September 2011: Cutting for Stone
I don’t care who finds me here! So – let’s start reading together again!
This month’s book – Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.
Read it when you get a chance and let us know how you feel about it in the comments.
If, after reading the book, you think you might have some good recipes to go along with the theme of the book – put them in the comments of the books and snacks cookbook blog.
And you were worried that I’d disappeared?
I’m looking forward to our comments discussion.
Remember: This is a non-snooty book club. Discuss anything you want to about the book. The story, the cover, how it made you feel, what it reminded you of, etc.
February Book: The Sun Also Rises
So. That happened.
I caught a little case of breast cancer in January of 2010 and decided to spend the rest of the year immersed in the fine art of survival. I had thought I’d have a lot of time to read, while I was stuck on the couch. But a funny thing happens when you get enough cancer that you have to have body parts removed and toxins injected – you seem to lose focus on fiction. I couldn’t get through a book. I could barely get through a magazine. My mind kept wandering back to all kinds of “what if” and “seriously?” plus “come on!” besides “ouch!” I don’t know if you know this, but there’s a whole lot of ouch involved in the fixing of breast cancer.
So I let Books & Snacks lapse.
And then the other day, I got an e-mail from Becky over at Fly By Nyght (By the way, Becky? I just fixed my blogroll over at kitchenblogic. Don’t know how you weren’t included but you are now. Sorry about the oversight!) asking me to consider resurrecting Books & Snacks. Which got me thinking, “Oh my God! I forgot all about Books & Snacks!”
So I did some thinking over the night and here’s what I’m thinking…
I’ve got school to attend with homework to do. I’ve gone back to my 3D book club after a two year hiatus. How many books can a gal read?
Some. That’s the sum of how many books a gal can read.
I want to bring Books & Snacks back to life. Thanks Becky! But while I’m in school, I don’t want to overwhelm myself with too much reading. So, until I’m out of school, I’m going to mirror my 3D book club book choices and invite you guys to read what they’re reading.
All those words being said, here we go:
The book we are currently going to read here is The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway.
If you want to participate all you have to do is read the book and then post your opinions in the comments section of this page. You can add your comments at any time. Even if you stumble onto this page in the future! Hello 2015! How’s the economy?
And if you are so inclined, you can add a recipe that you’d share with us if you were actually hosting the party at your home.
I’ll gather those from time to time and put them over at the Books & Snacks Cook book blog.
Happy reading!
And – thank you Becky!
January Book: A Thousand Splendid Suns
I think it would be a great idea to begin our year with a book suggested by a few members. I’ve heard nothing but great things about this book. Let’s give it a try!
By Khaled Hosseini
If you have any suggestions for February, make sure and leave a comment on the “Suggestions” page (see the links on top!)
December Book: The Elegance of the Hedgehog
We had a tie for our December book so I drew names and picked this one:
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery!
Pick it up, read and and come on back and share you thoughts!
Happy Reading!
Kathy
Poll: Help Pick the Book for December
November Book: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
With a 6 to 2 win, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society is our book for November!
Let me see if I can find a good potato recipe to bring to the Comments. By the way, did you see that I’m compiling our recipes in a Books & Snacks cookbook blog?
I Yam!
(Get it? Potato pun for this month’s book?)
Go now. Read. And then come back and share a recipe and your comments!
The November Book Choice – Please Vote
Books and Snacks: The Cookbook
October Book: Peace Like a River
I wrote down each book suggested on a separate index card, shuffled them, pulled one and this was it! Peace Like a River by Leif Enger.
I’ve read this one before. And am happy to read it again. I’ll have to pick up another copy because I donated the first one. But I recall it was a terrific read so don’t mind getting it again. Maybe I’ll check it out from the library this time.
Thanks, Poola, for the great suggestion.
Start reading! And when you’re ready, leave your comments here. And any recipes you want to share with your fellow book readers!
p.s. I drew the name (from two) for my copy of Buffalo Lockjaw (and a surprise) and it goes to Marna. Way to go Marna! I’ll get it in the mail by this weekend.
Giveaway: Buffalo Lockjaw
If there’s anyone who’s interested in reading our September book and would like my copy, put your name in the comments (make sure I can get back to you) and I’ll draw a name on Sept. 30th!
