Wellington Lake Book Club

Holiday 2010 Book Club

2010-11-04T14:34:00.002-04:00

Thank you Martha Sullivan for the wonderful lunch and for hosting our October Book Club!

November are December are both short months due to the holidays so we are combining the two months into

one book choice and discussion date.

Patti Callahan Henry has just released a holiday book:

The Perfect Love Song

In The Perfect Love Song, Callahan Henry tells the story of Jimmy Sullivan, who has been living on the road with his brother, Jack, and their band The Unknown Souls. The road is Jimmy’s only home and music his only savior until he falls in love with a beautiful girl, Charlotte Carrington. Spending time with Charlotte inspires Jimmy to write a love song for her, which becomes an overnight sensation and is dubbed “The Perfect Love Song.”

As Jimmy finds himself caught up in the desire for fame and fortune, the genuine lyrics of the song are overshadowed by his career ambitions. He begins to lose touch with Charlotte and makes a decision to miss his brother’s wedding in Ireland for a chance to put on a show in New York City.

But on Christmas Eve Jimmy comes to a crossroads: Will he finally get the chance to perform on one of the biggest stages of his career?—or will he find his way back to his family, to Ireland…and to the love of his life, Charlotte? (author's website)

The discussion date will be the first or second week of December. I will send out more information as we coordinate the details!

October Book Club

2010-09-30T09:17:00.001-04:00

Thank you Jenny Allen for hosting September book club!

October's Book

Pope Joan

by Donna Woolfolk Cross

For a thousand years, her existence has been denied. She is the legend that will not die--Pope Joan, a controversial figure of historical record who, disguised as a man, rose to rule Christianity in the 9th century as the first and only woman to sit on the throne of St. Peter. In this riveting novel, Donna Woolfolk Cross paints a sweeping portrait of a heroine whose strength of vision led her to defy the social restrictions of her day.

Brilliant and talented, young Joan rebels against medieval laws forbidding women to learn. When her older brother is brutally killed during a Viking attack, Joan takes up his identity and enters the monastery of Fulda, where she is initiated into the brotherhood in his place. As Brother John Anglicus, Joan distinguishes herself as a great scholar and healer. Eventually she is drawn to Rome, where she becomes enmeshed in a dangerous web of love, passion, and politics. Triumphing over appalling odds, she finally attains the highest throne in Christendom, wielding a power greater than any woman before or since.

But such power always comes at a price...

Pope Joan is a sweeping historical drama set against the turbulent events of the 9th century -- the Saracen sack of St. Peter's, the famous fire in the Borgo that destroyed over three-quarters of the Vatican, the Battle of Fontenoy, arguably the bloodiest and most terrible of medieval conflicts. This masterwork of suspense and passion brings the Dark Ages to life in all their brutal splendor and shares the dramatic story of an unforgettable woman who struggles against restrictions her soul cannot accept. (http://www.popejoan.com/novel.htm)

~ The library only has four copies of this book! ~

We will meet at the clubhouse on

Friday, October 29 at 11:30

hosted by Martha Sullivan

Welcome Back to Book Club!!!

2010-08-27T09:25:00.001-04:00

This month we are reading

A Reliable Wife

by Robert Goolrick.

The book is about a woman answering an advertisement for a "reliable wife" placed by Ralph Truitt. She responded that she was a "simple, honest woman" however she planned to marry this man and then kill him, leaving her a wealthy widow and able to take care of the one she really loved. She travels to Wisconsin where Ralph discovers he has been deceived but marries her anyway. The story unfolds as a "darkly nuanced psychological tale" with a surprising ending.

For more reviews:

The Washington Post - April 8, 2009

Mostly Fiction - March 28, 2009

The Christian Science Monitor - February 21, 2010

The book is available in paperback.

Please join us for a discussion at Jenny Allen's at

11:30 am

Friday, September 24

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

2010-04-19T10:26:00.000-04:00

April Book Club

The Help details the lives of black maids in the Mississippi 60's and the white women they work for. This is Kathryn's first book and while it was rejected by 50 publishers it is now a wildly successful novel. She creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own that forever changes their town, and the way that women--mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends---view one another. This is a deeply moving book filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and those we don't.

