Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
June meeting
Since almost all of us cannot meet on June 9th, we will be having book club this month on June 16th! Please leave suggestions for the restaurant and RSVP in the comments section.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
June Book Selection
Our June book club selection is Gods in Alabama by Jocelyn Jackson. She is a VERY funny author-go check out her blog Faster Than Kudzu. Please suggest books for July and August-I would like to vote on both at the same time. Joelma has suggested the Uptown Cafe in Lawrenceville for our restaurant next month. Leave a comment!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
May Quiz-Philadelphia
1. The _______________ is the oldest operational theater in the English speaking world and is in Philadelphia.
The Arden Theater
Olde City Theater
Walnut Street Theater
2. There is a museum in Philadelphia dedicated to the works of a single great French artist. The collection of this artist's work in Philadelphia is the largest outside Paris. Who is the artist?
Henri Matisse
Auguste Rodin
Claude Monet
3. True or False? Philadelphia City Hall is the tallest municipal building in the world.
4. What is the name of Philadelphia's primary river?
5. What is the name of the football stadium that serves as the home of the Eagles (as of 2003)?
Wachovia Center
Lincoln Financial Field
Veterans Stadium
6. What is the name of the first Philadelphia suspension bridge over the Delaware River?
The Betsy Ross Bridge
The Walt Whitman Bridge
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge
7. The first brick home in North America was constructed in 1682 in Philadelphia. Who was its first occupant?
John Bartram
William Penn
Benjamin Franklin
8. The first World's Fair held in the United States was held in Philadelphia and was the focus of the city's Centennial Celebration. This was not the centennial of the city's founding, rather of another important Philadelphia historical event. What year was it held?
9. True or False? Philadelphia has the largest municipal park system in the world.
10. Which of the following treats would NOT be considered a claim to fame for Philadelphia?
Soft Pretzels
Cream Cheese
Cheesesteaks
Campbell's Soup
11. True or False? Philadelphia was captured by the Confederates during the Civil War.
12. What famous figure and master of sarcasm made famous the phrase, "I'd rather be dead than be in Philadelphia."?
Jackie Gleason
P. T. Barnum
W. C. Fields
13. Who was Pennsylvania named after?
Thomas Jefferson
William Penn
George Washington
14. Where in Philly was the Declaration of Independence signed?
Independence Hall
Market Street
Fairmount Park
15. What did Penn call the plan for Philadelphia?
Penn’s Woods
Quakerville
The Holy Experiment
16. What year did the Second Continental Congress met in Philly?
1776
1999
1775
1763
17. Where did George Washington and his troops stay during the cold winter of 1777?
Independence MallThe Gallery
Valley Forge
18. What other historical documents were developed in Philadelphia?
Bill of rights
Stamp Act
The Articles of Confederation
19. In what year did Philadelphia become the capital of the United States?
1850
1790
1776
1845
20. Which famous music group contained four guys from North Philly?
Tim McGraw
Boys 2 Men
Kobe Bryant
The Arden Theater
Olde City Theater
Walnut Street Theater
2. There is a museum in Philadelphia dedicated to the works of a single great French artist. The collection of this artist's work in Philadelphia is the largest outside Paris. Who is the artist?
Henri Matisse
Auguste Rodin
Claude Monet
3. True or False? Philadelphia City Hall is the tallest municipal building in the world.
4. What is the name of Philadelphia's primary river?
5. What is the name of the football stadium that serves as the home of the Eagles (as of 2003)?
Wachovia Center
Lincoln Financial Field
Veterans Stadium
6. What is the name of the first Philadelphia suspension bridge over the Delaware River?
The Betsy Ross Bridge
The Walt Whitman Bridge
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge
7. The first brick home in North America was constructed in 1682 in Philadelphia. Who was its first occupant?
John Bartram
William Penn
Benjamin Franklin
8. The first World's Fair held in the United States was held in Philadelphia and was the focus of the city's Centennial Celebration. This was not the centennial of the city's founding, rather of another important Philadelphia historical event. What year was it held?
