The Promise by Ann Weisgarber

Looking forward to our October book.  Author Ann Weisgarber will be visiting!!  Her book The Promise touches on the devastating hurricane that hit Galveston around the turn of the century.  Our  personal experiences with hurricanes will give us much to discuss!

See you soon and bring a friend!

Meanwhile you can explore her website  http://annweisgarber.com/ 

Weisgarber will also be one of the featured authors for the 2015 Pulpwood Queens Girlfriend Weekend.

Wow! The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan

Our August read was The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan. And what a wonderful book it was!  The secret of Oak Ridge, TN askept by the women who worked there during World War II to develop the material to fuel the first use of the Atomic Bomb to end WWII.  These ordinary women came nationawide to an unknown place for the war effort.  They came from backwoods and cities with the same purpose; to end the war in order to bring family and friends home.  Conditions were muddy and primitive living in close quarters in a town that was being built as they arrived.  Constant expansion and long lines were the norm.  This narrative non-fiction book is well-written and tells a story that is typical of the thousands who lived there.



I loved reading about these events in our American history.  Thank you Denise Kiernan for also taking the time to arrange your schedule so you could SKYPE with us.  Many of our members have visited Oak Ridge and/or lived there and had much to share.

Kiernan's website  Girls of Atomic City  also has a tremendous amount of information about that era and lots of photographs and newspaper clippings. I lost hours just reading her website.  Highly Recommend!

Lucky Us by Amy Bloom

Hey Queens, we will have our next meeting September 24th at our wonderful stellar coffee shop!  Not sure if the author of Lucky Us will SKYPE or not.  If not,  I'm sure this book will generate lots of discussion on the different types of books we enjoy reading.



Stellar Beans Coffee House and Edibles has so many wonderful events scheduled.  You can "like" the facebook page and keep current with all the happenings.  Thanks Danita for all you do to make us feel welcome and support our Lake Charles area. https://www.facebook.com/StellarBeans

Remember advance reservations are required, just email Danita with your food order stellarbeans@yahoo.com

The Orphan Train

Every one loved reading The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline.  Amazed to learn of a part of our American history that no one in our club knew.  Well except for Queen Grace who shared that The Orphan Train had stopped in Opelousas, LA and in fact there is an exhibit at the Opelousas Museum.  There is also an official Orphan Train museum in Concordia, Kansas that tells the story of these 200,000 children who rode the rails from 1854 to 1929.  Most of these children were immigrants who came through Ellis Island.

The story of Vivian Daly is fictional in that she is a work of fiction.  However the events in her life are all based on historical facts and first hand stories.

One of the discussion points was about the portage of the Wabanki Indians.  They had to limit their possessions to what they could carry overland in their canoes.  Naturally, this reminded us of our hurricane evacuations and how we choose what to bring with us.  Our values determine what we hold dear and near to us.  Most of us have a Huccicane Evacuation plan or box that contains important papers and photographs of family.  Since this is Hurricane Searson, make sure your hurricane plan is up to date.

Deadly Little Secrets by Kathryn Casey plus a new one!

As I read through my TBR pile of books from the last Girlfriend Weekend, I reached for Kathryn Casey's  Deadly Little Secrets.  I wasn't disappointed.  Kathryn's voice  rings true and full of empathy for the victim and family while maintaining fairness while giving the viewpoint of the victimizer.  I still was angry with this man, Matt Baker, who professed to be a Christian minister and who was a seducer of women and murderer of his wife and possibly his daughter.   The family of the victim perservered to find out the truth and bring justice for their daughter and sister.


Deadly Little Secrets: The Minister, His Mistress, and a Heartless Texas Murder


Finishing this one, I just learned that Casey has a new one hitting the shelves soon so my TBR hasn't grown any smaller since this new one about the I-45 Killing Fields will fill the vacancy left by Deadly Little Secrets.


Deliver Us: Three Decades of Murder and Redemption in the Infamous I-45/Texas Killing Fields

To read more about her books click on her name to go to her website  Kathryn Casey 

Orphan Train: A Novel by Christina Baker Kline

Queens, be ready to discuss Orphan Train for our July 30th meeting.  I understand some of our members are familiar with the orphan trains and will have insight into this part of our American history.

