1/30/10

Thank you to Rykiell Ruby Rhea Turner for hosting the January 2010 meeting. She's such a peach (wink). The book was the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. This little 167 page book was filled with substantial content and sparked a deep discussion. We talked about the idea of having a personal legend or a purpose in life. We talked about goals and the price to reach those goals. We discussed the different life paths we choose with every decicion we make. We observed how hard work, determination, perserverance and a positive attitude propelled the main character on his journey. We compared having a dream versus realizing a dream. We discussed what was more important, reaching the destination or the journey along the way. The content was perfect food for thought for the start of a new year. Rykiell, Trina, Rachele, Rhonda, Ralph, Cheryl, Cylest,
Roslyn, Margarita, Vivianne, Marilyn, Porshia and Krystal were in attendance. We feasted on olives, pita chips, hummus, mini turkey meatball subs, salad, bruschetta, and fruit and yogurt parfaits for dessert. We enjoyed tea from crystal containers like the characters in the book. The favor was mini decorative treasure boxes. Each box had gem with a word inscribed on it as a reminder to dream, strive, give etc...

2010 schedule

January 30th..........The Alchemist.....hosted by Rykiell Rhea Turner
March 27th.............TBA
May 22nd................TBA
July 31......................TBA
September 25th......TBA
November 20th.......TBA

November 21, 2009

Thank you to Rhonda Joi for hosting the November 2009 book club. The selection was Miracle's in Action by Angela Alexander. Angela and her mother Julia blessed us with their presence. They were very open and generously answered many tough personal questions. Heavy topics such as forgiveness, mental illness and surviving the loss of family members were discussed. Angela shared her testimony of how her faith in God brought her through all of the trials and tribulations she was faced with. It was amazing how God has blessed Angela with the peace of God that surpasses all understanding and given her the strength she needed. It was wonderful to hear about the restoration Angela and Suri received in baby Angela and how they have been blessed exceddingly and abundantly beyond all they could ask or think. Everyone shared their personal "Miracles in Action" and conversed about how they were able to relate to Angela's story. We enjoyed a baked potato bar with butter, sour cream, chili, bacon, chives, green onions, cheese, broccoli, peas and seasonings. Strawberry cheesecake, Oreo cheesecake and pound cake were served for dessert. The favor was a mustard seed charm to remind us of all we can accomplish with faith the size of a mustard seed.

October 1, 2009

Thank you to Sharon for hosting the 10/1/09 book club. We read 145th Street short stories by Walter Dean Myers. Sharon, Harmon, Lori, Trina, Gail, Cheryl, Tina, Marilyn, Ralph, Rhonda and Rachele were in attendance. Sharon served sausage po' boy sandwiches with cheesecake for dessert. Special thanks to Sharon for graciously hosting in spite of extenuating circumstances. She returned from vacation the night before and attended a funeral the morning of the book club. What a trooper!

July '09

Trina did a fantastic job hosting the 7/18/09 book club. The book was supposed to be any selection from Pamela Samuels Young, but everyone picked Murder on the Down Low. Trina, Russell, Russell II, Ryna, Rhonda, Jacquie, Tina, Roslyn, Rachele and Karen were in attendance. Trina arranged for the author Pamela Samuels Young to come and speak with us and field our questions. We all agreed she is a very dynamic speaker. She was gracious enough to share an honest inside look into her experiences in the publishing world. It was refresheing to hear her give glory to God for ordering her steps and insuring that she was in the right places at the right times and got connected to the right people. It was interesting to hear how she was inspired to add her literary voice to the mystery and law fiction genres. The lack of characters reflective of her experience as an African American female attorney led to her creating her cast of characters that we can all relate to and enjoy. Thank you to Pamela Samuels Young for taking the time to join us and sign our books. Thanks to Karen for turning off the camera so we could get the REAL 411 (smile). Trina set up a virtual sandwich shop with five or six different kinds of bread, turkey, roast beef, ham and all the fixin's. There was also a delightful assortment of fresh fruit, veggies and crackers. Ryna and Russell II blessed us with a homemade peach cobbler made from fresh peaches. The favor was mini picture books with funny captions.

Festival of Books

Hello all,

We decided to add a field trip to the UCLA/ LA Times festival of books to book club schedule this year. This is an incredible event that my family and I try to attend each year. In the past we have seen Walter Mosley, Terry McMillian, Eric Jerome Dickey, David Baldacci, Nicholas Sparks, Maria Shriver, Kirk Douglas, Mary Higgins Clark, Carol Higgins Clark, Alexander McCall Smith, Henry Winkler, Marlee Matlin and many more. We have attended panels with interesting topics and still learned something and had an enjoyable time even though we may have not recognized the names of the authors. The festival is an all day affair. 10:00 am to 6:00pm on Saturday 4/25 and 10:00am to 5:00pm on Sunday 4/26. The address is 405 Hilgard Ave Los Angeles, Ca 90024. Parking is $9. For more information check out www.latimes.com/extras/festivalofbooks . I was thinking we could meet for one session and then everyone can break and roam the campus exploring their own interests. There is truly something for everyone, activities ranging from Japanese tyco drummers, spoken word poetry, cooking demonstrations etc. I have decided we should attend panel 1071 Saturday at 11:00am Diahann Carroll in conversation with Bob Morris. Tickets will be available through ticketmaster on April 19th. Tickets are seventy five cents. I hope to see you all there!

3/28/09

Many Thanks to Tina for hosting the 3/28/09 meeting. The book was Two Rivers by L. Greenwood. Everyone that read the book gave it a thumbs up. Tina read the wrong book, also titled Two Rivers by another author : ) That was a first! We had a great turn out with Tina, Rhaun, Rhonda, Ralph, Cheryl, Rachele, Trina, Ryna, Sharon, Roslyn, Amanda, Krystal, Marilyn and Zuleyka in attendance. Thank you to everyone that came out. Tina served her famous carnitas with all the fixins, chips and salsa, veggies and dip and assorted cakes for dessert. Ryna, Sharon, and Krystal boke out in an inpromtu crochet session. The favors were lovely calla lilies in yellow or purple.