Vintage shopping moves to Love Goddesses

Hey there book club fans.  Last night was Vintage Friday filled with fun vintage outfits, jewelry and teacups.

We started the night with Fondue from the 60's, a Jewish fusion dish, English cheese scones, and wine from the area listed in this month's book.  All in all, a fun filled book inspired meal.

We then moved into the book discussion.  This month's book was "A Vintage Affair" by Isabel Wolff

We all thought the book was a feel good, easy read.  And all but yours truly would read this author again. (Apparently, I read with a very critical eye; my goal for this next month is to enjoy the story and leave it at that.)
 There were different reasons for it but everyone really enjoyed the cupcake dress story lines.  We enjoyed the way each woman reacted to the dresses, their motivation for wanting the dresses, and the different way each woman felt about the dresses.  And of course, I WANT a cupcake dress of my very own.  Any dress I can put on and instantly feel good in is a must have for my closet!

We did agree that some of the characters were a little over the top but enjoyed the "realness" of Dan, the quirky "guy next door" feel of his character and the new direction he embodied for Phoebe.  We discussed the struggle of both women working through guilt and loss in different ways and how they helped each other.  We also briefly touched on youth of today and the sense of entitlement some parents enable.  The reselling of lingerie was deemed "a little creepy" and the psychic character was a tangent storyline that could easily have been left out; it did show Phoebe's need for closure but it wasn't the best use of characters in some opinions.

After the discussion, we finished the night off with English tea and cupcakes (of course).

A delightful end to a delightful read.

Next month's book choice was our food genre presentation:  "The Love Goddess' Cooking School" by Melissa Senate.

Link to Amazon

We moved into May to accommodate schedules so our next meeting is 7 pm Friday, May 6th at Lesley's house.  Please email me at jennifer_monty [at] me [dot] com if you need directions.  Bring a dish or drink inspired by the book and recipes if you would like to share.  As always, we have virtual options for those who cannot attend in person; just let me know if you plan to use Skype and I'll set it up.

Happy Reading!
-BrewedB

YA for an old lady

I have a confession - I like to read Young Adult books.  I know, I know; I'm too old to relate; the writing is for a different audience; I could go on as to why I'm not fit for YA but the truth is, some of it is really good and a few authors are better than some of the adult fiction I read.  The addiction started with a desire to know what my son was reading; you know, the whole mom thing where I make sure it's "appropriate".  I never thought I would become a walking censor but kids will do that to even the most liberal of us. ^-^  At any rate, I read Harry Potter.  Not bad, but the first few books were definitely "kid" books.  Then I started reading the back of books my son had picked up in the bookstore.  Of course, I was casual about it so I wouldn't look like a snooping mom.  But as much as I hated to admit it, I was moving from "one of us" to "one of them".  That freaked me out - there was no way I was going to become part of the establishment; but I also wasn't ready for my kiddo to read whatever he pleased.  So to combine my mom needs with my "what do you mean I'm no longer cool?!" needs I decided it wasn't really snooping and censorship if I read some of the books that sounded interesting.  What I found was a decent genre with some great authors peppered in with the so-so writing; just like any other genre out there.  I also found that most YA books were fine with a few that needed to be "not yet" reads for my son - books he would grow into in a few years.

My list of favorite authors now includes a few YA folks, like Cassandra Clare (if you enjoy urban fantasy READ HER) and Lauren Oliver.  I just recently finished "Before I Fall" by Oliver and thought I would provide a quick review.

Amazon Link

This was an interesting read; fairly quick with a pretty predictable storyline.  The themes were formulaic with the coming of age aspects and the "mean girl" vibe.  Even the plot vehicle - what would you do with one final day - was something I "had seen before".  But despite all of that, I found myself engaged with the characters.  I wanted this young girl to "get it", figure out what really counts and what doesn't.  I had my favorite characters and my "I hope this happens" ideas (most of which occurred which is part of the predictability issue).  I did, however, hate the ending.  Without spoilers, I was disappointed with the final outcome; I wanted more of a wow factor.  I had invested too much in the characters for what I felt was a weak completion of the storyline.  Of course, my son pointed out that I am usually unhappy with the endings of books - weird but true I guess.  I expect alot from my authors.  I want a book to wrap, tie up, even if it leaves me wanting more; don't leave me dissatisfied wanting more of an ending, instead of just more of the characters/story after slamming through pages of building climax.  OK, OK maybe I am a little too picky.  It's a good book though, even with my crazy ending issues.  You must be ok with reading this from the aspect of a "talking" teenager; the writing jumps a bit but it works if you keep the POV in mind.  If you can deal with that, then I would recommend picking this one up.  It is interesting, it is relatable, and it is enjoyable. ^-^

Vintage Friday

Don't forget book club this Friday!  It is 7pm at the White's.  Please let me know if you need directions and I will send a map.  jennifer_monty [at] me [dot] com

Since it is "vintage" Friday, let's try to wear one piece of vintage clothing or jewelry.  Also, don't forget your book inspired food.  I'm very excited to share recipes inspired by this book - there was so much to choose from. :)

I can't wait to see everyone and discuss this book.  See you Friday and Happy Reading.

Recipe Updates

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Brewed on MobileMe

-Brewed Bohemian