AUGUST BOOKSHARE MEETING

Greetings Book Lovers:

We met last Wednesday night, August 25th, again on Ann Wing's deck and enjoyed a balmy, warm summer evening together with a full moon rising over the mountains, talking about good books we have recently read and enjoyed. We were only four in number, but we had a wonderful time talking about some very excellent books. The following were the books that we discussed:

MARJEAN GIRAUD:
(1) "Spoken From The Heart" by Laura Bush
In this brave, beautiful, and deeply personal memoir, Laura Bush, one of our most beloved and private first ladies, tells her own extraordinary story.
Born in the boom-and-bust oil town of Midland, Texas, Laura Welch grew up as an only child in a family that lost three babies to miscarriage or infant death. She vividly evokes Midland's brash, rugged culture, her close relationship with her father, and the bonds of early friendships that sustain her to this day. For the first time, in heart-wrenching detail, she writes about the devastating high school car accident that left her friend Mike Douglas dead and about her decades of unspoken grief.

When Laura Welch first left West Texas in 1964, she never imagined that her journey would lead her to the world stage and the White House. After graduating from Southern Methodist University in 1968, in the thick of student rebellions across the country and at the dawn of the women's movement, she became an elementary school teacher, working in inner-city schools, then trained to be a librarian. At age thirty, she met George W. Bush, whom she had last passed in the hallway in seventh grade. Three months later, "the old maid of Midland married Midland's most eligible bachelor." With rare intimacy and candor, Laura Bush writes about her early married life as she was thrust into one of America's most prominent political families, as well as her deep longing for children and her husband's decision to give up drinking. By 1993, she found herself in the full glare of the political spotlight. But just as her husband won the Texas governorship in a stunning upset victory, her father, Harold Welch, was dying in Midland.

In 2001, after one of the closest elections in American history, Laura Bush moved into the White House. Here she captures presidential life in the harrowing days and weeks after 9/11, when fighter-jet cover echoed through the walls and security scares sent the family to an underground shelter. She writes openly about the White House during wartime, the withering and relentless media spotlight, and the transformation of her role as she began to understand the power of the first lady. One of the first U.S. officials to visit war-torn Afghanistan, she also reached out to disease-stricken African nations and tirelessly advocated for women in the Middle East and dissidents in Burma. She championed programs to get kids out of gangs and to stop urban violence. And she was a major force in rebuilding Gulf Coast schools and libraries post-Katrina. Movingly, she writes of her visits with U.S. troops and their loved ones, and of her empathy for and immense gratitude to military families.

With deft humor and a sharp eye, Laura Bush lifts the curtain on what really happens inside the White House, from presidential finances to the 175-year-old tradition of separate bedrooms for presidents and their wives to the antics of some White House guests and even a few members of Congress. She writes with honesty and eloquence about her family, her public triumphs, and her personal tribulations. Laura Bush's compassion, her sense of humor, her grace, and her uncommon willingness to bare her heart make this story revelatory, beautifully rendered, and unlike any other first lady's memoir ever written.

ANN WING:
(1) "A Gracious Plenty" by Kate Salley Palmer
This adorable children's book is an affectionate portrait of a person who once played a valuable role: the maiden great-aunt. Setting her reminiscence a generation or two ago, Palmer mentions what Great-aunt May didn't have (husband, children) before describing the home into which she welcomes young relatives and her comfortable nature and pursuits. Always an important family member, ``She had lots of people to miss her when she went away and to be glad when she came home''--as she said, she had ``a gracious plenty.'' Soft- pencil illustrations by this former political cartoonist pungently evoke the scene and amiable character.

(2) "From Stones to Schools" by Greg Mortensen
In his latest book, Greg Mortenson hosts the reader as a valuable and welcomed traveling companion as he retraces his steps through the most remote areas of Pakistan's Northwest Frontier areas and the formidable terrain of Afghanistan holding a mirror to our humanity. Mortenson introduces us to his trusted companions t...urned employees of Central Asia Institute, the so-called "Dirty Dozen", who truly embody the virtues of goodwill and perseverance in the name of literacy and, of course, God.

