The Shack May 17th 2010

The Shack by William P. Young

Chosen by: Michelle

Location: Rudy's Redeye Grill in Lakeville

When I started reading this story, I was terrified, and my heart was pounding as it described how a young girl was taken from her family's campsite and murdered in the woods, at a "shack" by a serial killer. It is a parent's worst nightmare. I wanted to put it down, but like a bad traffic accident, you just have to keep looking. The story's focus is on the father, and his struggle with the death, grieving, his marriage, the relationship with his other kids, and with God. It is a God meets Man book and I just couldn't get on board with. Although gripping at first, it became preachy, dreamy, uncomfortable. I'm all about imagery and metaphor, and I do think he painted a beautiful picture of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, but I started to feel like the book was telling me how I should think and I sensed my defenses rising up as I was reading. The author tries to answer the question, "where is God in times of unspeakable pain", and I often wonder that myself, especially working at a Children's hospital, but I just wasn't a fan of the way he went about it. The reviews are very positive for this novel, but some of us Open Tablers didn't care for it a whole lot.

Jessica and Christina are BOTH pregnant and due this fall, October! They are both feeling well and look fabulous....glowing as they say. It was a good night, as usual. I don't remember there being other new news. Twin Cities Hospital Union talks are hot hot hot. We may strike. We vote in 2 days on a one day strike. That affects Carolyn, Kelli, Kerry and I. What do you do? Frustrating.

Gilgamesh - March 13th 2010

Gilgamesh by Joan London

Chosen by: Christina

Location: La Grolla in St. Paul

The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient poem from Mesopotamia (present day Iraq) and is among the earliest known works of literature. Scholars believe that it originated as a series of Sumerian legends and poems about the hero-king Gilgamesh, which were fashioned into a longer Akkadian epic much later. - Taken from Wikapedia

This was a tale of a woman and her sister, growing up in rural Australia, virtually isolated from the world, aside from the resort up the hill. One day a relative, Leopold, and his friend, Aram, show up to see their mother and spend some time in Australia after an archeological dig in Iran. They tell the girls their stories of adventure and talk often about Gilgamesh, which is a novel about two buddies, Gilgamesh and Ekidu. Edith falls for Aram, becomes pregnant, and Frances retreats in fear from their world. Edith goes on a search, with her son, to find her true love, or something. It seems everyone in the book is searching for something. It was a well written story, but only a couple of us finished it.

We had a nice Italian dinner at LaGrolla. I think everyone made it too, which is always so nice. Whenever we are together, I always wish we could do it more often, but feel fortunate that we do it at all. It forces us busy women to make time for ourselves and our friends. Yeah us.

Remember Me? - January 25th 2010

Remember Me? by Sophia Kinsella

Chosen by: Ryan

Location: Crave at the Galleria in Edina

Well, we are having another blizzard on bookclub night. I think the snow gods may have it out for us. Carolyn and Michelle were unable to make it tonight but the rest of us were there, including Kerry's sister Kate. This makes it Kate's second meeting...she is staying in MN for awhile helping Kerry out as she is currently an unemployed grad student and has the opportunity to hang with her nieces for a few months.

This was a fun night, lots of laughs and conversations really flowed. I didn't want to leave my girls ;o)

Most of us read the book and it was a quick beach type read, which helps us busy moms who don't have time to read the cereal box sitting in front of us some days, much less a novel. It is about Lexi, a girl who gets amnesia after a car accident and can't recall a moment of her last 3 years. In the hospital, she meets her eccentric and flighty mother, her sneaky smart alec little sister, and her greek-god looking husband (she can't remember even having a boyfriend). It is funny to think about this happening to you as you read this, if you missed 3 years. She goes on to be initially impressed with her fantasy type real life, but as she discovers more about her current life, she does not like the person she has become nor the people that she calls her friends. She misses her old friends that she has estranged and she has become a success hungry shallow person who somewhere lost who she really is. There is a man, of course, who she is involved with, that tells her they were in love and she was going to leave the ho-hum cold husband that she is with. It takes him awhile to convince her that he, in fact, knows the real Lexi and that she does still exist and that they were happy. I like a story with a happy ending when all the loose ends tie up. We all enjoyed the read.

The Book Thief - December 2009 - the 7th Annual Limo Light Tour

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Chosen by: Kelli

Location: Chino Latino in Uptown Mpls

Can't believe it's already time for another limo tour!!! We met at Chino Latino and all ordered small plates and shared. The food is so yummy there that you really can't go wrong. We all were able to make it this year which is thrilling!! The limo picked us up and away we went for another year of wine, giggles and crazy gawdy lights. Actually this year we toured some of the more classy neighborhoods. We jumped out for another picture on some random steps and when we got back to the restaurant, some of us just weren't quite ready to call it quits, so we went over to Calhoun Square and had some Bailey's and coffee and wound down the night.