9. True or False? Philadelphia has the largest municipal park system in the world.
10. Which of the following treats would NOT be considered a claim to fame for Philadelphia?
Soft Pretzels
Cream Cheese
Cheesesteaks
Campbell's Soup
11. True or False? Philadelphia was captured by the Confederates during the Civil War.
12. What famous figure and master of sarcasm made famous the phrase, "I'd rather be dead than be in Philadelphia."?
Jackie Gleason
P. T. Barnum
W. C. Fields
13. Who was Pennsylvania named after?
Thomas Jefferson
William Penn
George Washington
14. Where in Philly was the Declaration of Independence signed?
Independence Hall
Market Street
Fairmount Park
15. What did Penn call the plan for Philadelphia?
Penn’s Woods
Quakerville
The Holy Experiment
16. What year did the Second Continental Congress met in Philly?
1776
1999
1775
1763
17. Where did George Washington and his troops stay during the cold winter of 1777?
Independence MallThe Gallery
Valley Forge
18. What other historical documents were developed in Philadelphia?
Bill of rights
Stamp Act
The Articles of Confederation
19. In what year did Philadelphia become the capital of the United States?
1850
1790
1776
1845
20. Which famous music group contained four guys from North Philly?
Tim McGraw
Boys 2 Men
Kobe Bryant
Sunday, April 20, 2008
May book selection
Love Walked In by Marissa De Los Santos is our May book selection. Book club will be held Monday, May 12 at 6:45 at Susan's.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Thanks for all of the great suggestions for books this month! We've never had so many people offer selections. As per requested at our last meeting, here are some "lighter" books to choose from since the last few we read were a little heavier. I will keep the remaining suggestions to use in the next couple of months. Please vote on your selection. This will be a short poll so that everyone will have a chance to get the book and have it read by May 12. (The poll says it ends on the 25th...sorry! Please vote by tomorrow!)
Kate Hollis, now a grown woman, has waited for years for the love of her life, Jake Sharpe, now a rock-and-roll legend, to return home, so she can finally tell him off. Jake has had hit after hit, singing about his former relationship with Kate, something she can't escape or get over. Ashley West is energetic in this fast-paced, funny coming-of-age story of first love, true friendship, and the pain of growing up. West captures each of the characters as they grow from giggling teenager to 30-something adult. She seamlessly moves the story back and forth in time as the present is revealed through the lessons of the past.
Arlene Fleet, the refreshingly imperfect heroine of Jackson's frank, appealing debut, launches her story with a list of the title's deities: "high school quarterbacks, trucks, big tits, and also Jesus." The first god, also a date rapist by the name of Jim Beverly, she left dead in her hometown of Possett, Ala., but the last she embraces wholeheartedly when high school graduation allows her to flee the South, the murder and her slutty reputation for a new life in Chicago. Upon leaving home, Arlene makes a bargain with God, promising to forgo sex, lies and a return home if he keeps Jim's body hidden. After nine years in Chicago as a truth-telling celibate, an unexpected visitor from home (in search of Jim Beverly) leads her to believe that God is slipping on his end of the deal. As Arlene heads for the Deep South with her African-American boyfriend, Burr, in tow, her secrets unfold in unsurprising but satisfying flashbacks. Jackson brings levity to familiar themes with a spirited take on the clichés of redneck Southern living: the Wal-Mart culture, the subtle and overt racism and the indignant religion. The novel concludes with a final, dramatic disclosure, though the payoff isn't the plot twist but rather Jackson's genuine affection for the people and places of Dixie.
Cornelia is a single thirtysomething who lives her life like a series of movie moments. She's a manager of a cafe because she hasn't figured out anything better to do. Her ideal man is Cary Grant. And just when she thinks he'll never show up, he does, in the form of Martin Grace. What she doesn't know is that Martin, with his cool charm and debonair demeanor, has a daughter, Clare. And she never would have known that except that Martin, in a state of panic, shows up with the girl at the cafe after her mother had a breakdown and left Clare to fend for herself. Estranged from his daughter for years, Martin doesn't know what to do with her. Both women's stories are told in alternating chapters, Cornelia's in first person, Clare's in third. Overall, it is a sweet story about knowing what you love and why.
June Parker's life is meandering along until a freak car accident leaves Marissa, her 24-year-old passenger, dead and June wracked with guilt. June discovers a list Marissa had been keeping of 25 things she wanted to do by the time she turned 25. After a run-in with Marissa's brother, June resolves to complete the list. Kissing a total stranger and throwing away her scale prove far easier than pitching an idea at work or changing someone's life. But June approaches the list with aplomb, daring to speak up about being passed over for a manager position, and becoming a Big Sister to a quiet, studious Latina teen named DeeDee. But when June uncovers a secret of DeeDee's, she realizes changing someone else's life might involve changing her own as well.
