Book Club Summer Break

You may have noticed that it has been months since I have posted about book club, or maybe you have been too busy to even notice. Summer has just been crazy for us and there is hardly any time for reading or evening watching my favorite TV shows. I have been super busy at work and whenever I get home I either want to soak up every minute with Olivia or go to bed when she does, which is about 9pm. I love reading, which is why it is frustrating that I don't have much time for it. The book club selections over the summer haven't been exciting to me, which also hasn't enticed me to pick up a book. Maybe when Summer is over and life slows down, I can recommit to reading the book club selections. I do wonder what I did with all of my time before I had Olivia... Anyways, enjoy your week and this lovely hot Summer weather!

Book Club Updates

Time has flown by and reading has just not happened in the past month. I always have the best of intentions on reading the book club books and reading them in time for the discussion, but lately this just hasn't happened. Life has truly just been way too crazy! I barely read the last book selection 'The Great Gatsby' and really just skimmed the book in order to keep up with the discussion. The discussion about the book at book club was mixed, some of the ladies loved it and some didn't really enjoy it. I was just excited to see the movie the following weekend. Most of the time movies stray too far from the books, but the recent release of 'The Great Gatsby' movie seemed to stay true to the original book with a hip modern take on the storyline. I wished they would have stayed with the original music of the era but oh well, overall the movie was fun to see. 

The next selection for book club is a popular read right now and topping the bestseller's list... it is 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn. 

My mom just finished reading this book in her book club in Salt Lake and raved about it. She couldn't get enough of this book and could not read it fast enough! I still have about 3 weeks till our next book club and have the best of intentions on reading this book. Stay tuned to see if it happens... Happy Reading!

Next Book Club Selection - The Great Gatsby

At book club a few weeks ago, we made our next book club selection The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The girls wanted to choose a classic and with the upcoming movie coming out on May 10th, this book seemed like a good pick.

The last time I read this book I was in high school and I don't remember enjoying it much. Since that has been about 10 years ago, I am willing to give this book another chance. I also love reading a book and then following it up with the movie. Our book club girls have planned a girl's night out to go see the movie on May 11th, which gives me extra incentive to read the book in time. I plan to start reading the book this weekend and will be posting a recap in a few weeks. Happy Reading!

Book Recap - 'The Timekeeper' by Mitch Albom

I finally found some time to finish last month's book club selection, The Timekeeper by Mitch Albom. 

I have been so stretched on time lately, that finding time for reading has been pretty non existent. Overall, I would give this book a B... it was okay at best. I have enjoyed this author's other books and thought I would enjoy this one more. The overall concept in the book about time and how precious it is was enjoyable to read, but the various story lines were difficult to stay interested in. The most important lesson I learned from this book is that you cannot control the amount of time you have on this earth and you better make the best of it. I have already begun to learn this lesson with Olivia and have realized just how precious the moments are with her and doing my best to live in the moment. I hope I have decades of time with all of my loved ones and will be here for many years to come, but God will decide the timetable for all of us and in the meantime, we shall live in the present and enjoy the moments!

Book Club Menu - Appetizers and Wine

This week has been insane... like crazy insane! And of top of my crazy schedule, I am hosting book club this month. I don't know why I thought it was a good idea to host book club with a 5 month old and a house covered in baby clothes, play mats, and toys in every shade of pink?!! I have exactly one day to pull my house together and pull off a delicious menu. I decided to keep it simple and just make two appetizers this time and offer wine and limeade for our beverage options. The two recipes listed below are from my Appetizer Board on Pinterest and seem pretty easy and quick to pull together. In  addition to these appetizers, I am going to serve hummus and pita chips... delicious and easy!

these cucumber feta cheese bites are gonna be perfect for snacking

this garlic feta cheese dip has all of my favorite ingredients and perfect for pita chips

I am only about half way through the current book club selection and I doubt I will finish by tomorrow. It has been a great book so far, so I plan to finish it soon and will post a review when I do. Even though the week is crazy, I am still looking forward to getting together with my girlfriends and have a good time!

Next Book Club Selection - The Time Keeper

Each month at the end of book club, we choose our next selection and I can't wait to read this one. We chose 'The Time Keeper' by Mitch Albom for this month's book club book.

I loved reading Mitch Albom's most popular book, Tuesdays with Morrie several years ago and can't wait to read another one of his books. Here is a short summary about the book:

• In Mitch Albom's newest work of fiction, the inventor of the world's first clock is punished for trying to measure God's greatest gift. He is banished to a cave for centuries and forced to listen to the voices of all who come after him seeking more days, more years. Eventually, with his soul nearly broken, Father Time is granted his freedom, along with a magical hourglass and a mission: a chance to redeem himself by teaching two earthly people the true meaning of time. He returns to our world—now dominated by the hour-counting he so innocently began—and commences a journey with two unlikely partners: one a teenage girl who is about to give up on life, the other a wealthy old businessman who wants to live forever. To save himself, he must save them both. And stop the world to do so. Told in Albom's signature spare, evocative prose, this remarkably original tale will inspire readers everywhere to reconsider their own notions of time, how they spend it and how precious it truly is.

