November recap and December rev

Dear Bookclub,
We were eaters of a delicious lunch at Cork and Craft for a discussion of "We the Eaters". Agreeing that Gustafson was preaching to the choir, we were reminded of how fortunate it is to be in San Diego.  How we will be appreciating that even more next week as we gather for our December meeting in Coronado!

Trudy has graciously arranged for our group to participate in the Interfaith Adopt-a-Family Program. We each were assigned a member of a family, with specific requests. The items should be delivered to Trudy who will then drop off the gifts at "Santa's Workshop" in Escondido.

Our meeting will officially be on Wednesday 12/3 at noon. I have made lunch reservations at Sheer Water (like last year at the Del) but am open to any suggestions. I propose dinner at 7 on Tuesday night (Chez Loma or Vigilucci's?) and a lunch earlier that day for our initial gathering.... The Rhinoceros Cafe has closed... but know we can find another spot easily enough. Sandwiches on the beach? Or the new Islander restaurant in the Rhinoceros Cafe location, featuring fresh seafood? Just start texting each other when your feet hit the island and we'll rendezvous. Trudy and I will be out and about, scouting, starting Monday.  Please share any ideas or desires!!

The 1906 Lodge, our piece de resistance, in its gingered holiday spendor:

However, the most anticipated ginger is our beloved Ginger B.! Looking forward to us all being together....


Happy Reading,
LK


PS: Our upcoming selection is Laura McBride's "We are Called to Rise". The selection chosen for March is Marilynne Robinson's "Lila".

Change dinner; change lunch

Dear Bookclub,
Let's meet, 12:30, at the newest eatery in our area: The Cork and Craft.

http://www.thecorkandcraft.com/

No Nutella.
Read on,
LK

November Bookclub Newsletter

Dear Bookclub,
We have a new date for November, Wednesday the 19th, which is very happy in everyone's calendar.
Let's meet at my house for lunch... how can it be any other way??!

The Change Dinner Project

“Change Dinner is the idea of coming back to the table to become activists in our own home, at our own table, with our own friends and family, in our own communities. Because, by making better food choices, and purchasing your food in a different way, and understanding where your food comes from, you can actually have a huge impact on the way food is produced and consumed around the world” – Ellen Gustafson

Gustafson's book, "We the Eaters" will come as no surprise to our savy, lucky-to-live-in-San Diego-tummies and minds. Her description of our food system, aptly described in this La Jolla TED talk, is disheartening and thought-provoking:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3QA37vtSa8

Gustafson has co-founded several projects ranging from "FEED" to "The Food Tank", admirably spreading her message via several avenues. Please check out her website, and drop-downs under projects, to learn more:

http://ellengustafson.com/

Eating and Reading Responsibly,
LK

October 2014 Recap & News

Dear Bookclub,
An intimate gathering at BernardO's yesterday for Wanda, Terrie G, Trudy and I as we enjoyed a leisurely lunch and discussed the strengths and weaknesses in "Tell the Wolves I'm Home". Agreeably a pleasurable read, we did find some faults in believability of some character traits and events but we relished the concept of the painting and its central role.

Another discussion ensued regarding our upcoming December plans. The Hotel Del rates were feeling quite like a scalping and we decided to do some further research. Wanda quickly found a wonderful option in The 1906 Lodge:

Reservations are being made so we can resume our plans of beach R &R, including slow reading:

Historic image of 1906 Lodge

Here is some interesting recent history about a change of ownership just last year:

http://www.ecoronado.com/profiles/blogs/end-of-another-chapter-040920131033


TG gave us some wonderful ideas for our February upcoming selection:

"The Paying Guests" by Sarah Waters
"Stone Mattress" by Margaret Atwood
"Friendswood: A Novel" by Rene Steinke
"The Remarkable Courtship of General Tom Thumb" by Nicholas Rinaldi    *chosen

Next up is "We the Eaters: If We Change Dinner, We Can Change the World" by Ellen Gustafson.

Happy Reading,
LK

October Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
This Wednesday, October 1, we'll be discussing "Tell the Wolves I'm Home".

Terrie G will announce where we'll be meeting (she hinted that it would be local and  at 12:30).

 

Keep calm and read on,

LK

December Plans

Dear Bookclub,

It's official! We are repeating our retreating:

Autumnal equinox in Southern California means more than Santa Ana's, pomegranates and faded evenings. It's time to fret about the holidays! But first, let's carve out a little time for our Coronado retreat, December 1-3 (luncheon meeting on Wednesday, December 3rd). Please make your reservation for your desired stay... one night or two.. Beach beckons for slow reading, chatting, shopping, biking, walking, good eating, spa retreating.