In short, Greg Mortenson's work makes Anthony Bordain's exotic travel look like a visit to Epcot Center.

Mortenson's committment to cross-cultural understanding beyond the borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan is rivaled only by his determination to educate the under-served girls in the most remote areas of these countries. Stones Into Schools is a suspenseful, heart-breaking as it is heart-warming, true account of a life well lived and a people well-served. Mortenson is an honor to the human race and diplomat for world peace. About now, Greg Mortenson would do well to take his own advice and sit for a month under a walnut tree to recuperate.

(3) "Into The Light" by Keith Terry

Keith Terry writes this sequel with obvious passion for his subect and his characters. Stephen Thorn has joined the LDS Church and is now part of a project to present external evidences of the Book of Mormon. However, his wife is less than pleased, and it is putting a strain on their marriage.

It's the typical romantic drama with so-so characters, but at least Terry's writing is good, and he does do his homework for his information and settings.

(4) "I Am Not A Psychic" by Richard Belzer
Richard Belzer is back with a follow up to his "I AM NOT A COP" mystery novel which plays on the "Hey it's me!... A real life actor in "LAW AND ORDER SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT!"... but "wink-wink" the crime thriller I'm involved in is fiction. The uniqueness of the first novel has worn off... so the author needs to come up with a compelling story and characters that are strong enough to be able to stand on its own merits. Unfortunately the new story is not gripping nor unique enough. "Belz" is contacted out of the blue by an old friend Paul Venchus who he hasn't heard from in a quarter-of-a-century. Paul is a lush who says he has info that can solve a famous Hollywood murder case from twenty-six years ago. As the reader is made aware of the fictitious characters involved in this long ago "conspiratorial" murder... there is not even a hint of intrigue. Belzer is on his way to Vegas to help out his "mentor and best friend" Johnny Leland run an annual charity telethon. (Sound familiar... in Vegas... for charity?) If the lack of creativity here isn't enough for you... add on the fact that Johnny Leland used to be one-half of the hottest Hollywood entertainment duo twenty-five years ago. Johnny was a comedian and his partner Sal Fabell was a hard drinking... handsome Italian singer. Johnny and Sal split up and haven't talked in... you guessed it... twenty-five-years. So while everyone Belzer talks to regarding the decrepitly old non-titillating murder case... becomes murder victims themselves... he also arranges a tear-jerking telethon reunion between Johnny and Sal. (How about a little more creativity regarding Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis-Vegas-telethon?)

Added to the mix is the title "character"... a totally boring... self-proclaimed... run of the mill (supposed) psychic... who was Paul's girlfriend and also related to one of the long ago murder cast of characters. With all the possibilities the author has at his disposal such as unlimited real-life names for cameos... and nothing but his imagination to limit his choice of a unique crime subject... this story comes up awful short.

SARA TRIVEDI
"The Last Juror" by John Grisham
In 1970, small town newspaper The Clanton Times went belly up. With financial assistance from a rich relative, it's purchased by 23-year-old Willie Traynor, formerly the paper's cub reporter. Soon afterward, his new business receives the readership boost it needs thanks to his editorial efforts and coverage of a particularly brutal rape and murder committed by the scion of the town's reclusive bootlegger family. Rather than shy from reporting on the subsequent open-and-shut trial (those who oppose the Padgitt family tend to turn up dead in the area's swampland), Traynor launches a crusade to ensure the unrepentant murderer is brought to justice. When a guilty verdict is returned, the town is relieved to find the Padgitt family's grip on the town did not sway the jury, though Danny Padgitt is sentenced to life in prison rather than death. But, when Padgitt is released after serving less than a decade in jail and members of the jury are murdered, Clanton once again finds itself at the mercy of its renegade family.
When it comes, the dénouement is no surprise; The Last Juror is less a story of suspense than a study of the often idyllic southern town of Clanton, Mississippi (the setting for Grisham's first novel, A Time to Kill). Throughout the nine years between Padgitt's trial and release, Traynor finds acceptance in Clanton, where the people "don't really trust you unless they trusted your grandfather." He grows from a long-haired idealist into another of the town's colorful characters--renovating an old house, sporting a bowtie, beloved on both sides of the color line, and the only person to have attended each of the town's 88 churches at least once. The Last Juror returns Grisham to the courtroom where he made his name, but those who enjoyed the warm sentiment of his recent novels