I look forward to downloading this book this weekend and catching a few moments here and there to have some 'mommy time' and read!

Book Recap - The Birth Order Book

It has been awhile since I have done a book club update and we took off last month, which worked great because I needed extra time to read the book. Finding time to read right now can be tough but I try to find little bits of time when I can and catch up on some reading. I just finished this book this week and our book club gathering was last night. We enjoyed a gorgeous evening on my girlfriend's deck enjoying the sunshine and discussing the book 'The Birth Order Book' by Kevin Leman.

I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot about myself and others by reading this book. Being a first born has always driven me through life and reading this book taught me so much more about why I am the way I am. I loved the part of the book that discussed how your birth order affects your relationships and parenting. It is interesting that I am first born, married to a first born, and raising a first born... what an interesting ride this life will be! I am always interested in various personality profiling and this book fit right into that genre of information and reading. If you are a parent or wondering why your siblings and spouse are wired the way they are, I strongly encourage you to read this book. You will learn so much about yourself and others!

New Book Club Selection - The Birth Order Book

Last night our book club group chose the next reading selection, The Birth Order Book by Kevin Leman. This book was recommended a few months ago and was finally selected by our group. 

Here is a short summary about the book: 

• Birth order powerfully influences who you are, whom you marry, the job you choose, and the kind of parent you are. And Dr. Kevin Leman's The Birth Order Book will help you understand yourself, get along better with others, overcome ingrained tendencies you never thought you could get rid of, and be more successful in the workplace. This revised and updated edition of Dr. Leman's classic book includes more than thirty years of experience and research, current examples, and fascinating stories to show how birth order impacts your life.

I have always been fascinated with how birth order affects our lives and can't wait to read this book. It will be interesting reading this book from my perspective since I am a firstborn, my husband is a firstborn, and we just had our firstborn Olivia. I will post an update in a few weeks once I have finished the book. Happy Reading!

Book Recap - Winning Balance

It is a miracle I finished the book club selection the day of book club. I was able to catch some free time this week and read quite a bit while Olivia was napping. I loved reading the book Winning Balance by Shawn Johnson and grew to love this girl from the Midwest. 

 

Shawn's story is filled with ambition, achievement, ups and downs, and grace from a beautiful young girl. I only hope that I can raise a daughter that is as bright and beautiful as Shawn and has the courage to chase her dreams. I look forward to discussing the book tonight with the group and can't wait to see what book we choose next. I will post our next book club selection soon!

Book Club Updates

It has been awhile since I posted about book club and as you can imagine, my life has been a bit busy with Olivia. I missed going to book club in December, which really was a bummer since I rarely miss book club with the ladies. The book club selection last month was Origin and I made it about 75% of the way through the book. It was not my favorite read by any stretch and reminded me that science/action is not really my preferred reading genre.

This month's selection is Winning Balance by Olympian Shawn Johnson. 

I haven't even started reading this month's book and not sure if I will find the time before book club this Thursday. My time for reading lately has been drastically reduced and this book is actually one I would probably enjoy. I hope to find sometime this afternoon for some reading and will make an attempt to read some of the book before we discuss it as a group this week. 

I have really enjoyed book club over the past few years and hope to be able to continue with the reading and getting together with some of my favorite girlfriends. I know that my time will be precious in the coming years but I hope to still carve out some time for myself to enjoy one of my favorite hobbies, reading. I will keep posting about book club on my blog (even if it is not as timely) and hope you are enjoying a great book right now! Happy Reading!

New Book Club Selection - Origin

Book Club last night was great yet again and it was fun to hang out with the book club group and discuss the book The Dog Stars. A few of us did not enjoy the book while a couple of other ladies really loved it. Each time we review and discuss a book and have approvals/disapprovals, it reminds me that each book lands differently on each reader. Some books we will love and some we will not enjoy at all and sometimes, that is half the fun in seeing what everyone else thought. It was great to discuss the book even though I did not enjoy reading it.

Our next book club selection is Origin by Jessica Khoury and here is a short summary of the book:

• An electrifying action-romance that's as thoughtful as it is tragic. Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home—and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life. Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia's origin—a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever. Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost.

This book was recommended by one of my girlfriends that works at the library and she is usually the reader that challenges us to try something different. This book is never one that I would have picked up on my own, which is one of the reasons I love book club... it challenges me to read books that I might have never had the chance to experience.

