Number the Stars

Our book for November 2009 is Number the Stars, by Lois Lowery. It is a "Mark F. Pick."

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Our book for October 2009 is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams. It is a "Pat K. Pick."

Menu: spiral galaxy tortilla pinwheels, the best vegetable rice in the Universe, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin streusel cake, pumpkin soup, corn bread with butter and honey, assorted nuts and chocolates, disorganized mushroom spread (matter) on toast.

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

All the King's Men

Our book for September 2009 is All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren. It is a "Mark M. Pick."

Menu: southern style pork sausage stuffed mushrooms, roasted nectarines and custard sauce, honey-roasted nuts, sparkling raspberry-grape juice, chocolate-covered cream puffs, assorted nuts, chocolate biscotti, sweet potato chips and cheese platter.

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Our book for August 2009 is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer. It is a "Pat M. Pick."

Menu: salsa with chips, applesauce-spice bars, chocolate cake with white icing and dark chocolate shavings, prosciutto wrapped mozzarella, mixed nuts and dried fruits, wacky cake, baba ghanouj with various crackers, olives, and tomatoes, pigs in a blanket with mustard sauce

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Our book for July 2009 is The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne. It is a "Judy Pick."

Menu: homemade breads and butters and cheeses; chocolate brownies; striped coconut, chocolate, and pecan brownies; German Pancakes;chocolate chip cookies

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

The Scarlet Letter

Our book for June 2009 is The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is a "Stacy Pick."

Menu: homemade avocado salsa with chips; blueberry pudding cake; mint water, ; red, white, and blue berry/jello Americana dessert; spinach-artichoke dip with toasted sourdough wedges

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

Angels and Demons

Our book for May 2009 is Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown. It is a "Shawn Pick."

Menu: lentils , scones and jams, onion and pepper focaccia bread, chips and creamy guacamole, organic veggie quiche, white pizza pinwheels, and baked polenta with creamy portabella mushroom sauce

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

Grayson

Our book for April 2009 is Grayson, by Lynne Cox. It is a "Sherry Pick."

Menu: Shrimp cocktail, crackers and cheese, fresh strawberries, goldfish crackers, crackers and hummus, Portuguese seafood saffron rice

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

Prodigal Summer

Our book for February 2009 is Prodigal Summer, by Barbara Kingsolver. It is a "Rebecca Pick."

Menu: spring flower cake, several layer bean dip with chips, blueberry cheesecake dessert, cornbread and raisins, homemade breadsticks, "death by chocolate" cake, homemade bread, and whoopee pie cookies


Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

The Member of the Wedding

Our book for January 2009 is The Member of the Wedding, by Carson McCullers. It is a "Peggy Pick."

Menu: southern cocktail meatballs, Asiago cheese spread and crackers, salad, Amish friendship bread, chocolate chip cookies, scrumptious mushroom turnovers,ambrosia, and sugar cookies

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

2008 Book List

Here is a rundown of books that our club read in 2007, including the theme foods we ate that month at our meeting. Click on the books to learn more at Amazon.

January

Our book for January 2008 is Suite Francaise, by Irene Nemirovsky. It is a "Judy Pick."

Menu: eclairs, chocolate cake, French and German breads, butters, Gouda cheese, sesame cookies





February

Our book for February 2008 is Random Harvest, by James Hilton. It is a "Mark M. Pick."

Menu: A "random" sampler of stuffed mushrooms, pigs in a blanket, Rice Krispy treats, chocolate chip cookies, mixed nuts, cheese, raspberry tarts, and strawberry cake



March

Our book for March 2008 is Dreams from My Father, by Barack Obama. It is a "Pat K. Pick."

Menu: Portuguese Sweet Bread (which is like Hawaiian Sweet Bread), "S'moores," and Oatmeal Raisin cookies




April

Our book for April 2008 is Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte. It is a "Stacy Pick."

Menu: Portuguese Sweet Bread (which is like Hawaiian Sweet Bread), "S'moores," and Oatmeal Raisin cookies




June

Our book for June 2008 is Texas, by James Michener. It is a "Sherry Pick."

Menu: chicken and cheese tacquitos with sour cream and black bean salsa, saffron seafood rice, orange poppyseed cake with macerated fruit medley, lime drinks, the honeyed pecans, homemade wheat bread with jalapeno red pepper jelly, wheat rolls with honey and pecans, deer summer sausage, and raspberry cake/cheesecake


July

Our book for July 2008 is Angle of Repose, by Wallace Stegner. It is a "Pat M. Pick."

Menu: Grapes, guacamole, a variety of chips and salsa, fruit salad, hummus, and watermelon





September

*A 2008 Food For Thought Pick

Our book for September 2008 is A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway. It is a "Mark F. Pick."

Menu: pigs in a blanket (meant to represent cervelas de crustaces), Spanish olives, baguettes and layered Brie and pesto dip, cream puffs, non-alcoholic wine, bread and peach jam, organic tomatoes and basil drizzled with olive oil.