This book was one of my favorites we have ever read from book club. At the time of the meeting, I had not finished it, only Christina and Kelli had, and they both really enjoyed it, but I did finish it over Christmas and I loved it! It was so unique and emotional and suspenseful, and I was sad when it was over. I kept thinking and thinking about it. Death narrates this WWII era story about a young girl, Leisel Meminger, and her tragic young life. She steals her first book, The Gravedigger's Handbook, at the cemetary where they leave the body of her younger brother, who died in front of her on a train. Her mother, sick, desperate and devastated, her husband already taken away by the communists, takes Leisel to live with a family in Molching, Germany. Her foster mother, Rosa, is harsh and shows her "tough love" while her foster father, Hans, is her rock. He is loving, and nurturing to this lost little girl, and he is "home" to her. Leisel wakes every night from nightmares about her brother and mother, and Hans gets up with her and sits through the night with her, teaching her to read from her stolen book. She goes on to steal a more books and they are her most prized possession. A big part of the story is Max, the Jewish young man that the family hides in their basement. I just can not even begin to imagine the terror, anger, pain, hunger and saddness that a person can take. The author does a great job at character development and brought me to tears several times as well as made my stomach physically nauseous. I love the way he portrayed Death as well. Death basically wasn't too bad of a guy and was just doing his job, which he felt really bad about most of the time. He talked about how busy he was during those years and he kept coming back to watch Leisel bec. she caught his attention when she stole the book from the cemetary. I loaned this book out to some friends, who loved it equally as much as I did, and I can't wait to get it back to read it again, if I can emotionally bring myself to do it. It takes a toll on a person. Good pick Kelli.

The Girls - October 26th 2009T

The Girls by Lori Lansens

Chosen by: Jessica

Location: Kona Grill in Eden Prairie

So, we haven't met in quite a while. There have been 2 babies born: Ryan had Quinn Caitlynn in May and Kerry had Stella Sarabeth in October. They are both very cute, healthy and happy and Stella came to her first meeting tonight and slept through most of it.

There has also been some great losses in bookclub since our last meeting.

Christina was expecting her second baby this fall, but there were complications beyond anyone's control, and Ezra Allen was born early in May and passed away a few hours later surrounded by his mommy and daddy's love. We can't begin to know what Jamie and Christina have been through this last year. Just know that our sisterhood is always here to listen and support you Christina, we love you.

Just recently, in September, Michelle's mom passed away from a long battle with lung cancer. Ryan and I were lucky enough to meet her on several occasions and she was an amazingly strong, funny and loving woman. Michelle, we love you too. You have been in our thoughts and we are always here.

I think most of us did read the book and liked it. It was a fictional story about twin girls, Ruby and Rose Darlen, who are conjoined at the head. Their birth mother abandoned them, so the nurse that delivered them, childless herself, takes them in and raises them, a blessing in their life. Aunt Lovey they call her. Lovey Darlen, what a name. Stash, her husband, is a Polish immigrant who has a great big heart and loves those girls. I think the author did a great job in developing these characters, because there were times I forgot that it was fiction. There is a situation in the book that a lot of us thought unnecessary and "cheapened" the story a bit. One of the girls get pregnant from an awkward and strange encounter with a local boy. They keep it a secret and give the baby up for adoption, but it haunts them always, esp. Rose, the one who was pregnant. As the book goes on, Rose and Ruby, being the oldest living twins conjoined at the head, decide to write their autobiography and that is how we learn about them individually. Quite clever.

We had a good discussion, good dinner and good company. I think this may be the first time in a LONG time that none of us are pregnant!!

The Last Days of the Romanovs - April 4th 2009

The Last Days of the Romonovs by Helen Rappaport

Chosen by: Carolyn

Location: Kerry's in West St. Paul

Tonight we met at Kerry's because Carolyn ended up having to work, and was unable to make it. Kerry was nice enough to offer her house up, even though she's leaving for California with the girls in the morning. News: Kerry is pregnant with baby #3 too!! She is due in October and has already found out that it is a girl! 3 girls for Kerry and Randy. Aww, what a fun little tutu house they will have.

Kerry had picked up Papa Murphy's Pizza and we brought some sides and wine. Nice and easy.

We had a long discussion on the joys and fears of pregnancy and parenthood. When you have children, you really put your entire being out there for whatever comes, good or bad, and all of our hearts will break wide open at one point or another, but there is nothing more rewarding and amazing than being a mommy.

As far as the book goes, none of us read it, not even Carolyn. I started it, and I think the subject matter is interesting, but I just couldn't stay awake to get very far. The book is a historical account of the last 2 weeks in the lives of the Romanov family up to their assassination by the Bolsheviks of the Russian Revolution. The reviews seemed to be mixed, but since none of us read it, there wasn't much to discuss.

Anne of Green Gables - February 9th 2009

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Chosen by: Kerry

Location: The Wild Onion

We were going to meet at Kerry's house, but she ended up getting sick, so we switched to the Wild Onion. Kelli didn't make it either as her hubby Ryan has been sick too. I think the rest of us made it though, and most of us actually read the book....even Jessica ;o). News tonight, Christina is expecting baby number two!! Our group is just growing and growing! Our family get togethers are going to be quite the experience now. The more the merrier! Ryan is due in May and feeling good.

This novel is a coming of age classic tale of Anne Shirley, a charming, adorable, talkative and lovable, red-haired girl who is adopted by an elderly couple (brother and sister) who had applied for a boy. It is warm and funny and uplifting. There is a reason it is a classic and has been made into movies and a TV series. I look forward to sharing this story with my own girls in a few years.