Kate Hollis, now a grown woman, has waited for years for the love of her life, Jake Sharpe, now a rock-and-roll legend, to return home, so she can finally tell him off. Jake has had hit after hit, singing about his former relationship with Kate, something she can't escape or get over. Ashley West is energetic in this fast-paced, funny coming-of-age story of first love, true friendship, and the pain of growing up. West captures each of the characters as they grow from giggling teenager to 30-something adult. She seamlessly moves the story back and forth in time as the present is revealed through the lessons of the past.
Arlene Fleet, the refreshingly imperfect heroine of Jackson's frank, appealing debut, launches her story with a list of the title's deities: "high school quarterbacks, trucks, big tits, and also Jesus." The first god, also a date rapist by the name of Jim Beverly, she left dead in her hometown of Possett, Ala., but the last she embraces wholeheartedly when high school graduation allows her to flee the South, the murder and her slutty reputation for a new life in Chicago. Upon leaving home, Arlene makes a bargain with God, promising to forgo sex, lies and a return home if he keeps Jim's body hidden. After nine years in Chicago as a truth-telling celibate, an unexpected visitor from home (in search of Jim Beverly) leads her to believe that God is slipping on his end of the deal. As Arlene heads for the Deep South with her African-American boyfriend, Burr, in tow, her secrets unfold in unsurprising but satisfying flashbacks. Jackson brings levity to familiar themes with a spirited take on the clichés of redneck Southern living: the Wal-Mart culture, the subtle and overt racism and the indignant religion. The novel concludes with a final, dramatic disclosure, though the payoff isn't the plot twist but rather Jackson's genuine affection for the people and places of Dixie.
Cornelia is a single thirtysomething who lives her life like a series of movie moments. She's a manager of a cafe because she hasn't figured out anything better to do. Her ideal man is Cary Grant. And just when she thinks he'll never show up, he does, in the form of Martin Grace. What she doesn't know is that Martin, with his cool charm and debonair demeanor, has a daughter, Clare. And she never would have known that except that Martin, in a state of panic, shows up with the girl at the cafe after her mother had a breakdown and left Clare to fend for herself. Estranged from his daughter for years, Martin doesn't know what to do with her. Both women's stories are told in alternating chapters, Cornelia's in first person, Clare's in third. Overall, it is a sweet story about knowing what you love and why.
June Parker's life is meandering along until a freak car accident leaves Marissa, her 24-year-old passenger, dead and June wracked with guilt. June discovers a list Marissa had been keeping of 25 things she wanted to do by the time she turned 25. After a run-in with Marissa's brother, June resolves to complete the list. Kissing a total stranger and throwing away her scale prove far easier than pitching an idea at work or changing someone's life. But June approaches the list with aplomb, daring to speak up about being passed over for a manager position, and becoming a Big Sister to a quiet, studious Latina teen named DeeDee. But when June uncovers a secret of DeeDee's, she realizes changing someone else's life might involve changing her own as well. Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Follow up
Great meeting last night! The food was great and so was the discussion! We need to do several things:
1. We need to update our roster for the coming year. Please reply in the comments if you would like to continue meeting with the book club. Dues are $5 a month.
2. There was some discussion on what day to meet. With a group this size, NO day is good for everyone! May's meeting will continue on the 2nd Monday of the month but be thinking about summer and fall and we will discuss a day change at the May meeting.
3. If you would like to submit a book for our May selection, please leave it in the comment section or email it to Andrea BY THURSDAY. The poll will be open for voting Friday and Saturday.
4. If you would like to host book club at your house in May or July let Andrea know.
1. We need to update our roster for the coming year. Please reply in the comments if you would like to continue meeting with the book club. Dues are $5 a month.
2. There was some discussion on what day to meet. With a group this size, NO day is good for everyone! May's meeting will continue on the 2nd Monday of the month but be thinking about summer and fall and we will discuss a day change at the May meeting.
3. If you would like to submit a book for our May selection, please leave it in the comment section or email it to Andrea BY THURSDAY. The poll will be open for voting Friday and Saturday.
4. If you would like to host book club at your house in May or July let Andrea know.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