I am not sure how much time I will have for reading in the coming weeks, but I do hope to dive into this book soon and see if I enjoy it... I might be surprised. Happy Reading!

Book Recap - The Dog Stars

Since I am still very much pregnant today, I will be going to book club tonight to hang out with my girlfriends. I just spent the last few hours finishing up the book club book because I just can't stand not finishing a book before we discuss it as a group. 

This month we read The Dog Stars by Peter Heller and to be completely honest, the book was awful! It takes a lot for me to give a book the grade of an F, but this book was a struggle to get through and a storyline that did not at all interest me. The best way I can describe this story about a lonely pilot in a post apocalyptic world is that it is a total guy book and not really that interesting for the ladies. I am curious to see if anyone actually enjoyed reading this book when we discuss it tonight. I am relieved this book is finished and ready to move on to the next book club selection... which I will post soon!

New Book Club Selection - The Dog Stars

Last night was a blast with the book club ladies and we had a great time chatting and enjoying the sweet treats and hot apple cider. The pumpkin muffins and fruit salsa from the sweets menu were a huge hit but the apple pie bites were a bit hard to eat and kinda dry. The muffins will definitely be a repeat recipe in our house! Most of the ladies finished the book and we all enjoyed it. We all agreed that the type of hiking adventure described in Wild is not a challenge we would want to take on!

The next selection for our book club is The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. This book was suggested by one of my good friend's that works for our local library. Each year the library chooses a book for the county to read and this book is this year's selection. The last few years we have read the book from the library's annual selection and enjoyed the idea of reading the same book with thousands of people in our community. The author, Peter Heller, will be making a trip to our local library in a few months to host a forum and question/answer session about the book. I look forward to reading the book and possibly meeting the author. Here is a short summary about the book:

• A riveting, powerful novel about a pilot living in a world filled with loss—and what he is willing to risk to rediscover, against all odds, connection, love, and grace.

I look forward to downloading this book to my iPad in the coming weeks and reading another (hopefully) great book!

Book Recap - Wild by Cheryl Strayed

A few days ago I finished our current book club selection, Wild by Cheryl Strayed. This book was a story of adventure, heartache, challenge, and triumph as a brave woman hiked the Pacific Coast Trail for over 1000 miles. 

I enjoyed reading this book and imagining what this type of journey would be like. I was reminded how much of a wimp I am when it comes to nature, camping, and the unknown aspect of the wildness. The author had far more strength than I could imagine and hearing her physical and emotional growth on this journey was inspiring. I also enjoyed the added feature of reading this book on my iPad with the enhanced Oprah's Book Club version. There were several excerpts from the book that Oprah commented on and I enjoyed hearing the perspective of an avid reader and it explained why Oprah chose this book for her Book Club 2.0.

I look forward to getting together with the book club ladies tonight and enjoying a fantastic sweets menu and hot apple cider! We will choose our next book selection tonight and I will post an update tomorrow with the new book... happy reading!

Book Club Menu

This Thursday is our monthly book club gathering and I am hosting all of the ladies at my house. This is probably the last time I will host for awhile, since I will have my hands full with a newborn in the coming months. I love when the ladies come over and we chill on our big comfy couch, eat lots of great food and snacks, discuss the current book selection and catch up on what's been happening in each others lives. I am planning on keeping the snacks and drinks simple this month and since I have been craving sweets, I am going with a sweet tooth theme for the menu. Here is what I will be serving to the ladies on Thursday night:

fruit salsa with cinnamon chips - from my Recipes Pinterest Board

apple pie bites - featured in a post from last month on my apple pie favorites

two ingredient pumpkin muffins - so easy to make and super moist

I plan on serving hot apple cider for our beverage since the evenings have cooled off quick and a hot beverage will feel nice and cozy and goes perfectly with the sweets menu. Can't wait to indulge on these treats and catch up with the ladies! :)

New Book Club Selection - Wild

I just got home from another great night with my girlfriends. Our evening at book club was filled with great discussion, catching up on each others lives, great food (and cookies), and lots of laughs. We always seem to have a great time together and I really look forward to each month's gathering. We discussed the book, Sarah's Key, and just about everyone enjoyed the story and the connection between Sarah and Julia even though the stories were decades apart.

One of my favorite parts about book club is choosing the next book. It is like going shopping with all of your girlfriends and picking something out to enjoy together... I just love it! We chose the next book called 'Wild' by Cheryl Strayed. This book was chosen as part of Oprah's Book Club 2.0 and has been highly recommended to read.

Here is a short summary of this book:

• A powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an eleven-hundred-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe—and built her back up again.