Still Life with Bread Crumbs

is the title of the book we are reading and discussing for our June 25th meeting.  Remember to email StellarBeans@yahoo.com with your food order. 

2015 Girlfriend Weekend Announced!

Queen Kathy Patrick has announced the location of the 15th Annual Girlfriend Weekend.  Discounted tickets are available at the lowest price until May 15th.

I am pleased to announce that the city of choice for our Annual Pulpwood Queen Book Club Convention, which we call Girlfriend Weekend, will be Nacogdoches, Texas!  January 15 – 18, 2015 will be the date for Girlfriend Weekend, always held annually on Martin Luther King Weekend. 

The largest “meeting and discussing” book club began in East Texas so we are staying for our 15th Anniversary in the part of the state that brought us to this book loving party!

Our theme for this coming year’s event is AROUND THE WORLD WITH BOOKS since we are an international book club with 550+ chapters nationwide and in 15 foreign countries.

My co-host for the weekend will be New York Times Bestselling Author, JAMIE FORD!  The authors are already lining up and as always, they are our Official Book Club Selection Authors.

We will feature 50+ authors with an Author Dinner, (the authors wait your tables) two days of panels, and two nights of activities and entertainment including our Grand Finale, THE GREAT BIG BALL OF HAIR BALL.


For the past 14 years, I have held our annual convention for my Pulpwood Queen Book Club Convention, Girlfriend Weekend, predominantly in Jefferson, once in Marshall, Texas. 
Since I have moved my Beauty and the Book to Hawkins, Texas, it was time for a change. 
I have been accepting proposals for a new venue and I am now proud to announce that the City of Nacogdoches, Texas made us an offer that we just could not refuse. 
The City of Nacogdoches and my Pulpwood Queens will be partnering to make this the biggest Pulpwood Queen Girlfriend Weekend ever!  from Kathy Patrick's Website   www.beautyandthebook.com

Heart Wide Open by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson

Who can resist the enthusiasm and humor that Shellie Tomlinson has when she shares her life with stories???  I can't.  I was captured by her telling of her faith journey to Jesus.  Written in her "let's have a cup of coffee" Southern style, I felt I was talking from the heart to someone who has love written all over them. 

There are Bible verses and quotes as well as discussion questions which makes this a great book to study with a faith-sharing group.  I hope you enjoy it also!

March 26th Meeting

The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate will be our book to discuss.  Bring your prayer box and a prayer, prayer card, or token that has meaning to share.  A prayer card could be given to each member to add to their personal prayer box.   Lisa Wingate is planning to do a SKYPE interview!

See you soon!

Meeting February 26th

Looking forward to our February meeting when we will be discussing Fannie Flagg's latest book:  The All-Girl Filling Station Reunion: A Novel.   Her unique characters find a center in the story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II.  I was unfamilar with this part of our American history.  This lead me to our local library to discover that these women were not recognized as having military status until 1977.  

Elements of Eloquence

When I read about the book Elements of Eloquence by Mark Forsyth on another blog I was intrigued.  I really wasn't aware that there is a pattern to adjectives or there was a special name for a line of dots.  Forsyth describes the uniqueness of the English language from alliteration to zeugma.  While I had an idea about alliteration; zeugma was a new word for me (perhaps I can use it in a Scrabble game).

I have a dear friend who is a writer and I thought it would be the perfect Christmas present.  Although it was late in arriving, my friend is enjoying the book very much.  so I thought I'd share it with you also.

Elements of Eloquence

Talking with the Author

What is there about talking with the author of a book you have read that changes your appreciation of the story?  Is it the time that author has devoted to telling the story, sometimes a year or longer on just the research?  How about the story itself?  Is it knowing what sparked the author's mind and inspired the story?

I know, for me, it is all of the above and more when we speak with authors via SKYPE or phone during our book club meetings.

While speaking with Lily Koppel author of The Astronaut's Wives Club I was struck by her commitment to tell the story of these remarkable women behind the scenes of the men with the "right stuff".  It reminded me of how boxed in women were in the 50's and 60's.  Every woman was supposed to be June Cleaver of Leave it to Beaver fame and these women were expected to fit the mold by NASA and the public.  But I wonder are we better off today when every woman can give free expression of herself - twerking in public is acceptable???!!