October

*A 2008 Food For Thought Pick

Our book for October 2008 is The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards. It is a "Cristin Pick."


Menu: spinach-artichoke-cheese dip and crackers, one-layer apple cake with caramel frosting, Barley Pilaf, chocolate-filled and cream cheese-cinnamon crepes with various toppings, mixed nuts, citrus lemon squares, pumpkin cake, fresh dates and fresh pomegranate seeds, black olive tapenade and crackers, and pumpkin tarts with cream cheese frosting


November


Our book for November 2008 is The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch. It is a "Judy Pick."

Menu: Root Beer/Coke floats, cheese and crackers, apple cider, apple slices with peanut butter and honey dip, Graham cracker crust with pumpkin filling, melon balls and cheese plate


December

Here are the books from our Holiday Yankee Swap, including who brought each one:

On the Road by Jack Kerouac (Pat K.)
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan (Cristen)
Bee Season: A Novel by Myla Goldberg (Peggy)
The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe (Sherry)
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (Stacy)
The Ways of White Folks by Langston Hughes (Mark F.)
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Laura)
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird (Scott)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (Pat M.)
The Charlemagne Pursuit by Steve Berry (Judy)
The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas (Rebecca)
Gates of Fire by Elwyn Chamberlain (Mark M.)

The Last Lecture

Our book for November 2008 is The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch. It is a "Judy Pick."

Menu: Root Beer/Coke floats, cheese and crackers, apple cider, apple slices with peanut butter and honey dip, Graham cracker crust with pumpkin filling, melon balls and cheese plate.

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

*A 2008 Food For Thought Pick

Our book for October 2008 is The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards. It is a "Cristin Pick."


Menu: spinach-artichoke-cheese dip and crackers, one-layer apple cake with caramel frosting, Barley Pilaf, chocolate-filled and cream cheese-cinnamon crepes with various toppings, mixed nuts, citrus lemon squares, pumpkin cake, fresh dates and fresh pomegranate seeds, black olive tapenade and crackers, and pumpkin tarts with cream cheese frosting



Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

A Moveable Feast

*A 2008 Food For Thought Pick

Our book for September 2008 is A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway. It is a "Mark F. Pick."

Menu: pigs in a blanket (meant to represent cervelas de crustaces), Spanish olives, baguettes and layered Brie and pesto dip, cream puffs, non-alcoholic wine, bread and peach jam, organic tomatoes and basil drizzled with olive oil.

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

Angle of Repose

Our book for July 2008 is Angle of Repose, by Wallace Stegner. It is a "Pat M. Pick."

Menu: Grapes, guacamole, a variety of chips and salsa, fruit salad, hummus, and watermelon



Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

Texas

Our book for June 2008 is Texas, by James Michener. It is a "Sherry Pick."

Menu: chicken and cheese tacquitos with sour cream and black bean salsa, saffron seafood rice, orange poppyseed cake with macerated fruit medley, lime drinks, the honeyed pecans, homemade wheat bread with jalapeno red pepper jelly, wheat rolls with honey and pecans, deer summer sausage, and raspberry cake/cheesecake

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

Wuthering Heights

Our book for April 2008 is Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte. It is a "Stacy Pick."

Menu: Portuguese Sweet Bread (which is like Hawaiian Sweet Bread), "S'moores," and Oatmeal Raisin cookies



Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

Dreams from My Father

Our book for March 2008 is Dreams from My Father, by Barack Obama. It is a "Pat K. Pick."

Menu: Portuguese Sweet Bread (which is like Hawaiian Sweet Bread), "S'moores," and Oatmeal Raisin cookies



Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

Random Harvest

Our book for February 2008 is Random Harvest, by James Hilton. It is a "Mark M. Pick."

Menu: A "random" sampler of stuffed mushrooms, pigs in a blanket, Rice Krispy treats, chocolate chip cookies, mixed nuts, cheese, raspberry tarts, and strawberry cake

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

Suite Francaise

Our book for January 2008 is Suite Francaise, by Irene Nemirovsky. It is a "Judy Pick."

Menu: eclairs, chocolate cake, French and German breads, butters, Gouda cheese, sesame cookies



Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

A Wrinkle in Time

Our book for November 2007 is A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle. It is a "Mark F. Pick"

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

Waiting For Godot

Our book for October 2007 is Wating For Godot, by Samuel Beckett. It is a "Stacy Pick"


Menu: Carrot/cream cheese roll cake, pumpkin-cream cookie dip with ginger snaps and vanilla wafers, and Heath bar cake

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

Revolutionary Characters

Our book for September 2007 is Revolutionary Characters, by Gordon Wood. It is a "Mark M. Pick"


Menu: Sun-dried tomato dip (from Revolutionary Recipes) and crackers, cashew and walnut-encrusted caramel apples, Chex Party Mix, peach cobbler, chocolate "ugly" cake

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

Interpreter of Maladies

Our book for August 2007 is Interpreter of Maladies, by Jhumpa Lahiri. It is a "Denise Pick"


Menu: homemade grilled na'an plus two additional types of na'an, carrot pudding with pistachio nuts, almond torte, pineapple, and mango.