 Ahhhhhhhhh,
LK

September 2014 Recap

Dear Bookclub,
Our September 3rd lunch on the patio at The Barrel Room brings to mind Valerie's bruschetta caprese which is really very unfair to the discussion of our much loved "The Boys in the Boat". (I need to make dinner.) Everyone was so enthusiastic about the book; descriptions of races are seared into our memories with Daniel James Brown's masterful storytelling sealed with the endearment developed for Joe Rantz. We loved it all!

Valerie, fortified by her savory lunch, presented us each with a page of write-ups for her four suggestions for our January selection:

"One Plus One: A Novel" by JoJo Moyes
"The Invention of Wings" by Sue Monk Kidd
"The Romanov Sisters:The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra"  by Helen Rappaport
"Home Leave" by Brittani Sonnenberg  *** chosen(not an easy decision)

The Slow Reading Club

Pictured above is a book club from Wellington, New Zealand. They meet weekly for an hour to merely be immersed in 'old-school reading'. Please explore this concept in the following:

http://online.wsj.com/articles/read-slowly-to-benefit-your-brain-and-cut-stress-1410823086

Does anyone want to do this? Intriguing.

Next up: "Tell the Wolves I'm Home" for Wednesday October 1st.

Happy Reading (slow, dangerous, whatever!)
 LK

September 2014 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
As the September calendar page beckons, all those 'summer reads' will soon be obsolete  - until next spring, that is, when the chatter begins anew of beach bag-thrillers, airplane page-turners, poolside 'literature' and my wishlist for the planned pleasure of losing myself in a myriad of readable thoughts reignites. Must admit that I am enjoying giving this last official weekend of summer up to "The Boys in the Boat". Sorry stacks of huge fall fashion 'zines.

 University of Washington Crew 2014

eye candy

Daniel James Brown's "Boys in the Boat" is truly cinematic. Please read link below, an announcement from 2011, before book was even published, when Weinsteins bought the rights to make the movie with Kenneth Branagh directing. Most fascinating in this link: a 4 minute video with the 1936 Olympic race... please watch it! The eight man race follows the four man race.


http://whatculture.com/film/kenneth-branagh-to-direct-the-boys-in-the-boat-about-u-s-olympic-rowers-who-embarrassed-hitler.php


Our next meeting: Wednesday September 3rd at 12:30 - The Barrel Room.


See you there!
LK

PS Dreamy about those fireside tales, teatime tomes, and dark, early-evening reading fests....

August 2014 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,

A fine little lunch at Bellamy's was the backdrop for the discussion of "The Burnable Book". 

 Medieval Bellamy

 With agreed appreciation for the delve into 14th century London culture, Terrie further enlightened us about Holsinger's scholarly crafting.

Gower and Chaucer were indeed literary rivals. Beware the gentle looking poet.









Terry presented three great titles - as always a tough decision:

"We are Called to Rise" by Laura McBride *
"All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
"The Age of Miracles" by Karen Thompson Walker

*chosen for December

Please be sure to note the calendar and synch it with yours!


"The Boys in the Boat" is next.... shall we row?

Happy Reading!
LK

July 30 is the new August

Dear Bookclub,
Just a big head's up that next Wednesday, July 30 is our August Bookclub meeting. Terry F. has chosen "Bellamy's" on Grand in Escondido for our lunch at noon:

http://www.bellamysdining.com/

Looks great!

We will be discussing "A Burnable Book" by Bruce Holsinger. Hopefully you have started it/finished it and know that the following humor would never be so aptly direct in Holsinger's terms:

Happy Reading!
LK

July 2014 at The Winery

Dear Bookclub,
The Bernardo Winery was the perfect setting for our round table discussion of "The Goldfinch". Truly a top-notch waitress, who knew how to serve and artfully ignore us for an inordinate amount of time (were we really there for nearly four hours??!), eased us into a lulling afternoon, complete with rehashing the novel's highlights and themes, double dessert order, and ample time to catch up on each others' antics.

Tartt owned us as readers, with her 2.1 pound hardcover of 775 pages (or 123,324,546,687,099 page e-read) and we agreed, a lot of it was uncomfortable to read. This is not a massage therapist reference. The end was a great reward for all the discomfort and I am sure we will all keep the tale sharply remembered in our evermore challenged memories (nod to TF).