Mark Your Calendars

Book Club Date ~ Friday, April 30

11:30 am at Evonne's

Book Signing ~ Thursday, May 20
7:00 p.m. Barnes & Noble (Buckhead)
2900 Peachtree Road NE
Atlanta, GA
404-261-7747

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

2010-03-01T08:30:00.002-05:00

This brilliant novel with universal resonance tells the story of three people trying to survive in a city rife with the extreme fear of desperate times, and of the sorrowing cellist who plays undaunted in their midst.

One day a shell lands in a bread line and kills twenty-two people as the cellist watches from a window in his flat. He vows to sit in the hollow where the mortar fell and play Albinoni’s Adagio once a day for each of the twenty-two victims. The Adagio had been re-created from a fragment after the only extant score was firebombed in the Dresden Music Library, but the fact that it had been rebuilt by a different composer into something new and worthwhile gives the cellist hope.

Meanwhile, Kenan steels himself for his weekly walk through the dangerous streets to collect water for his family on the other side of town, and Dragan, a man Kenan doesn’t know, tries to make his way towards the source of the free meal he knows is waiting. Both men are almost paralyzed with fear, uncertain when the next shot will land on the bridges or streets they must cross, unwilling to talk to their old friends of what life was once like before divisions were unleashed on their city. Then there is “Arrow,” the pseudonymous name of a gifted female sniper, who is asked to protect the cellist from a hidden shooter who is out to kill him as he plays his memorial to the victims.

In this beautiful and unforgettable novel, Steven Galloway has taken an extraordinary, imaginative leap to create a story that speaks powerfully to the dignity and generosity of the human spirit under extraordinary duress.

For information on the Cellist of Sarajevo: The real Cellist of Sarajevo

FINALIST 2009 - BC Book Prize's Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize
NOMINEE 2009 - Canadian Booksellers Association Libris Award - Fiction Book of the Year
NOMINEE 2008 - Scotiabank Giller Prize

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We will be meeting at Diane Hicks' at the end of March.

More details soon!

A Change In Altitude by Anita Shreve

2010-02-05T14:58:00.001-05:00

Our book for February is a hard cover edition of Anita Shreve's most recent novel,
A Change in Altitude.

Margaret and Patrick have been married just a few months when they set off on what they hope will be a great adventure-a year living in Kenya. Margaret quickly realizes there is a great deal she doesn't know about the complex mores of her new home, and about her own husband.

A British couple invites the newlyweds to join on a climbing expedition to Mount Kenya, and they eagerly agree. But during their harrowing ascent, a horrific accident occurs. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Margaret struggles to understand what happened on the mountain and how these events have transformed her and her marriage, perhaps forever.

A Change in Altitude illuminates the inner landscape of a couple, the irrevocable impact of tragedy, and the elusive nature of forgiveness. With stunning language and striking emotional intensity, Anita Shreve transports us to the exotic panoramas of Africa and into the core of our most intimate relationships.

We will be meeting at Carolyn McGuirt's on Friday, February 26th
More details to come!

Author's website

Millionaire Moms

2009-12-12T07:15:00.002-05:00

Join your neighbors in reading the new book by local author and businesswoman, Joyce Bone.

Joyce will be joining us for our January meeting. More details will be provided soon!

For more information about Millionaire Moms:

Millionaire Mom

Thank you Debbie Timm for hosting!

Belinda, Joyce and Evonne

December Book Club at Jonnie's

2009-12-11T14:20:00.000-05:00

Same Kind of Different As Me

Thank you Jonnie for hosting a fabulous luncheon in your gorgeous home!

November Book Club Selection

2009-10-30T07:39:00.000-04:00

Same Kind of Different As Me

by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

Our November selection is the true, inspirational story
of how two men from very different backgrounds
learn how to overcome judging other people.

The nonfiction story of Same Kind of Different As Me is a tale of deep pain and difficult circumstances but has the element of nearly-unbelievable redemption.

A poor, black man who is bitter and penniless ends up graciously loving those who hate him and closing a few high-level art deals, while a self-absorbed aristocrat ends up serving at a local homeless shelter and inviting the poor into his home. This simple story of friendship calls you to evaluate your life in light of the greatest love and compassion.

