill and I listened to it on our way up and back from Leesburg, VA last weekend. It was really interesting to hear all the places we were passing mentioned in the book, and Richmond features very prominently in the story lines of all four women. It might be fun to do a book club history walk around Church Hill some weekend, have Sunday brunch at Alewife ...
Margo suggested that Deep Run Hunt Club would be a good place to meet in October, which sounds good to me!
Book suggestion for November: Colson Whitehead's Harlem Shuffle.
December is our Annual Book Club Holiday Party and Yankee Book Swap. Everyone brings a wrapped book (new, used, handwritten, whatever), and puts an anonymous note in it saying why it's terrific. Then, happy mayhem ensues.
January's book suggestion is The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbary
Aaaaaaand! Big congratulations to Mary Milheiser and My Boy Tex for being USEA Novice Amateur CHAMPIONS! We are all so delighted for you!
