January's Book Selection

Last meeting of 2013!!!

Thank you, Amanda, for having us in your lovely new home, thanks to all who brought food, and thanks for another fun time with my favorite group!!  Hope everyone has a blessed holiday season!  We have over 2 months to read "The List"!  See ya at Gayle's in January!

Discussion Questions for "Kisses From Katie"

What did you think of her writing style?
Did you like her journal entries?  Why or why not?
Do you wish she would have given more detail about anything?

I found some questions online and borrowed parts of them........
Katie says:
I believe that God is sovereign. That just as He has intended, so it has happened, and just as He has planned, so it will stand (see Isaiah 14:24). But when people look at the poverty and hurt in this world and ask, “Where is God?” I say God is right here living inside the hearts of all who believe. So maybe the question is, “Where are we?”   Talk about this a little.

Can you even imagine the conditions she witnesses?  How about the "medical" care she has to administer!!??

Anyone have an example of a lesson you learned from a secular source...like she talked about on page 174 learning from Celine Dion songs?  Talk about the other "lessons" she listed..."God cares about even my petty feelings", "Parenting is sometimes tough, almost always hilarious", etc. Do you agree that she is getting an education even though she didn't finish college!?

Katie writes, “I have learned that I will not change the world. Jesus will do that. I can, however, change the world for one person” Discuss how Katie comes to terms with being unable to help every person, every time.

Did this book inspire you?  If so, how?

Other comments?

November's Book Selection

If I counted right, we had 19 again tonight!!!
Thanks for coming to my house!
It was fun!!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR "GONE TO GREEN"

Describe "Gone to Green" in a nutshell.....or what was your overall opinion of the book?
What, if anything, surprised you in the book?
What made you laugh?  Cry?
Did you question anything, Biblically, in the book?
Green changes Lois and she changes Green...do you find it hard to change?
Have you ever found yourself trying to "figure out" a person by the way they look or talk?
One quote in the book says "Most of the stuff that bothers us just isn't worth the effort". Do you agree with that? Why or why not?
Another quote "How could I be near someone for hours on end and not realize how much she held inside?"  Talk about this a little.
Would you like to be a recipient of the casserole brigade?😃
If you were a Community Correspondent for the Green News-Item, what would you write about?
Do you want to read the whole "Green" series?

October's Book Selection

Front Porch Fun!

Thank you to Connie and her great porch for another fun Book Club!  Good food, good friends and fantastic fellowship!  " Gone to Green" next month at my house!  FYI....Green is the name of a town!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR "THE FINE LINE"

Was this book what you expected?

Did you realize this book was a novel?  If so, (or if not) how did that affect your opinion of the  book? 

Did you find it a quick read? Did you like the book?

Did you find it realistic?  Why or why not?

What do you think the  Fine Line was?

Were you angered by anything in the book?

How well do you think she described the home she was staying in, the prison, etc.?  Could you picture it in your mind?

Do you think she did a good job of showing the importance of prayer? How?

Did you relate to any particular person or incident in the story?  Any favorite characters?

How does it make you feel to read about how people live in poverty?  How about the seeming injustice of the Mexican prison/court system?

September's Book Selection

Record Attendance!!??

I'm not sure, because I don't usually count, but I think we had a record last night!  If I remembered correctly this morning, I think we had 19!  That was with several "regulars" missing!  We had 3 brand new book loving ladies!!  It was a great discussion, as usual!  Thanks to Tania for hosting us and to all who brought food!  REMEMBER WE MEET ON THE THIRD TUESDAY IN SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER 17TH!!  SO THAT ONLY GIVES US 3 WEEKS TO READ  "THE FINE LINE".  Year 6 is off to a great start!!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR WONDERLAND CREEK

I loved reading about books and libraries for book club!  Did you?

Who was your favorite character? Why?

Would you have gone to a place like Acorn without getting a response to your letter asking if you could come?

Could you have survived in the conditions she faced after being dropped off by her aunt and uncle?

Were you surprised by which guy Alice ended up with?

There is a line in a movie that goes something like this...."so much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book when shouldn't it be the other way around".  Alice realized she was living vicariously through her books....have you ever done that?

Do you think people reading this book that don't live in, or know about Kentucky, picture all of the state to be like the area she was in?

How did this book make you feel about the "abundance" we have?

Did you have any new "thoughts" about how people who are different from you should be treated?

If you could write the next chapter in Alice's life, what would happen?

Heads Up!

For all you book clubbers who like to plan ahead...after our first meeting, August 27th, the next three meetings...September, October and November, will be held on the third Tuesday of the month instead of the 4th.  Hopefully, we will resume meeting on the 4th Tuesday in January!

READING LIST FOR YEAR 6!!!

Sept.     The Fine Line by Emily Chesshire Thompson 

Oct.       Gone To Green by Judy Christie

Nov.      Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis and Beth Clark 

Jan.      The List by Robert Whitlow 

Feb.      Spirit of the Rainforest by Mark Andrew Ritchie 

Mar.      It Happens Every Spring by Gary Chapman

Apr.       Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

May.      Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield 

Summer...... Movie and book...The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

(Could be old or new movie)

GREAT SUCCESS!!!!

Thank you to Jenn for designing and hosting the Book Swap!!  It was great!!!  Fun to see some familiar faces as well as some new ones!  We enjoyed delicious food and "new to me" books!
Looking forward to discussing Wonderland Creek on August 27th at Tania's!

Book Swap

Join us for a mid-summer time of fun and fellowship!

July 17 @6:30, Jenn is hosting a Book Swap!

This is open to ALL!  Please invite your friends and

join us for a great time of book fun!  Come whether

or not you have books to swap!!