Learn more about the awesome work this book has inspired by going to the website:

Same Kind of Different As Me Website

Movie in the Making

Interview with the Authors

Our meeting will be held on December 11 at Jonnie's house in Riverview.
More details to come via email.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

2009-10-30T07:24:00.000-04:00

This book, published in 2005, is an additional reading suggestion for the month of November. It was on the NY Times Bestseller List for 100 weeks and is under development as a movie.
It is a biographical story told by Jeannette Walls and aside from her Southern accent, she bears no outward traces of the extremely poor, nomadic childhood she chronicles in her brilliant new memoir, The Glass Castle. The tall, elegant MSNBC columnist bravely bares her lifelong secret of growing up with her three siblings and having to eat butter for dinner, make her own braces, and suffer the whims of her artistic, intelligent and utterly selfish parents, one she thought would get her kicked out of polite society and leave her socially ostracized once it was revealed. Walls’ greatest strength is her ability to tell her story with compassion and empathy rather than bitterness, letting the story unfold from her childhood perspective, from cooking hot dogs at age three and catching on fire, to growing up faster than most of us can probably imagine having to ever do. (gothamist.com)

For more information and interviews with the author check out these links:

Gothamist interview
2006 MSNBC

October Book Discussion and Luncheon "The Madonnas of Leningrad"

2009-10-30T07:04:00.000-04:00

Thank you Adrienne for hosting!!!

October Book Club Selection

2009-09-25T16:34:00.001-04:00

Our book for October is The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean.

"A wonderfully spare and elegant novel in which the 900-day siege of Leningrad during World War II is echoed by the destructive siege against the mind and memory of an elderly Russian woman suffering from Alzheimer's. The novel shifts between two settings: 1941 Leningrad, when the city was surrounded by German troops, and the present-day, as Marina, who had been a docent at Leningrad's Hermitage Museum during WWII, prepares for the wedding of her granddaughter off the coast of Seattle in the Pacific Northwest. THE MADONNAS OF LENINGRAD is first and foremost an eloquent tribute to the beauty and resilience of memory, especially as contrasted to the incomparable devastation that comes with its loss to Alzheimer's." William Morrow, Publisher

To watch a short video of Debra discussing her novel go to this link: Debra Dean The Madonnas of Leningrad movie clip

Adrienne Rogers will be hosting the book club meeting discussion for this book. It will be another Friday light luncheon in late October (either the 23rd or the 30th). More details will come soon!

We also talked about choosing a name for our Book Club.
Feel free to post your suggestions as comments here
and we will come up with a name at the October meeting.

THANK YOU!!

Fall Luncheon with Author Patti Callahan Henry

2009-09-25T16:22:00.000-04:00

Thank you Belinda for organizing and hosting our Book Club Kick Off Luncheon!

We enjoyed a wonderful visit with author Patti Callahan Henry

Welcome Back to Book Club!

2009-08-17T21:29:00.000-04:00

Get your copy of
Driftwood Summer
by Norcross author Patti Callahan Henry
and start reading!

Meeting at Belinda's with our special guest,
Patti Callahan Henry
on Friday, September 25
at 11:30 am

Lunch will be served so please use your good southern manners and rsvp to Belinda asap!

Summer Reading!

2009-06-24T09:27:00.000-04:00

Summer Reading

Belinda will be hosting author Patti Callahan Henry in September. The above titles are her two newest novels, however, Patti has written several books. Please see her website for a complete listing http://www.patticallahanhenry.com

Lady Chatterley's Lover

2009-04-20T11:44:00.001-04:00

Lady Chatterley's Lover
by
D.H. Lawrence

Being the well read reading group we are, perhaps we should consider adding a classic to our list of books. I have not read this title by D.H. Lawrence but it sure sounds interesting! The story concerns a young married woman, Constance (Lady Chatterley), whose upper-class husband, Clifford Chatterley, has been paralyzed and rendered impotent. Her sexual frustration leads her into an affair with the gamekeeper, Oliver Mellors. This novel is about Constance's realization that she cannot live with the mind alone; she must also be alive physically.