I have heard so many great things about this book and the adventure the author took by hiking the Pacific Coast Trail on her own with no experience. I am looking forward to the adventure of this book and reading the story of this woman's discovery through her travel experience.

I plan on downloading this book on my iPad this weekend, because there is a special Oprah's book club edition that is available with additional information from the author and various reading discussion points along the way. I am sure the enhanced version will come in handy for our book club discussion next month. Hope you are enjoying a good book this month and/or maybe you want to pick up this selection and read along. Happy Reading!

Book Recap - Sarah's Key

I just finished reading this month's book club selection Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay and ended up enjoying this book more than I expected.

The story of Sarah and her journey through unthinkable circumstances and grief is one of strength and resilience that most people could never imagine. I was pleasantly surprised how quick this book flowed and ending up finishing with a few days to spare before book club on Thursday. I seem to do the same thing each month... leave the book for the last week before book club and then read it quickly in just a few days. The benefit of reading this way is having the story fresh in my memory and ready to discuss with my girlfriends. The downside of leaving the reading to the last minute is that it causes unnecessary stress because I cannot imagine not finishing a book before we get together for book club. I am going to work on making a commitment to reading the book selections sooner so that I don't feel the pressure to finish quickly and can truly enjoy the current book selection of the month. Overall, this was a good book with a beautiful story about resilience, family, and searching for what is really important in life.

Thursday is our next book club gathering and we will choose our next book selection then. I will be sure to post an update later this week on what we will be reading next. Happy Reading!

New Book Club Selection - Sarah's Key

Tonight was another example of how great friends, delicious food and drinks, and discussing a good book can be the most perfect evening. Book club was great and I always enjoy seeing the ladies and discussing great books. We all loved the book Heaven is Here and had a lot of deep and inspiring discussion about this book. We also spent a good amount of time trying to decide on our next selection and finally landed on choosing Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. 

 Here is a short blurb about this book:

• Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten-year-old girl, is taken with her parents by the French police as they go door to door arresting Jewish families in the middle of the night. Desperate to protect her younger brother, Sarah locks him in a bedroom cupboard—their secret hiding place—and promises to come back for him as soon as they are released. Sixty Years Later: Sarah’s story intertwines with that of Julia Jarmond, an American journalist investigating the roundup. In her research, Julia stumbles onto a trail of secrets that link her to Sarah, and to questions about her own future. In Sarah’s Key, Tatiana de Rosnay offers up a mesmerizing story in which a tragic past unfolds, the present is torn apart, and the future is irrevocably altered.

I just ordered this book and can't wait to start reading it. I am always excited to start a new book and hope this selection captures my attention! Happy Reading!

Book Recap - Heaven is Here

I just spent the last few hours of my relaxing Sunday morning finishing this month's book club selection Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson.

This book was truly inspiring and such a sweet story of love and commitment. I am amazed at the strength of Stephanie and her struggle to survive the unthinkable. The love and commitment of her husband, her four adorable children, and her family are truly touching. As I read this book, I was reminded that our lives are so much more that the physical attributes we have and the true self is the soul within all of us. Stephanie's journey is an amazing story of strength, resilience, and true faith in God. One of my favorite lines in this book was "the amazing thing is the more I make the choice to see and feel joy, the more joy there is to see and to feel." This quote has inspired me to focus on seeing the joy in life and never take this beautiful life for granted.

Stephanie has a beautiful blog that she uses to share her life and journey with the world. I look forward to reading about her life and the joys she will experience along the way. She is one amazing and inspiring woman!

I love finishing a great book and can't wait to choose another book club selection on Thursday when I get together with the girls. I will post our next selection later this week. Happy Reading!

New Book Club Selection - Heaven is Here

Last night was another great night of relaxing with the book club girls and chatting up a storm. We all agreed that the book Under a Maui Moon was a light summer read and could have gone a little deeper in the storyline and the character development. Overall, we all enjoyed the book and the message of commitment that it displayed. We chose our next book selection and will be reading Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson. Here is a short review of the book by one of my favorite authors/bloggers, Ree Drummond:

• "In Heaven Is Here, Stephanie chronicles in harrowing detail the unspeakable tragedy that would forever alter her life. But the real story is this: Through all the tears, pain, upheaval, sadness, and struggles, it was Stephanie's faith—and the abundant love of her beautiful family—that brought her back to life. I recommend this book to anyone who needs a reminder of just how strong the human spirit is, and how instrumental faith can be in overcoming what life throws at us."
  —Ree Drummond, author of The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Since this book is only available in hardcover, I will be reading it on my iPad. I have this thing where I only like to read books in paperback because reading a hardcover feels like reading a textbook.  Anyways, I will be downloading the book this afternoon and enjoying the summer afternoon reading while it lasts... Happy Reading!