Summer Book Selection

SUMMER'S HERE!!

Thank you, Sarah, for hosting our last meeting of the year!  Thanks to all who brought food!
AND thanks to all for a great book club year 5!!  Also, congrats to Sarah for winning the door prize!
Next meeting will be August 27th to discuss our summer read as well as to kick off Year 6!!!!  Stay
tuned for more details!!

Discussion "starters" for "Life's Too Short....."

Did you like this format?  Why or why not?

Which chapter did you relate to most?

Come prepared to talk about whether or not you agreed with her 

"Life's too short" conclusions?

What did you think of her points of summary at the end?

Would you recommend this book to others?

May's Book Selection

Stars and Stripes Forever!

May we continue to learn from those in our past...."the great cloud of witnesses"!!!! and be Patriots and most of all be witnesses of our Lord in love of God, love of Country and service to others!!
Great discussion, great food, great fun......AGAIN!   Thanks

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR ONCE UPON A TOWN

What did you like most about this book?

Did you like this author's writing style? 

What emotions rose up in you as you read about this town?

Do you think it would have been "fun" to travel around and gather all this information and write this book?  Why or why not?

One of the veterans told Bob Greene that the North Platte Canteen was "an unexpected bouquet of nice people".  Have you ever experienced this or been a part of providing it for someone else?

How were you affected by that? How do you think you would have been affected if you were actually one of the servers at the canteen?  How about if you were one of the troops served?

In your opinion, how has America changed since the days of the Canteen?

Can you imagine what it took to pull this off?!  Washing the coffee cups, baking the cakes, etc.!

April's Book Selection

Book Suggestions

Just went through all the suggestions from last night!!!
Thanks!  Don't know how I will ever narrow it down
for next year!  Good news is we have material to make
Book Club go on forever!!!!  I guess if you weren't
there last night and want to give me a suggestion, just
make an anonymous comment on here!!!!  Remember
Just because you don't see your suggestion on the list
for next year, doesn't mean it won't be on the following
year!!!  Thanks again for your help!  I love you ALL!!!!

Interesting!

Thanks to all for good conversation at Book Club tonight!
Congrats to Janet for winning the prize!!
Connie was a wonderful hostess and the food was great!
Thanks Missy, Samantha and Janet!!

Drawing!

Just to see who has subscribed to the blog, we will have a drawing for a prize on Tuesday at
Connie's.  You will get to put your name in once for just being in attendance, once if you are
subscribed to the blog, and once if you bring a book suggestion for next year!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR "BECAUSE HE LOVES ME"

I have a whole page of questions that we may or may not get into on Tuesday....
I had a hard time coming up with "book club" questions...I kept wanting to "lead"
a Bible Study!!  Any way....here's a few to get us started and I'll bring the other
questions on Tuesday and we will just see where we go in our discussion!
Overall, did you enjoy this book?  Why or why not?
Was there a particular verse in Chapter 1 that "spoke" to you in a new way?
Did you find the charts she used throughout the book helpful?
Did you learn anything new about yourself through reading this book?
What was your favorite chapter and why?
Do you think this book would be more helpful for a Christian or a non-Christian?  Why?

March Book Selection

CHOCOLATE FUN

Great time at Book Club last night!!!  Lively discussion and great food!!!!

So looking forward to "Because He Loves Me"!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR "FUDGE-LACED FELONIES"

A review I read said this was a "fast moving, very plot-intensive book".
In what ways would you say this is true?  ....or not true?
Another reviewer said "I wanted a book I could just lose myself in like a
cheesy Lifetime movie and this did the trick".....while another said "It was
just not believable and should have been a romance, not a mystery".
Would you consider this book more of a romance or a mystery?  Did you
enjoy reading it?  Why or why not?
Did you sense a conflict between Summer and Ethan that "upped" your reading
enjoyment?  How or why?
Did you think Summer was brave or stupid?
How much Christian influence do you think was in this book?
Who was your favorite character or characters?
Were you surprised by anything in the book or did you figure it
all out yourself?
Did you find yourself craving chocolate as you read?
Did you place yourself in any of the situations that came up and relate to
how you might have felt or how you might have handled the situation?
Would you want to read more of the Summer Meadow's Mystery series?
What was in this book, if anything, that would make you want to recommend it
to someone else?

CHECK THIS OUT!!!!!!

Next month we will be reading "Because He Loves Me" by Elyse Fitzpatrick.
She is the speaker at a Women's Conference in Prospect on February 16!!!  I
Want to go and thought you might want to go too!  Cost is $25 and you can
Register online at www.faithmeetslife.net/2013-womens-conference

February's Book Selection

January Book Club

We were few in number this month, but covered a lot of ground!!  Thank you for
your great insight and for your participation in our discussion of "Behold the Lamb".  Thanks,
once again for the delicious food and thanks to Jenn for hosting!!!!  Details for next month
to follow!!   (We will be at Bess' home instead of Connie's!)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR "BEHOLD THE LAMB"

Did you use the book like an advent calendar as Janet suggested or did you just read it?
Did you enjoy reading it in the Christmas season?
Did it seem like the Bible "in a nutshell" to you?
Was there a particular chapter you liked more than others?
Did you underline things as you read....what are some of the things you liked?
Do you think this would be a good book to give as a gift to a non-Christian?
The author says at the beginning that he speculates on some things, was there anything
that you disagreed with or found "off-base"?
Is this a book you will read over and over or perhaps at least every Christmas?
If you have seen Andrew Peterson's musical "Behold the Lamb", were there times
when some of the music came to mind as you read the book?
Would anyone have anything in your Christmas celebration that might encourage
the group or give us ideas on how to make Christ the emphasis of the holidays?