A Redbird Christmas

by Fannie Flagg

This month was a light read since we are all so busy at holiday time. A Redbird Christmas was a delightful novel to inspire some Christmas spirit. We all enjoyed it.

We met at the Village Inn in Bountiful and savored some yummy comfort food.

Half Broke Horses

     

by Jeannette Walls

This month we read Jeannette Walls' novel that she loosely based on the life of her grandmother, Half Broke Horses. Most of us really enjoyed the book and found it very entertaining. We thought it was more upbeat than Glass Castles. We liked the first-person perspective of the story and thought Walls made the right decision to make it a novel and use the first person instead of writing a more serious biography of her grandmother.

We met at Sizzler in Bountiful for a steak-and-salad meal which we enjoyed but found to be a bit salty. We don't usually splurge for dessert but at Sizzler its included with the meal so we indulged in some yummy brownies and ice cream.

The Fairy Godmother

     

by Mercedes Lackey

This month we read The Fairy Godmother by the prolific Mercedes Lackey. A combination of romantic fantasy and fairy tale, the plot hints at Cinderella with many unexpected twists and turns. A fun read.

We met at Granny Annie's in Bountiful for a diner-style meal that was quite tasty.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

     

by Rebecca Skloot

This month's book was a departure from our typical fiction book with the true story of Henrietta Lacks and her famous cells. We enjoyed the book and commented about how patient the author was with Henrietta's family. Her persistence paid off and the family eventually came to trust her which made her story even more interesting and authentic. The science of the cells and their replication was fascinating and the contribution to modern science is nothing short of incredible.

We met at Mikado in Bountiful for a delicious Japanese meal in our own private tatami room.

The Light Between Oceans

     

by M.L. Stedman

This month's book was a gripping tale of love and despair. Even though the book was full of sadness (we all admitted to some tears), it was a real page-turner since the resolution to the conflict was so unpredictable. Stedman is an amazing writer - we all agreed that her descriptions of Janus Rock were wonderful, we could really picture the island. We sympathized with both Isabel and Hannah, as well as the child, so even though we didn't agree with Isabel's decisions it was hard to find fault with her given her situation.

We met at Boba World in Bountiful for a delicious Chinese dinner. The food was amazing! We tried beef noodles, pineapple shrimp, sweet and sour chicken and sauteed green beans - all were wonderful! Two in our group tried the Boba drinks and both enjoyed them.

I've Got Your Number

     

by Sophie Kinsella

This month we read a fun, entertaining book written by the Shopaholic queen, Sophie Kinsella. We all enjoyed it but a few in our group thought the main character, Poppy, was a bit of a wimp and we couldn't understand why she didn't just stand up for herself. She seemed to be constantly mired in self-created turmoil. But overall it was a fun book to read.

Our restaurant this month was Iggy's Sports Grill in Centerville. Good food, good service, good company, what more do you need?

The Secret Keeper

     

by Kate Morton

This month's selection was The Secret Keeper, another book set in England which recounts the tale of two women whose lives were intertwined. Later in life, the daughter of one of the women tries to piece together the story as her mother approaches death. What she discovers in the end is an unexpected twist in the story that none of us expected. We all enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it. The book prompted discussions about our own mothers (and mother-in-laws) and we digressed so much that we hardly discussed the book! 

One of our book club members generously invited us to her house for dinner this month. We enjoyed a delicious meal and had a peek at her beautiful home. We also got to meet a new baby brought by another member, a beautiful boy that we took turns holding while he chewed on our fingers :)

Revenge of the Middle Aged Woman

     

by Elizabeth Buchan

This month we read Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman. Set in England, it is the story of a woman who quite suddenly loses both her job and her husband (both to the same woman). Most of us commented that we were expecting something a bit juicy to develop in the story (as the title suggests), but were a bit disappointed that the revenge occurred all by itself and was not out of the ordinary. However, it was a good story and we still enjoyed it.

We dined at Squatter's Pub in Salt Lake City for this month's meeting. With a medical convention in town it was very crowded and we had to wait over an hour for a table. But the food was delicious, as always.

A Fine Balance

     

by Rohinton Mistry

This month we read A Fine Balance, a historical fiction novel which takes place in India in the 1970's. During this time a state of emergency was in effect for about two years, as declared by Prime Minister Idira Gandhi. The emergency gave her ultimate power and it is interesting to see how her power effected the different characters in the story.

We all remarked at how lucky we are in this country to have running water 24 hours a day and clean, indoor restrooms. We also appreciate the rights that women have in this country, although we realized that has come a long way since the 1970's.

There are so many fine balances in life, but this book seemed to focus on the fine balance between hope and despair. When things get bad in life (as they did so many times in this story), as long as the characters had hope for the future, they could carry on, despite their despair. But when hope was lost for one character, the despair had nothing to balance it.

In the spirit of the book, our meeting spot was The Himalayan Kitchen in Salt Lake City. Their food was wonderful and the nan was amazing. Excellent service as well.

The Shoemaker's Wife

     

by Adriana Trigiani

This month's book is a touching story of a man and woman who grew up in the Italian alps and met in Italy coincidentally as teenagers, then found each other many years later in America. Their lives cross paths many times before they finally affirm their love for each other and marry. Their struggles in coming to America and building a life are not unlike so many others who fled to America in the early 1900s.

Our meeting spot was appropriately an Italian restaurant in Bountiful - Robintino's.

The Birth of Venus

     

by Sarah Dunant

This month's book was an interesting story about the life of a girl in 15th century Florence. With so many twists and turns we all found this book to be very unpredictable which added to its appeal. And we loved learning more about the history of Florence.

We met at Bistro on Main in Bountiful, formerly Sego Lily Cafe, a cozy little restaurant with a delicious selection.