Reading opens up doors in our minds to endless possibilities and for me, reading gives voice to my constant desire to have a better world for my family  and seek ways to accomplish that.

Who wants to blog?

I'm not a writer and I know we have lots of writers in our group so if anyone wants to post on our blog site, please do so!!   Kay


The October meeting generated a lot of discussion on what makes a good book club book.  Of course Ashton Lee's book The Cherry Cola Book Club started the discussion.    One thing we all agreed on is that we want to read book that bring us out of our usual comfort zone and that give us new ways of looking at life.  We reflected on some of the books we have discussed in the past.  Some we learned about cultures we were unfamiliar with such as the foot binding in Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and the Japanese encampments in America through Jamie Ford's Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.  Others reminded us of our experiences such as Kathryn Casey's The Killing Storm and her description of a hurricane blowing through Houston.    Ahhhh, we are definitely enriched by our reading and our friendship.


Reminder:  November meeting  The Astronaut's Wives Club by Lilly Koppel.  She will do a SKYPE interview.  Also bring contributions for our Christmas literacy project.

Grace & Grit by Lilly Ledbetter

Wow did this book stir up some great discussion about women in the workplace!  What a strong woman Mrs Ledbetter is to continue to work under harassing conditions.  We all would love to meet her and perhaps she will come here sometime...maybe the Banner Series at McNeese or the Fall Women's Conference.  If you know someone, you might suggest...

You can hear her tell her story through the courtesy of C-span Book TV  http://www.booktv.org/Program/13241/Grace+and+Grit+My+Fight+For+Equal+Pay+and+Fairness+at+Goodyear+and+Beyond.aspx

It's an important book for women to read and to always remember those who have blazed the trails for us.

Ladies Night by Mary Kay Andrews

Great discussion at our meeting this evening centering on betrayal, revenge, redemption and rebuilding.  In many ways these themes have entered our lives, not just in a couples relationship but through family, friends, and co-workers.

And of course, the saving Grace is having friends to share the journey so that you arrive in a better place than where you began.

We all loved Mary kay Andrews's books and have read many of them.  Hope you do too.

Aug 28th is Ladies Night by Mary Kay Andrews

Excited to be reading Mary Kay Andrews latest book Ladies Night for our August 28th Meeting.  Her books have been on my TBR pile and now is the time!

Marilyn's Book Review

Pulpwood Queen Marilyn Bonnette's book review of our July selection The Care and Handling of Roses with Thorns by Margaret Dilloway is linked to the library website here http://calcasieulibrary.org/bkreviewfiction   


I am eager to discuss this book with all of y'all!

Janis Owens reveals Cracker characters

When Janis Owens heard stories about the last lynching in Florida, she investigated the event for several years.  After compiling enough info about what happened she put her skills as a master story teller to work and came up with a believable story about a young girl who grows up in northern Florida where people don't talk much about the town's dark history.  Then along comes an anthropology student who under the guise of love begins to ferret out secrets that many want to remain hidden.   What happens after he is shot and leaves northern Florida and the girl behind feeling lucky to be alive?  Years later he has the opportunity to revisit both the town and the girl.

Loved reading this story and talking with the author about her research into this episode in our American past.

Kay

Diamond Ruby: An Engaging Story

We did love reading about Diamond Ruby and her real to life adventures in New York.  Ruby Thomas struggled through the Spanish influenza and the death of her parents and brother, leaving her at age 14 with nieces to support.  The only skill she has was a deadly throwing arm that provided squirrels for them to eat to survive.  Eventually Ruby and her pitching arm found her way to a side show in Coney Island and recognition by many of the famous ball players of the era.  Her many adventures were well-written by author Joseph Wallace to reflect the history and make the story totally plausible and leaving you wanting to know more about what happens to Diamond Ruby.

Chatting with the author via SKYPE, we learned that Wallace loosely based his character on a female baseball pitcher named Jackie Mitchell from Chattanooga, TN.  While researching the baseball archives in Cooperstown, Wallace found picture of this young lady in a baseball uniform with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.  Mitchell had struck both men out at an exhibition game!  Wallace was captivated by her story and kept imagining what her life could have been.

We are definitely looking forward to read this sequel!

For more info you can view Wallace's website http://josephwallace.com/