The contrast between mind and body can be seen in the dissatisfaction each has with their previous relationships: Constance's lack of intimacy with her husband who is "all mind" and Mellors' choice to live apart from his wife due to her "brutish" sexual nature. These dissatisfactions lead them into a relationship that builds very slowly and is based upon tenderness, physical passion, and mutual respect. As the relationship between Lady Chatterley and Mellors develops, they learn more about the interrelation of the mind and the body; she learns that sex is more than a shameful and disappointing act, and he learns about the spiritual challenges that come from physical love.

You should know that this book was banned in several countries prior to publication in Britain after winning an "obscenity" trial in 1960. Having not read the book I cannot say what type of offensive material might be in the story, but there is reference to some strong language and Wikipedia refers to the book as a "significant event" of the sexual revolution in the United States. It might be interesting to compare and contrast it with our reading of Peyton Place.

What do you think? Please let me know if you have another suggestion or if you would like to read Lady Chatterley's Lover. It is not a huge book and the copy I have has a reading guide in the back. I will be happy to arrange to get books for everyone. There is a DVD version of the story as well. I realize May is going to be a busy month but hopefully we can manage a get together before summer!

Share your thoughts about Maisie Dobbs

2009-04-20T11:32:00.001-04:00

Spring Greetings!! I hope you enjoyed reading Maisie Dobbs. There were not enough readers and not enough time before spring break to get together a reading group, however, please use the comment link below to share your insights of the book!

I have read all the books in the series except the most recent Maisie Dobbs title by Jacqueline Winspear and have been inspired by the historical value of the story and wisdom of the main character. One of my favorite quotes in the book is: "A coincidence is a messenger sent by truth." Reading about Maisie driving the little MG around the English countryside made me feel like I was there! Although a happy ending with Simon would have been somewhat satisfying, I like a book with an ending that seems more realistic rather than the predictable. Simon and Maisie pick up in subsequent books but I'm not telling what happens! hehe

This series reminds me a little of the Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I have read all of those and highly recommend them too. Very light and easy reading about a very strong woman main character. Not only do you learn a lot about the culture of Botswana but you are introduced to Precious Ramotswe who will quickly become one of your new best friends. =] HBO has a series that will run this summer based on the novels.

Let us know what you thought about Maisie Dobbs!

New Book for March

2009-02-28T18:09:00.000-05:00

Maisie Dobbs

by Jacqueline Winspear

March's book is a light mystery book where you will be introduced to the fabulous Maisie Dobbs. The first book in a series by Jacqueline Winspear, Maisie Dobbs was published in 2003 and won several awards. The latest book in the series was just released, Among the Mad and there are four other great stories about British private investigator Dobbs set in the late 1920's: Birds of a Feather, Pardonable Lies, Messenger of Truth, and An Incomplete Revenge which is a bestseller. We will discuss the first novel, but please feel free to read as many of these great stories as you wish.

The book is rich in history and in relevance to women:
"The period of time from the mid-1900’s until the 1930’s was a time of unprecedented change in Britain. The devastation of The Great War, mass emigration to America and Canada, rapid social changes – not least votes for women –- to be followed by the Roaring Twenties, the General Strike and the Depression. It was a time of burgeoning artistic expression, with the movements that we now know as Art Noveau and Art Deco demonstrating a dramatic departure from the Victorian age.

The Great War demanded that there was hardly a field of endeavor that women did not move into to release the men for the battlefield. The first women joined the police force, and it was also during these first decades of the century that scientific methods of detection were being rapidly developed. From medicine to international travel to the study of the human mind, all benefited from a time that was both terrifyingly painful in terms of the cost to human life, and yet demonstrated a hunger for innovation and a fascination with the avant-garde. It is in this world that Maisie Dobbs came of age." ~ www.jacquelinewinspear.com

More information about the author and the Maisie Dobbs books can be found at http://www.jacquelinewinspear.com.

Awards

One of Publishers’ Weekly’s Best Mysteries of 2003
Booksense 76 Top Ten pick
Starred reviews in both Publishers’ Weekly and the Library Journal
New York Times Notable Book of the Year 2003
Edgar Award nominee for Best Novel 2003
Agatha Award winner for Best First Novel 2003

February Redeeming Love Luncheon

2009-02-28T18:00:00.001-05:00

Thank you, Marie, for hosting such a lovely lunch!