"Goldfinch" was number one in the recent Wall Street Journal Piketty index. Many bestsellers go unread (Stephen Hawking's "Brief History of Time" had been dubbed "the most unread book of all time"). With the statistical analysis done on Amazon "popular highlights', it has been determined that most of the highlights occur in the last 20 pages of the "The Goldfinch". Mix in some non-scientific hocus-pocus and voila - it was deemed that 98.5% of readers finish. "Capital in the Twenty-First Century" by Thomas Piketty (a humble 700 pages), is dead last with 2.4% of readers finishing.

Complete article (99% Piketty):

http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-summers-most-unread-book-is-1404417569

We had fun considering the three diverse books Wanda presented for our upcoming November selection:

"Book of Ages: The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin" by Jill Lepore
"The Lion Seeker" by Kenneth Bonert
"We the Eaters:If We Change Dinner, We Change the World" by Ellen Gustafson      *chosen

Next up: "The Burnable Book".

 Please be sure to mark your calendars .... .we changed our next meeting date from August 5 to July 30.

Happy Reading!
LK

July 2014 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
Wanda has chosen Café Merlot for our meeting next Wednesday, July 2 at 12:30. We will discuss Donna Tartt's, "The Goldfinch".

OK... you decide: Tartt/Dickens ...... actually, aside from the jumbo literary style (and similar hair), the parallels end.

At age 58, Dickens died of a stroke, leaving behind 10 children. Over his lifetime, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms. Dickens also thrived on his book tours, traveling the world and doing hundreds of readings.

At 50, Tartt has written three huge novels, taking about 10 years to complete each. She is actually quite private (and has no children to support), skipping the book tours, etc.  In her own words from a November interview with Irish Independent:

"I think there's an expectation now, possibly because of Facebook and those sorts of things, that everyone should share the Facebook vision of the world but people have different ideas of what makes them comfortable and what makes them uncomfortable.

"Was it Emerson who talked about the great freedom of American life as the freedom not to participate in the life of the culture, the freedom to shut the door, to close the curtains? American heroes are almost always solitary figures in our literature.

"Joan Didion writes a beautiful essay about Howard Hughes who was a lonely recluse but also a kind of weird American hero who built the whole city of Las Vegas and Joan Didion said, 'he's the last private man, the dream we no longer admit'."

 I just love that Emerson thought on the great freedom of American life.

full article:
 http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/interview-the-very-very-private-life-of-ms-donna-tartt-29780543.html

And, recently there is the highbrow literary backlash - (hey Donna, it is a mean world).....  Please check out this quick little article describing not only Tartt's polarized critics, but other authors' adventures with pundits.

  http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2014/0624/Donna-Tartt-s-The-Goldfinch-is-the-newest-bestseller-to-weather-backlash


OK, I must get back to reading....
Enjoy!

LK

June 2014 on the Veranda

Dear Bookclub,
Despite our small rotation about the table, the sun could not be inhibited and insisted on being very present on the Veranda for our late afternoon 'tea'. Thankfully, none of us experienced any phengophobia. A bright, beautiful setting, we enjoyed the environs of the golf course view and set about discussing "My Age of Anxiety". Tiptoeing around the topic of emetophobia, we delicately ordered light dinners, and stayed grounded in our chairs, safe from crash landings or toppling over cliffs.

Ultimately, we agreed we were grateful to have not experienced Stossel's levels of anxiety.


Trudy suggested three great titles for an upcoming selection:

"Astonish Me" by Maggie Shipstead
"The Interestings" by Meg Wolitzer
"Tell the Wolves I'm Home: A Novel" by Carol Rifka Brunt   *chosen

At one point, I'm sure we were a lovely sight of boorish women, noses in tiny phone screens, pecking away with pointy, frenzied fingers trying to bookmark our blog and checking out the parlor game invented by Val of reading the last and lowest ranked reviews. Good reads, those reviews! Fakes can be real bombers and there is an art to spotting them... wonderful; a new time waster. I wonder if they will publish a book of them... guess who would probably buy it.

Gear up for the next selection: Donna Tartt's "The Goldfinch". Wanda, where shall we go... Park Aveneue?

Happy Reading!
LK

June 2014 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,

Consensus! We will be meeting this month at 4 PM at the Veranda to discuss Scott Stossel's, "My Age of Anxiety".

I first heard about Stossel's story on Fresh Air; very interesting. I really recommend hearing his voice tell the tale:

http://www.npr.org/2014/01/06/260152542/fear-of-fainting-flight-and-cheese-one-mans-age-of-anxiety

Sign of anxiety at NOLA Jazzfest 2014.

