March 2013 Selection

Charlene has selected The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman as our March book from the category of general/popular/mainstream fiction.

From Simon & Schuster:

The debut of a stunning new voice in fiction— a novel both heartbreaking and transcendent.

After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.

 Tom, whose records as a lighthouse keeper are meticulous and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel has taken the tiny baby to her breast. Against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them.

M. L. Stedman’s mesmerizing, beautifully written novel seduces us into accommodating Isabel’s decision to keep this “gift from God.” And we are swept into a story about extraordinarily compelling characters seeking to find their North Star in a world where there is no right answer, where justice for one person is another’s tragic loss.

The Light Between Oceans is exquisite and unforgettable, a deeply moving novel.

The Book Snobs Gathering

We met at Charlene's home on Monday, March 25, for dinner and discussion. Charlene served Australian Meat Pie with salad and, of course, wine.

This novel led to a great discussion which included mental health and post-partum depression. We talked about how isolation could lead to a warped sense of right and wrong and how a decision like the one in this book could have far-reaching impact on other people.

We concluded the evening with a delicious dessert which I believe was called Better-Than-Sex.

September 2012 Selection

The Snobs have selected Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See as our September selection. Charlene has graciously agreed to host.

From the author's website:

A language kept a secret for a thousand years forms the backdrop for an unforgettable novel of two Chinese women whose friendship and love sustains them through their lives.

This absorbing novel – with a storyline unlike anything Lisa See has written before – takes place in 19th century China when girls had their feet bound, then spent the rest of their lives in seclusion with only a single window from which to see.  Illiterate and isolated, they were not expected to think, be creative, or have emotions. But in one remote county, women developed their own secret code, nu shu – "women's writing" – the only gender-based written language to have been found in the world.  Some girls were paired as "old-sames" in emotional matches that lasted throughout their lives.  They painted letters on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby reaching out of their windows to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments.

An old woman tells of her relationship with her "old-same," their arranged marriages, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood—until a terrible misunderstanding written on their secret fan threatens to tear them apart. With the detail and emotional resonance of Memoirs of a Geisha, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan delves into one of the most mysterious and treasured relationships of all time—female friendship.

The Book Snobs Gathering

The Snobs at Charlene's home on Monday, September 24, at 6:30 p.m. We shared wine and a delicious Asian food feast.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan was an excellent book for discussion. The relationship between the two main characters was a source of differences of opinions. The practice of foot binding was discussed and we looked a photos of bound feet. We also discussed the importance of honesty on the relationship and the role of women within the family and the community.

May 2012 Selection

Charlene has selected The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit by Sloan Wilson for May 2012. This selection is part of our year of choosing a bestseller from the year of the hostess' birth. The copyright on this book is 1955.

From Good Reads:

Here is the story of Tom and Betsy Rath, a young couple with everything going for them: three healthy children, a nice home, a steady income. They have every reason to be happy, but for some reason they are not. Like so many young men of the day, Tom finds himself caught up in the corporate rat race - what he encounters there propels him on a voyage of self-discovery that will turn his world inside out. At once a searing indictment of corporate culture, a story of a young man confronting his past and future with honesty, and a testament to the enduring power of family, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit is a deeply rewarding novel about the importance of taking responsibility for one's own life.

The Book Snobs Gathering

Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Charlene's House
Watch your email for details.

March 2011 Selection

Charlene has chosen The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy as the March 2011 selection.

From the author's web site:

Yamacraw Island was haunting, nearly deserted, and beautiful. Separated from the mainland of South Carolina by a wide tidal river, it was accessible only by boat. But for the handful of families that lived on Yamacraw, America was a world away. For years these families lived proudly from the sea until waste from industry destroyed the oyster beds essential to their very existence. Already poor, they knew they would have to face an uncertain future unless, somehow, they learned a new life. But they needed someone to teach them, and their run down schoolhouse had no teacher.

The Water Is Wide is Pat Conroy’s extraordinary memoir based on his experience as the only teacher in a two-room schoolhouse, working with children the world had pretty much forgotten. It was a year that changed his life, and one that introduced a group of poor black children to a world they did not know existed.

The Book Snobs Gathering

The Snobs gathered at Charlene's home on Monday, March 28. The Snobs enjoyed wine and hors oeuvres served on the patio overlooking the canal on Padre Island. Charlene served delicious and authentic Low Country Cuisine consisting of the most delicious grits I've ever tasted served with 82 Queen BBQ Shrimp. The evening was topped off with delicious Apple Dumplings with Mountain Dew Sauce. Be sure you check out the recipes below. You won't be disappointed. I'd like to give a special shout-out and huge thank-you to Charlene's husband who served as chef for the evening.

Discussion of The Water Is Wide focused on education in general. This book spurred a great discussion primarily about education. We discussed integration and the changes in education that have been brought on by the current testing policies. Many members expressed disappointment that the vibrant and interesting characters in this book were not more fully developed. Some of us were frustrated that there was no follow-up about what happened to the children later in life. We talked about Pat Conroy's creativity in bringing the outside world to the children on Yamacraw Island and his determination and frustration in trying to take the children off the island to see the world.

While this may not have been one of our favorite books, it was an excellent book club selection and gave us plenty of fodder for interesting discussion.

Recipes from the Book Snobs

82 Queen BBQ Shrimp and Grits

Makes 6 dinner portions

LOW COUNTRY GRITS
2 cups of heavy cream
2 cups of water
¼ lb. of butter
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 cup of quick grits

Bring cream and water to a boil. Add butter, salt and pepper. Slowly add grits and reduce heat. Cook 20 minutes, being careful not to scorch mixture.

SOUTHERN COMFORT BBQ SAUCE
¼ lb. bacon, diced
½ cup red onion, finely diced
½ cup red bell pepper
½ cup green bell pepper
2 14-oz. bottles of Heinz ketchup
½ cup of brown sugar
3-4 Tablespoons Southern Comfort
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook Bacon until ¾ done. Add onions and peppers. Saute until done. Flame with Southern Comfort. Add remaining ingredients and season. Simmer for 10 minutes and then cool. (Can last under refrigeration several weeks.

SHRIMP
Place in Southern Comfort BBQ Sauce and simmer for one minute.

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

APPLE DUMPLINGS

2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and quartered
1 can (8 ct) crescent rolls
½ cup of sugar
1 stick of butter
¾ tsp vanilla
1 can of Mountain Dew
Cinnamon to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cake pan.

Wrap apple quarters in crescent rolls. Put in pan. Melt butter and sugar over medium heat stirring constantly and bring to a boil. When sugar is all dissolved, remove from heat, add vanilla and pour over apples. Sprinkle top of dumplings with cinnamon. Pour Mountain Dew around dumplings and bake 25 minutes.

Serve warm with ice cream.