We talked about helping local organizations with their efforts to rescue and rehabilitate the children victimized by child prostitution. Please go online to register to receive updates about what is happening in Atlanta at: http://www.afuturenotapast.org

Wellington Lake will be starting a collection drive to provide items for Angela's House
more details to come!

Additional Book Titles

Choice Theory by William Glasser
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick

Would you be interested in reading the classics? Post a comment with your suggestions!

Business is Booming in Atlanta

2009-02-24T08:55:00.000-05:00

We learned in Redeeming Love that the effects of childhood prostitution can leave scars that have lasting consequences. This sickening crime is thriving in Atlanta even today. Just this past weekend, the AJC reports that the FBI launched a nationwide operation to round up juvenile prostitutes, their pimps and the disgusting johns who continue to support this gross injustice against children. In Atlanta, they rescued 45 teenage prostitutes ages 13 and up and 50 pimps. The children are in foster care or state homes since they have no one who will take responsibility for them. Who knows how long it will be before they are back on the streets surviving the only way they know how. We can relate to Angel's story when her mother died and she was sold to Duke; left alone in the world to suffer the abuse of a child prostitute.

How can we help?

The following links are websites of the organizations here in Atlanta that are dedicated to giving these young people a chance at having a future. Let's discuss what we can do to support these efforts:

http://www.afuturenotapast.org
Please register to receive email updates
http://www.juvenilejusticefund.org
http://www.atlantawomen.org
http://www.covenanthousega.org

2009-02-03T19:04:00.000-05:00

February's Book is

Redeeming Love

by Francine Rivers

The setting of this wonderful novel is
the 1850's Gold Rush
and tells the story of Angel, a prostitute
and Michael Hosea the virtuous farmer
who is called by God to love her.

For more info on the author:
http://www.francinerivers.com

Praise for Redeeming Love

From Library Journal
Rivers has rewritten a secular historical romance of the same name (Bantam, 1991) for the Christian market, and it is a splendid piece of work exploring both physical love and a love of God. Angel, a young, hardened prostitute sold into "the life" as a child, has no interest in God or religion. Then she meets Michael Hosea, a devout Christian who tells her it is his mission to save her. After being badly beaten, Angel decides to take Michael up on his offer of marriage. Eventually, she learns not only to love Michael but to love God as well. There is not one false note in this wonderful novel. The publisher's foreword rates the book "PG" for its adult themes and subplots of rape and incest. However, these are handled with great sensitivity and are very much a part of the story's development. Very highly recommended for most libraries.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Peachtree Corners Book Club

2009-01-14T08:45:00.000-05:00

The Peachtree Corners Library has a reading group that meets the last Tuesday of every month. Details are posted here for anyone who is interested in more reading!

Peachtree Corners Book Club

Meetings are 7:00-8:30 PM

2009 Titles

January 27 -- The Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch by Haywood Smith

*The January meeting is a special event held offsite and at 6:30pm.

February 24 -- Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

March 31 -- America, America by Ethan Canin

April 28 -- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

May 26 -- The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

June 30 -- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

July 28 -- Predictably Irrational: Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

by Dan Ariely

August 25 -- The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

September 29 -- Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

October 27 -- Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland

November 17 -- First Daughter by Eric van Lustbader

December 29 -- Native Son by Richard Wright

Contact Sandi Lilly for details: sandililly@bellsouth.net or 770-881-4441.*

2008-12-21T18:40:00.000-05:00

The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Kate will be doing a book signing at The Borders Store on Peachtree Rd (3637) in Buckhead at
2:00 on Saturday, January 10th.

This book is a former NY Times Bestseller and is a light and easy read. It is ideal for book clubs. Julia Roberts will be starring in the movie which is due out in 2010. A few reviews are posted below.

If you are like most of us, your dear old grandmother taught you this craft years ago and you've since forgotten how or maybe you haven't yet learned how to cast on and knit. In either event, knitting is becoming a lost art and with scarves back in fashion, now might be a good time to grab some needles and yarn and knit yourself a little something!

Barnes and Noble has a knitting group that meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays from 6pm until 8 pm. The "Noble Knitters" invite all skill levels to join their group.