Deep breath. Read.

LK

Mother's Day Readers

May Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
Our fascinating adventure to the Spirit of St. Louis at the San Diego Air & Space Museum was delightfully fueled by our 2 1/2 hour lunch at The Prado. Sharing it all with Valerie, Pam and Ginger will definitely put this meeting in bold in our memory banks! I am sorry that we didn't get a picture with our beloved Terr-y-ies (next time block out a day and a half for our little lunch meeting).

Anyone interested in purchasing the old Lindbergh mural? (Disclosure: it has a bit of a "black biological substance" deposit.) Thursday's paper had this interesting column by Diane Bell about our airport art:

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/may/08/tp-new-airport-art-popular-saving-old-work-is-too/

Books I suggested for our next selection:
"Thank You for Your Service" by David Finkel
"Sous Chef, 24 Hours on the Line" by Michael Gibney
"The Boys in the Boat" by Daniel James Brown


Stave off any anxiety about getting it finished by starting it now!!

(And nothing says, "Happy Mother's Day" like a nag about anxiety.)

I appreciate all that you, as friends, have shared over the years about being mothers, grandmothers, aunties, daughters,  & granddaughters. You inspire and support more than you will every know!











Read with peace of mind,
LK

Updated Plans for May Meeting

The Spirit in San Diego

Dear Bookclub, 

May is turning into another adventurous meeting (thanks to Valerie's ideas!). In addition to having 'bring-a-girlfriend-to-bookclub', it has been suggested to view "The Aviator's Wife" ultimate machine. Lunch at The Prado at 12:30 followed by a visit to the San Diego Air & Space Museum. Although the original Spirit of St. Louis is in Washington D.C. at the National Air & Space Museum, please see the story below about the San Diego model. Update your calendars please and we can make plans to carpool closer to our date.

Happy Reading!
LK

<from sandiegoairandspace.org>

The Spirit of St. Louis

Considered one of the most famous airplanes in history, the Ryan NYP (New York Paris) Spirit of St. Louis was flown by Charles Augustus Lindbergh.
Built essentially along the lines of the Ryan M-1, the NYP was bigger. It had longer wings which had fuel tanks inside (152 gallons), as well as a longer fuselage, again to hold more fuel. It did not have a windshield and Lindbergh's view forward was blocked by a huge fuel tank in front (88 gallons). Instead, a retractable periscope was installed which gave him a view forward for landing, giving up nothing to aerodynamic drag. Also, Lindbergh was very tall and could easily lean over and look out the window if needed. The designed total gasoline capacity was 425 gallons. The airplane had a very small tail group, specifically designed that way by Lindbergh, so that the airplane would be unstable in order to keep his attention over the long expanse of the Atlantic.
The original "Spirit" was built in sixty days at a cost of about $12,000 in 1927 dollars. After 24 test flights in the San Diego area, Lindbergh took off for New York via St. Louis. He landed at Curtiss Field in New York on May 12, 1927, and after six more test flights he made the momentous flight from New York to Paris on May 20-21 landing with enough fuel to fly more than 1,000 additional miles!
Fifty-two years to the day after Lindbergh's first flight, the Museum's exact duplicate built to the original Don Hall plans, which sits in our rotunda, was flown by Ryan test pilot Ray Cote. After two hours and forty two minutes of airtime over San Diego it was retired to the then new Aerospace Museum in June 1979. It replaced a reproduction built by the late Frank Tallman who flew it in the 1967 Paris Air Show, then sold it to the Museum and later was lost in the fire that destroyed the original Museum in 1978. There are other aircraft which resemble the original "Spirit" but none are exact duplicates or "replicas" as the term is defined by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (where the original hangs). Replica means "constructed by the original builders" and ours was, built by Ed Morrow, T. Claude Ryan and John Van Der Linde all from the original Ryan Mahoney factory. They were not the only builders of course; there were 34 other volunteers also.
Other look alikes are converted Ryan B-5 Broughams, of which one is at the Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. This was one of three built for the movie "The Spirit of St. Louis" with Jimmy Stewart who donated it to that museum. These are reproductions.
Our "Spirit" last flew for the seventy fifth anniversary of the naming of Lindbergh Field on August 16, 2003.
It was then restored and put on display in our rotunda, preserved until the next planned flight, the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of Lindbergh's flight to Paris in 2027.

More April Bookclub News

 Dear Bookclub,
Crab-cakes a la Terrie proved to be absolutely delectable in her new abode. (Guess your old kitchen wasn't the secret.) Thank you TG for hosting a most enjoyable meeting!

