Out of the Dust

For the first time since January I was able to go to Book Club. (Thanks, Stacie!) We had a really good turn out (this time around), great conversation and yummy food.

The book was Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. Stacie told us about the Dirty 30's and we will never think of that phrase the same. She showed us pictures of the Dust Bowl and we talked about Okies. She really made the book come alive especially pointing out that page 13 could be read in different ways and it was like a song. Beautiful! Kacey informed us that the book was written in free verse because the time the story was set in called for an economy of words as well as everything else. Stacie also pointed out that there is a point in the book when "my Daddy" becomes "Father" and then back again. 


We talked about the accident, Louise and Mad Dog. We talked about feeling dusty and grimy after reading it. I don't want to give away any major plot points, so I will let others enjoy it themselves. The main theme of the book according to the author is Hope. However, we agreed that Forgiveness was also.


Cinnamon rolls and apple cider hit the spot even in the summer heat.


Next month we have book club at Xela's where we get to talk with the author. We are reading Mother Had a Secret by Tiffany Fletcher. There are a couple of copies floating around, so everyone should have time to read it by the 4th week in June (the 22nd). Happy reading!

Book Club Tomorrow!

It is that time once again!

Tomorrow, we will be discussing "Out of the Dust" by Karen Hesse. If you haven't picked it up yet, don't be intimidated. It is a very quick read and very enjoyable. Grab a copy, get reading and come join us at:

Stacie Morris's house @ 7:00 p.m. tomorrow!!!

Be there!

April Book

The sidebar is still a little behind but for those who have not yet been informed, we are reading our June book this month. Ashley Stout is hosting and we are reading "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio". The meeting will be on April 27th and will be at Ashley Stout's home.

Happy reading!

March: Wednesday Sisters

I apologize for the late post. Book club is at my house tonight at 7pm.

1530 Elizabeth Ave. Unit 4

Call me if you need directions, basically I live across from Stacy Morris. :D

We'll see you soon!

Fun Give-away

This is NOT to take away from Kacey's post. Please read it below. But, the bookiewoogie site is doing a giveaway. It seems so fun, so I thought I would do a shout out and send you guys that way. Deadline is in 2 weeks. Plus, it reminded me of the game we played at the recent baby shower. A personalized picture by one of my favorite illustrators is possible here, people!

On North and South

For those of you not able to join us for our trip back in time, I wanted to give a short recap of some of the things we discussed last month. Any attendees or readers of the book, feel free to add to this post anything I missed or completely get wrong.

North and South was an interesting book, but was made even more intriguing by the author and the time the book was written. Elizabeth Gaskell was a very influential writer during the same time as popular authors such as Jane Austin and Charlotte Bronte. But unlike the latter two, Gaskell is not a name many people would recognize. A lot of people think that might be because Gaskell was a minister's wife. From the surface, there was nothing controversial about her. She might have been an example that proves no press is bad press. She seemed like a normal woman of the era so her work was more frequently overlooked than other female authors.

But Gaskell had guts. She was writing about ideas and subjects way beyond the thought and general understand of the average housewife. In North and South, she tackles the ideas unions, the emerging industrial age, and the relationship between boss and employee. Any of these sound familiar? Could she be more relevant to some of the major debates going on in our country right now?

North and South was a story about a very independent, intelligent, albeit naive woman who gets torn from her very small bubble of a world into a life she could never had dreamed of. It would be similar to a wealthy person from the east coast with little exposure suddenly dropped into the west. Even in the same country, sometimes the difference between two sides can be night and day.

North and South is definitely a slower read and I had my moments were I desperately just pushed through in an attempt to finish it. But there were other moments were I was absolutely fascinated. Though I didn't discover my true appreciation for the book until book club. It took a little history lesson to help me recognize the depth of all Gaskell offered us. I also must grieve with Michelle Hastings for a minute. It might be the most built up romance of all time with the least amount of reward. We get a whopping paragraph of togetherness of our budding couple before the book just stops. It is cruel.

Now onto March! We are reading the Wednesday Sisters. I know several people have already obtained copies and it is readily available at the library. We will be meeting at Mindy Warren's house on March 23rd.

Happy reading!

It's tomorrow

We are meeting tomorrow at Michelle Hastings home. If you haven't been able to read the book yet, come anyway.

Also there are a couple of book blogs I follow and I thought I would share them with you.

Bookie Woogie is by an illustrator and dad of 6, Aaron Zenz. (I really love Hiccupotamus.) He reviews books with his children and types out their conversations and their fan art for each book. He updates it once a week on Mondays and occasionally even does giveaways.

Two and a Half Book Lovers is actually done by a friend from Colorado. She hasn't been updating as much because she is expecting her second child in April. Anyway, she is pretty opinionated, but honest about content. I can usually find some good reads from her.

See you tomorrow!