Praise for The Friday Night Knitting Club

"An absolutely beautiful, deeply moving portrait of female friendship. You'll laugh and cry along with these characters, and if you're like me, you'll wish you knew how to knit."—Kristin Hannah, author of Firefly Lane

"If you are looking for an inviting group of gals to spend a few winter evenings with, pull up your afghan and snuggle in with The Friday Night Knitting Club…[It] makes you yearn for yarn, even if you're not a knitter."—USA Today

"This book's great—worth reading now."—Glamour Magazine

"Knitters will enjoy seeing the healing power of stitching put into words. Its simplicity and soothing repetition leave room for conversation, laughter, revelations and friendship—just like the beauty shop in Steel Magnolias."—Detroit Free-Press

"[A] winning first novel…impossible to put down."—Booklist

"If you like to write or read or knit, your first reaction to The Friday Night Knitting Club may be pure jealousy…Readers will come to root for nearly everyone in the sweetly diverse cast of characters."—Concord Monitor

"What begins as an unlikely hodgepodge of women soon evolves into an unbreakable sisterhood as the characters learn from each other's differences and bond over their love of knitting."—Vogue Knitting

"A Steel Magnolias for the 21st century."—Kirkus Reviews

"Poignant twists propel the plot and help the pacing find a pleasant rhythm."—Publishers Weekly

"A really great story."—Marie Claire

"Celebrates the power of women's independence and is essentially an urban counterpart to How to Make an American Quilt."—New Statesman

Happy Holidays!!

2008-12-21T18:27:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!!

We are working on arranging the details for our next book!

The Friday Night Knitting Club
by Kate Jacobs

2008-11-07T22:55:00.000-05:00

Our next book is The Swan House by Elizabeth Musser. We are moving from the 50's to the 60's in the novel set in Atlanta after the tragic plane crash at Orly Field in Paris, France, that killed over a hundred prominent Atlantans as they were returning from a European art tour. This book is rich in history and inspiration.

I have THREE copies of the this book available for $5; first come, first served.

We will meet at The Swan House for a holiday luncheon on Thursday, December 4, for the 11 am lunch seating. More details to come!

A Big THANK YOU to Kandy for a fabulous fall lunch today!!!

2008-11-04T06:02:00.000-05:00

Book Club Update

Noon Luncheon
Friday, November 7

Discuss Peyton Place

Kandy McConnico's

2008-10-28T14:49:00.001-04:00

Helping the Homeless in Atlanta

Monday, November 3

On Monday evening, November 3, The Cathedral of St. Philip welcomes hundreds of Atlanta’s homeless population for dinner, followed by a service honoring the memory of the homeless who have died in the past year. The guest preacher is Rev. Timothy McDonald, Senior Pastor of First Iconium Baptist Church in Atlanta. Please help by becoming a Table Sponsor through a contribution of $100 for a table of 10 places. If you prefer to be a Friend of the Table, individual seats are available for $10.

We need volunteers!

If you can help the afternoon and/or evening of Monday, November 3, please contact Sarah DuBignon at

sdubignon@bellsouth.net

The Cathedral of Saint Philip

2744 Peachtree Road NW, Atlanta

404-365-1000

2008-10-23T10:22:00.000-04:00

Hi!

Renee and Brandy will be walking down Peachtree Parkway this Saturday between 9 am and noon. The Oreck Vacuum store is a cheering station so if you can coordinate being there come and show your support! The closing ceremony will be held at the World Congress Center at 5:30 pm on Sunday and everyone is invited to attend. Our friends have trained hard for this cause but will be delighted to know that we are praying for their continued good health, strength and safety this weekend.

Date Changed for Peyton Place

2008-10-14T16:37:00.000-04:00

BOO!!

Due to scheduling conflicts the date for Book Club
has been changed from Friday, October 24
to Friday, October 31.
Don't be too SCARED to come!!

We'll meet at noon at Belinda's as originally planned.
Light lunch will be served.

Costumes optional!!!

Fireproof Movie

2008-10-10T06:39:00.000-04:00

Christian drama `Fireproof' has unexpected success

ding...

ATLANTA — When brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick were looking for inspiration for their third feature-length film, they turned to God for help.

"To be honest, I prayed about it," Alex Kendrick said. "I said, `God, would you give me an idea that will impact all of our culture.'"