October Book Reminder
Reminder: Go to the comments on This Entry and write your book for October in the Comments section.
I was going to use a random generator but after one of you said you didn’t want to go first because first is never chosen via random generator, I decided to just pick a title out of a hat. To be fair, I’m not going to submit a title this month. (Because then I’d cheat and make you all read the book I’m reading right now!)
So please, if you want your book to have a chance, go submit it to the Comments on the linked entry! I’ll be chosing next Wednesday, the 30th!
October Book – You Choose
Hello Books and Snacks People!
I wanted to let you know that I don’t plan on being a Booktator, I want you to have the chance to choose books for us to read, too! So here’s what I want to do for the October Book Selection.
Anyone interested can suggest a book. Just one book. And here’s how to do it…
In the comments section for this page, only, write one book that you’d like us to read. JUST ONE BOOK SUGGESTION.
On the last day of September I will use a random number generator to choose the book for October. We’ll let fate choose! With your help, of course.
Think hard about your suggestion is. There’s alot of pressure if your book gets chosen. I know this. I feel the pressure from this month’s book. Like it’s my fault if it’s horrible!
Any suggestions that come from weirdos will be deleted. So please, let us know who you are by either sharing your blog link or some other identifying bit about who you are.
Remember: One book suggestion per person AND leave the suggestion on this page’s Comments.
Thanks!
Kitsch.
Book for September 2009: Buffalo Lockjaw
The first book for the new bookclub, Books and snacks is Buffalo Lockjaw by Greg Ames!
I chose this book because…No, wait. This book chose me. I went to the bookstore with book suggestions in hand and for some reason walked right up to this shelve and took this book down to look at closer. No rhyme. No reason. It just happened and I saw it as the perfect way to start a Non-Snobby book club! But I still have the suggestions I received earlier for later consideration.
If you take a look at the website header, you’ll see a tab that says “Rules Of Engagement”. This will spell out how I’d like to work this site. But it’s not too difficult.
1. Read the book.
2. Find a recipe for food or beverage that you’d like to share (If you don’t want to do that, how’s about picking out a wine suggestion). Don’t “come to the meeting” empty-handed!
3. If you want to comment on this book, do so in the Comments for this page. Later on, when there are more books, this will make more sense. But just know that it won’t make any sense to comment about Buffalo Lockjaw on a page about the book Great Expectations, for instance. (Don’t worry, we probably won’t read that…too highbrow!) Comment on anything you’d like (regarding the book, of course). Do you want to go into writing style? How the book made you feel? Did it inspire you? Disgust you? Did you read it fast? Was it horrible? Spill it!
4. Leave your recipe or suggestion on the Comments for this page, too. We’ll see how that works this month and if it’s just too messy, I’ll figure out a site just for the recipe offerings.
I’ll index your recipes and wine suggestions over in the right column. Books read will have their own Page up on the header, complete with a link to the Amazon page where you can purchase it, if you want to.
There is no deadline for when you can leave a comment and share a recipe or wine suggestion. Just make sure to do it on the page for the book you’re talking about.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment or e-mail me: kathy at kitschinart dot com.
I hope this will give us some fun reading that we can share!
Make sure and add this blog to your Google Reader feed thingy. I plan on offering some giveaways that you’ll want to know about right away!
Happy Reading!
Welcome to Books and Snacks!
Welcome to Books and Snacks – a non-snooty, all-welcome, virtual bookclub!
My goal here is to offer a book each month that anyone interested can read along with me and then comment on what we all took away from the book. If you took away a story that was fun and easy to read, that’s what you took away from it. If you took away weak writing and story predictability, share that! Loved it or hated it or something inbetween, we want to know!
Whatever it is you take from a book is what reading is all about!
To make it even more fun and more bookclub-ish (grammar police need not apply!) it’s my idea that we share a dish or a beverage, as if we were attending an actual gathering.
If you can’t cook or just aren’t interested in cooking, how about sharing a wine choice or a beverage? To do that – place your potluck offering in the Comments section. Once that’s done, I’ll edit the entry and categorize it so that bookclub members can refer to the entry when they want the recipe or beverage.
Happy Reading!
p.s. September’s Book will be announced on Tuesday, September 1st!