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

The Light in the Forest

Our book for July 2007 is The Light in the Forest, by Conrad Richter. It is a "Pat M. Pick"


Menu: beef jerky, Berty Botts Every Flavor Beans (a tribute to Harry Potter 7), homemade rolls with butter and jam, cheddar cheese and onion flavored pretzels, chips and homemade salsa, oatmeal raisin cookies

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Our book for June 2007 is Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It is a "Verlyn Pick."


Menu: frozen raspberry lemonade pie, strawberry pie, summer sausage, caramel popcorn, mixed nuts, watermelon, and mini eclairs

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

The Worst Hard Time

Our book for May 2007 is The Worst Hard Time, by Timothy Egan. It is a "Pat K. Pick."






Menu: frozen chocolate crunch pie made with "rocks," Texas sheet cake, whole grain pretzels and cheese, saltines and cheese, and "depression cookies"--saltine sandwiches with buttercream frosting

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

The Winthrop Woman

Our book for April 2007 is The Winthrop Woman, by Anya Seton. It is a "Ruth Pick."






Menu: mixed nuts, very berry fruit salad, blueberry buckle, baguette with brie and smoked gouda cheeses, and strawberry shortcake

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

Cane River

Our book for March 2007 is Cane River, by Lalita Tademy. It is a "Sherry Pick."






Menu: southern baked beans, sweet potato casserole, southern bread, homemade cornbread and honey butter, and peach cobbler (Lalita Tademy's recipe found in The Book Club Cookbook)

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Our book for February 2007 is Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, by Lisa See. It is a "Judy Pick."






Menu: salmon, crab, and lobster pastries, spring rolls and dip, Chinese dumplings, fortune cookies, chocoloate chip cookies

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.

The Thirteenth Tale

Our book for January 2007 was The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield. It is a "Stacy Pick."

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.




Menu: hot dutch oven ginger cake and cream, gingerbread, Hershey's Goodnight Kisses Hot Cocoa, scones and honey butter, crackers with British cheeses and lemon spread, and mini cheesecakes

The website for The Thirteenth Tale is great! If you've read the book be sure to look at the site. There are spoilers on the site, so those who haven't read the book yet, you've been warned!

For those looking for more information on the Gothic novel, check out the following sites:

http://cai.ucdavis.edu/waters-sites/gothicnovel/155breport.html

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/gothic/history.html

http://virtualsalt.com/gothic.htm

The Alchemist

Our November 2006 book was The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. It is a "Mark F. Pick."

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.




Menu: Baba Ghanoush with accompanying toasted breads and wafers, Tangier Couscous Salad, pumpkin bread, feijoada completa (served with kale, rice, fried plantains, oranges, and the savory vinaigrette sauce), sparkling juice in fancy crystal glasses, and cracker and cheese pyramids

The Merchant of Venice

Our October 2006 book was The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare. It is a "Denise Pick."

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.


Menu: polenta bites with caramelized mushrooms, Venetian sausage bites, dark chocolate, pesto-cheese spread with homemade bread, mozzarella and tomato slices with basil sauce, chocolate bundt cake, and pumpkin cheesecake

How Green Was My Valley

Our September 2006 book was How Green Was My Valley, by Richard Llewellyn. It is a "Pat M. Pick."

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.



Menu: blackberry tarts, chocolate chip cookies, blueberry banana bread, potato skins, and pretzels

To Kill a Mockingbird

Our August 2006 book was To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. It is a "Mark M. Pick."

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.



Menu: pecan pie, grapes (I mean, scuppernongs), watermelon, peanuts, and oatmeal raisin cookies

Saint Maybe

Our July 2006 book was Saint Maybe, by Anne Tyler. It is a "Judy Pick."

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.




Menu: Italian stuffed rolls, apples and toffee dip, crackers and Parmesan spread, stuffed cherry tomatoes, Spinach and feta filo triangles, stuffed mushrooms, spinach-artichoke dip, and mini queijadas

The Shadow of the Wind

Our June 2006 book was The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It is a "Robynne Pick" and a "Stacy Pick" bonus!
*A FOOD FOR THOUGHT PICK

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.


Menu: finger sandwiches, green olives, cookies, and chicken sandwiches

Life of Pi

Our May 2006 book was Life of Pi, by Yann Martel. It is a "Robynne Pick."

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.



Menu: Indian-spiced peanuts, banana and chocolate pastries with ice cream, and Sprite

Great Expectations

Our April 2006 book was Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens. It is a "Pat M. Pick."

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.




Menu: strawberries with dips, homemade banana bread

Pudd'nhead Wilson/Those Extraordinary Twins

Our March 2006 book was Pudd'nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins, by Mark Twain. It is a "Mark F. Pick."

Click on the book to learn more at Amazon.


Menu: Appetizers on the Round Loaf, stuffed mushrooms, tart pink grapefruit non-alcoholic sparkling "wine" creation