While he was out jogging and praying one day, the idea for "Fireproof" came to him. He footed it over to his brother's house about a mile away and told him the story: A firefighter who lives by the mantra "never leave your partner behind" at work is about to do just that in his personal life.

The movie, which has a strong faith-based message and was made with a budget of just $500,000 and a volunteer cast that includes former teen idol Kirk Cameron, has been surprisingly successful. Its opening on 839 screens two weeks ago was strong enough to propel it to No. 4 at the box office. It stayed in the top 10 last weekend, at No. 8, and has earned an estimated $13.6 million and spawned a best-selling book that started as a prop. ("Religulous," Bill Maher's jeremiad zinging religion, was No. 10 in its debut last weekend.)

"The Love Dare," written by the Kendricks, was at No. 8 on Amazon's best-seller list Thursday afternoon. In the movie, Caleb Holt (Cameron) receives the book from his father, who tells him to follow its 40-day challenge to save his marriage.

Prompted by repeated questions during production about whether the book really existed, the Kendricks sat down last spring and prayed to God to help them write it.

"It's an answer to prayer. I don't think I'm smart enough to come up with something like that on my own," Alex Kendrick said in a telephone interview. "I do think these are legitimate principles and not something we pulled out of thin air."

The brothers said the overwhelmingly positive response to the film has been rewarding and cited the more than a thousand e-mailed stories posted on the movie's Web site from people who have seen it and been affected by it.

They acknowledged the movie is not as artistically or technically fancy as many films out of Hollywood, but say its appeal is its relatable message that things aren't always easy but marriage is worth fighting for. That message is conveyed by the title, which takes on a double meaning given that the main character is a firefighter.

"It doesn't mean when something is fireproof that fire will never come, but when fire comes, it can withstand it," Alex Kendrick said. "Every marriage will go through trials, or fire, as we say, and what's going to happen on the other side of that fire? Will your marriage survive?"

The Kendricks grew up in suburban Atlanta and now live in Albany in southwestern Georgia, where they are associate pastors at Sherwood Baptist Church. Along with the church's senior pastor, Michael Catt, they created Sherwood Pictures, a production company, in 2002 and scraped together $20,000 to put out their first film, "Flywheel," in 2003.

With a budget of $100,000, the company released "Facing the Giants" in 2006. That film ended up grossing more than $10 million. Cameron, best known for the TV sitcom "Growing Pains," saw the film and called the Kendricks to say he loved it and would be interested in working with them.

After auditioning several actors for the role of Caleb, the brothers decided to give Cameron a call, but they were skeptical. They saw the lead as a big burly guy, but Cameron flawlessly executed nine of the script's most difficult scenes during his audition and won them over.

Cameron, who turns 38 Sunday and has six kids after 17 years of marriage, said he is very aware of the challenges of marriage and wanted to be a part of something that encourages people to fight for that union.

"This is a movie that gives people hope and inspires them that they can save their marriages — that love, in the end, won't fail, if you pour your heart and your time and your energy into the things that really matter," Cameron said.

The rest of the cast was made up of volunteers from the church. Most of the budget was spent on equipment and paying a handful of professionals to operate that equipment. The Kendricks, who plan to continue making films, wrote the script together, and 38-year-old Alex directed and edited the film, while 35-year-old Stephen worked as a producer. Catt served as executive producer.

Part of the film's success can be attributed to a marketing plan that targeted areas with large and enthusiastic faith-based communities. Distributor Samuel Goldwyn Films had a pretty good idea of where it might do well based on where "Facing the Giants" succeeded, said head of distribution Michael Silberman.

It has done best so far in the Atlanta region as well as cities such as Dallas, Tampa, Fla., Orlando, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C., Silberman said.

A marketing technique honed during the "Facing the Giants" release, the "action squad," helped bring the movie to some smaller markets that might not otherwise have seen it on opening weekend. If the film wasn't set to play within 30 miles of a community, an action squad could bring it there by buying 1,000 tickets.

The success may also be driven by the fact that the Christian community, including the Kendricks, is also starved for movies that reflect its values, which often is not the case with Hollywood fare.

