Hi all, and thank you to Ashley for hosting, it was a fun night filled with fun conversation. We had a new member join, Lacey Huszcza, who came armed with an Arnold Palmer cake that was just fab. Please come back!
Usually, when I pick the book no one likes it so I was quite relieved that The Expendable Man by Dorothy B. Hughes was well received. Mary even tracked down the two movies made from her books, one of them starring Humphrey Bogart! This author was largely lost to obscurity until she was republished fairly recently, so this feels a bit like a find.
This story was really well paced, and the tension really built up. The characters were really interesting, and really well written. Although not everyone loved it, and at least one person thought it was fairly predictable, it was still a really good read and a reminder of how much in some ways our society has changed.
And on to the next read, the book is The Confidante by Christopher C. Gotham, the story of yet another woman lost to obscurity but this one is non-fiction. We will meet at Carole's - I will be traveling, so maybe someone can volunteer to keep everyone informed? The date is Tuesday, August 13, at 6:30. I have Carole's copy if anyone else would like to borrow it from her. (Carole, I assume you won't mind!)
We had a burst of organization and got all our dates and books down for September, October and November. September will be at Gabby's, the book is Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff. Note, the date shifted for this meeting to September 17. The city dwellers will want to car pool, it is a beautiful, but a bit long drive. (Very close to Anna Powers though, hint hint.) This book has gotten great reviews and Groff is a wonderful writer.
October will be on the 14th, at my house. The book is The Wager by David Grann, a story of a shipwreck, a mutiny and its aftermath. David Grann is such a great storyteller, of just amazing history. I hope my house will be a bit more finished and that Val is back in town as this was the book she took from me at the Christmas swap!
November will be on the 18th at Karin's, we can all anticipate Craft and Design which will be that coming weekend. The book is Absolution by Alice McDermott, another highly praised book. We are going to have a great reading fall!
Our Holiday Swap will be on December 18 at Fiona's, and I can't wait. The NY Times has published its list of the 100 best books of the century (so far) and lots of our past picks are on it. There might be some ideas for next year too!
See you all in September, I will be in Scotland for August. Have a great time!