Books suggested for the upcoming selection:

"The Other Story" by Tatiana de Rosnay

"Studio St. Ex" by Ania Szado

"A Burnable Book: A Novel" by Bruce Holsinger *(chosen)


Car gazing in Hillcrest:

 A closeup:

Don't tell me mother or my children that I took this with my phone while driving in the rain with Whiskey in my lap. It was worth it.


Here are some great links to ponder. A little time consuming but very interesting!!


This is soooooo Cool! Reading technique I failed to explain properly yesterday :)

http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2014/03/14/spritz-speed-reading 


MaryAnne Wolf discussing "Proust and the Squid: the Story and Science of Reading and the Brain":

http://www.c-span.org/video/?197405-1/book-discussion-proust-squid


New York Times article , "R U really reading?"
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/books/27reading.html?pagewanted=print&_r=0

......and for the diehard, awesome article about time and the brain:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/04/25/110425fa_fact_bilger?currentPage=all

Happy reading,
LK

April 2014 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
We will meet tomorrow at Terrie's in her new home at 12:30.

 "Me Before You" ...... romance novel or morality study... discuss... (we shall!!)

Visions from Keys Creek Lavender Farm. Remember that fun day?


See you shortly!
LK

Mid-March Musings

Dear Bookclub,
Just an update on our happenings. At last week's meeting, Terry recommended three titles for her upcoming selection: "The Luminaries" by Eleanor Catton, "A Tale for the Time Being" by Ruth Ozeki, and "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt. We have such great books to chose from! It was really hard but we made a decision - Tartt's book.

Terrie G. is going to host next month at her new home! Let's have May be our month to invite some friends to join us. Please let me know if you have someone you'd like to bring. This smacks a bit of bring your daughter to work day...  Which is actually great with our selection for May, "The Aviator's Wife".

April's selection, "Me Before You" by JoJo Moyes, is sure to be a favorite, memorable read. Looking forward to our discussion.

Read on!
LK

March 2014 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
Marching right into our lives is a new month! And a first Wednesday... time to meet. Reading "We are Water" is as easy as drinking water- goes down smoothly but it is a lot of water. I'm still drinking but enjoying it!

For Wednesday, Terry has chosen "La Bastide Bistro" in Scripps Ranch- 10006 Scripps Ranch Blvd. #104  (in the shopping center off Pomerado Rd.)  at 12:30.

Three new friends I made in Florida.  They are so clever but a little flashy.

Look forward to seeing you all 3/5!
Happy reading,
LK

Central Library Beautiful and not a Ruin

Dear Bookclub,
Last week's trip to the library was enlightening. I was impressed by the 3D printer, fascinated by the book-return conveyor belt (that is hardly used), enchanted with the rare book room, and dream of the reading rooms being empty with a tea service. 

Ideal reading room without the imagined tea:

  Other memorable moments: realization that San Diego's down-and-out and in-the-know sure do know where to go - hot spot is definitely the computers at the library where it appeared all research involved skin and games. They probably never look up from their screens so they would not appreciate this very cool view:

Next up: March 5th with Terry's choice of venue. Wally Lamb's, "We are Water" will be discussed.

Read on!
LK

Mid-January News

Dear Bookclub,
Our February 5th Library tour is on. Details to follow as the date gets closer. We'll meet for lunch at Cafe Chloe at 11:30 and discuss "Beautiful Ruins". Our tour is a 2 PM, so please carve out quite a chunk of your day!

Chosen from my suggestions for June is "My Age of Anxiety" by Scott Stossel; (also considered: "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and "Please Look After Mom" by Kyung-Sook Shin).

Enjoy!
LK

Welcome 2014

Dear Bookclub,

Happy New Year! Breaking out the new calendars and filling up the electronic one has me in an organizational mood. The lovely empty spaces have become filled with tasks of course but more importantly, exciting events; many are our bookclub gatherings!

We had talked about visiting the new library and in doing some research, I discovered there are lovely private tours available. These prove to be popular as they are rather booked up. Unfortunately there were none available on the next few Wednesdays so I took the liberty to book us a tour on Wednesday February 5th. The tours are always at 2 pm.  There is a great place to eat nearby: Cafe Chloe. I propose we eat there at 11:30 which means heading to town around 11. Please let me know if this sounds like something you want to do!

January meeting is next Wednesday, 1/9.

 Let's meet at Brother's Provisions

 at noon to discuss "Defending Jacob".

http://www.brosprovisions.com/

16451 Bernardo Center Drive

Happy Reading!

LK