"We want to go enjoy good movies, but we rarely ever see the kind of movie that we have been longing to see, where there's a moral message that's communicated, it's clean, you can watch it with your kids, your wife, your grandmother, but you can laugh and cry and be entertained," Stephen Kendrick said.

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Associated Press writer Erin Carlson in New York contributed to this report.

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On the Net:

http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/

Change of Date

2008-10-09T13:48:00.000-04:00

An email is going out to poll our group for an alternate meeting date for October. Too many conflicts for Friday, October 24.

Please let us know which date works best for you: Thursday, October 30 or Friday, October 31, noon at Belinda's.

How do you like Peyton Place so far?

Never Argue With a Woman

2008-09-26T20:07:00.001-04:00

Never Argue with a Woman

One morning the husband returns after several hours of fishing and decides to take a nap. Although not familiar with the lake, the wife decides to take the boat out. She motors out a short distance, anchors, and reads her book.

Along comes a Game Warden in his boat. He pulls up alongside the woman and says, 'Good morning, Ma'am. What are you doing?'
'Reading a book,' she replies, (thinking, 'Isn't it obvious?')
'You're in a Restricted Fishing Area,' he informs her.
'I'm sorry, officer, but I'm not fishing. I'm reading,' she replies.
To which he replies, 'Yes, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment. I'll have to take you in and write you up.'
'For reading a book?,' she replies.
'You're in a Restricted Fishing Area,' he informs her again.
'I'm sorry, officer, but I am not fishing. I am reading,' she replies,
again.
Again he says, 'Yes, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment. I'll have to take you in and write you up.'
'If you do that, I'll have to charge you with Sexual assault,' says the
woman.
'But I haven't even touched you,' says the game warden.
And she replies, 'That's true, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment.'
'Have a nice day ma'am,' and he left.

MORAL: Never argue with a woman who reads. It's likely she can also think.

Our Group's Suggested Titles

2008-09-26T19:33:00.000-04:00

The following books have been recommended as favorites by our book club members. This list is in no particular order:

Gap Creek ~ Robert Morgan
Bright Shiny Morning~ James Frey
The Art of Keeping Secrets ~ Patti Callahan Henry
The Thirteenth Tale ~ Diane Setterfield
Pope Joan ~ Donna Cross
Friday Night Knitting Club ~ Kate Jacobs
Redeeming Love ~ Francine Rivers
The Mermaid Chair ~ Sue Monk Kidd
Three Cups of Tea ~ Greg Mortenson
A Thousand Splendid Suns ~ Khaled Hosseini
A Confederacy of Dunces ~ John Kennedy Toole
The Life of Pi ~ Yann Martel
The Alchemist ~ Paulo Coelho
The Shadow of the Wind ~ Carlos Ruiz Zafon
A New Earth ~ Eckhart Tolle
The Shack ~ William P Young
Ines of My Soul ~ Isabel Allende
The Last Oracle ~ James Rollins
Night Swimming ~ Robin Schwarz
The Grace That Keeps This World ~ Tom Bailey
Atonement Child ~ Francine Rivers

Why Reading is Important - 5 Reasons to Read

2008-09-26T19:15:00.000-04:00

There are a variety of excellent reasons to make time for reading. We're going to start with five but more will be added later.

1. Reading is an active mental process - Unlike TV, books make you to use your brain. By reading, you think more and become smarter.

2. It is a fundamental skill builder - Every good course on the planet has a matching book to go with it. Why? Because books help clarify difficult subjects. Books provide information that goes deeper than just classroom discussion.

3. Improves your vocabulary - Remember in elementary school when you learned how to infer the meaning of one word by reading the context of the other words in the sentence? You get the same benefit from book reading. While reading books, especially challenging ones, you will find yourself exposed to many new words you wouldn’t be otherwise.

4. Gives you a glimpse into other cultures and places - What is your favorite vacation spot? I would bet you read a lot about that destination. The more information the better. Books can expand your horizons by letting you see what other cities and countries have to offer before you visit them.

5. Improves concentration and focus - Reading books takes brain power. It requires you to focus on what you are reading for long periods. Unlike magazines, Internet posts or e-Mails that might contain small chunks of information. Books tell the whole story. Since you must concentrate in order to read, like a muscle, you will get better at concentration.