(2) "On Mystic Lake" by Kristin Hannah
What do you do when everything you hold dear, everything you believe yourself to be, proves not to be true? Like Scarlett O'Hara, you go home, if not to Tara, then to the last place that you felt like you. Award-winning author Kristin Hannah makes her hardcover debut by taking readers to just such a place in On Mystic Lake. As her only child leaves to study abroad and her husband admits his love for a younger woman, Annie Colwater feels invisible. Having devoted herself to being the best wife and mother she could be for the last 20 years, Annie no longer knows who she is. She heads home to her father and to Mystic, Washington--where she grew up, where the dreams she barely remembers first blossomed, and where her first love, Nick Delacroix, still lives. Back in Mystic, Annie receives a healthy dose of perspective: Nick's wife has recently committed suicide, leaving Nick to find solace in the bottom of a Scotch bottle while his 6-year-old daughter, Izzie--who hasn't spoken since her mother's death--is doing her best to "disappear" just like Mommy. Annie volunteers to care for Izzie, since Nick cannot understand what his grieving daughter needs. And in the process, Annie recovers herself, the woman she thought gone forever, while Nick realizes that his future lies with Annie and Izzie. Just when the future starts to look bright for the three, Annie is faced with a devastating choice between the life she thought had left her behind, and a new beginning with Nick and Izzie, who helped to unearth her forgotten dreams. Kristin Hannah has produced a treasure of a book, one that will make you cry and will strike a chord in anyone who has ever had to pick up the pieces and start over.

GERI CHRISTENSEN
(1) "Her Royal Shyness" by Rhys Bowen
Set in London in 1930, this merry first in a new cozy series from Agatha-winner Bowen introduces a delightful heroine—Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie. Thirty-fourth in line for the English throne, Georgie has been educated to curtsey, host lavish fetes and marry well. When her brother cuts off her pitiful allowance, Georgie leaves the family home in Scotland for London, determined to become a liberated woman. Lasting only a few hours as a saleswoman in Harrods, Georgie starts a maid service, but she turns detective after finding a drowned man in her bathtub. When her brother is accused of the murder, she must try to clear him and the family name. Quirky characters like her lovable grandfather; her estranged, oft-wed mother; and an incorrigible, sexy Irishman add to the fun. Georgie's madcap antics are certain to leave the reader eager for the next installment.

(2) "A Royal Pain" by Rhys Bowen
o make ends meet, slightly impoverished but well-connected Lady Georgiana Rannoch takes on house-cleaning jobs in disguise in Agatha-winner Bowen's enchanting second mystery set in 1930s England (after 2007's Her Royal Spyness). A tea invitation from the queen, however, sets her on a new mission. Georgiana must house and chaperone a young Bavarian princess the queen hopes to set up with the prince of Wales, thus diverting his attention from his current American love interest. The princess proves to be quite a handful, naïve and addicted to slang. Invitations to the palace, country house weekends and swinging parties are provided for her amusement. When a series of unfortunate deaths arouses Georgiana's suspicions, she launches an investigation that culminates in a startlingly bloody conclusion.

Following the reports, Marjean served us some wonderful cookies. Here is the recipe:

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

3/4 C Shortening
3 C Sugar
3 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
Cream together

6 C Flour
1 1/2 tsp Soda
6 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Salt
1 29 oz Can of Libby's Pumpkin
18 oz Chocolate Chips
Add nuts or raisins or both

Bake at 400 degrees 10-15 minutes on greased cookie sheet

Our naxt Bookshare meeting will be held on
Wednesday, September 22nd at 7:30 p.m.
at Ann Wing's home. We hope you can join us. In the meantime, happy reading!