Blue Pages Book Club

Greetings Blue Pages Group,

IMPORTANT INFO: Pages will reduce store hours (11am - 5pm) in February, and the owners are working toward having all events, including Book Clubs, during store hours.

Members at the January meeting happened to suggest an earlier meeting time, to be able to attend Brix Wine Spot's wine-tasting event, here in StageCoach Village. Starting Wednesday, February 3rd, Blue Pages will need to meet at approximately 3:45pm at Pages. The book selection of the month is The Reader.

We discussed the unusual work, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson. All attendees approved of the book and thought it was quite a multi-dimensional work. Some readers have purchased the second book The Girl Who Played with Fire, to keep the story going.

We discussed the possibility of choosing A Mountain of Crumbs by Elena Gordkhova as our March 3rd selection, and perhaps having individual book reviews by each member in the following months. Please be prepared to comment, and contact us if you need a book ordered or placed on hold! 10% discount: book club books! - Sanwa@PagesNewAndRare.com, 480-575-7220

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We met on Wednesday, Dec 2 and discussed the complex but educationally satisfying work The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl. The diversity of in-depth input from those who completed reading the book was uplifting.

Our next meeting will also be at Pages at 5:30pm on Wednesday, January 6, 2010. Our selected book is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Steig Larsson.

It appears that the recommended selection for February 3rd will be The Reader, by Bernhard Schlink.

Looking forward to seeing you there! --Sanwa at Pages, sanwa@PagesNewAndRare.com, 480-575-7220

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Hello Fellow Readers,

We plan to meet on Wednesday, December 2, to discuss The Dante Club. At our last meeting we had an expansive conversation about Dancing at the Rascal Fair, a well-written book about homesteaders in Montana.

As usual lately, we plan to meet at 5:30pm at Pages. We should have copies of the January 6th selection, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson, at the usual 10% discount.

Hope to see you! --Sanwa, sanwa@pagesnewandrare.com

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Previous Postings:

>Reminder: We are meeting at Pages on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 5:30pm to discuss Dancing at the Rascal Fair, by Ivan Doig. Note: Ivan Doig's recent (2008) novel is at Pages: The Eleventh Man.

December's Blue Pages meeting is planned for Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 5:30pm. The book selection is The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl.

We had an enjoyable chat with author Garth Stein (The Art of Racing in the Rain) on Oct. 22. He has a great sense of humor and was quite personable, informative, and gave us a couple of recipe ideas, as well!

Sanwa at Pages, sanwa@pagesnewandrare.com

>October 7, 2009: Our meeting was at 5:30pm at Pages. We discussed The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. As usual the discussion was rich and varied.

Important: A special interactive online "chat" with that author, Garth Stein, is planned at Pages on Thursday, Oct 22 at 6:30pm, for both Pages Book Clubs. If you haven't RSVP'd, please do ASAP. Many members plan to attend. It should be a new experience! (Just heard that The Art of Racing in the Rain is slated to be a motion picture!)

Our next Blue Pages monthly meetings (5:30pm at Pages) and book selections:

November 4: Dancing at the Rascal Fair by Ivan Doig

December 2: The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl

[The monthly books are pictured at the very end of all these "blog" messages! Call/email to have one ordered or held for you!] sanwa@pagesnewandrare.com

>Our September 2nd meeting was quite lively and productive! Book Selections have been chosen for:

October 7th: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

November 4th: Dancing at the Rascal Fair by Ivan Doig

Blue Pages meets the 1st Wed of the month at 5:30pm... Location: Probably at Pages Books; Check this website for updates!

## Some of the individual books reviewed at the meeting included:

Prague (Traveller's Literary Companion) by Paul Wilson

Between the Woods and the Water by Patrick Fermor

Danube by Claudio Magris

Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden

Boys of Winter by Charles J. Sanders

Dancing at the Rascal Fair by Ivan Doig

The Color of Lightning by Paulette Jiles

People of the Book by Brooks

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

East of the Sun by Julia Gregson

Pages will be ordering copies of the upcoming monthly selections; please email or call to have one ordered or held for you!

Thanks, Sanwa at Pages, 480-575-7220 sanwa@pagesnewandrare.com

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>Just a reminder that Blue Pages meets Wednesday, September 2nd at 5:30pm at Pages Books! Again we will each report on a recently read book. See you! --Sanwa

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>Our August 5th meeting featured a small, but enthusiastic group. The following list includes most of the books which were reviewed:

The Camel Club by David Baldacci; Scarecrow by Michael Connelly; The Last Child by John Hart;

Lipstick Jihad by Azadeh Moaveni; The Devil We Know by Robert Baer; The Walking Drum by Louis L'Amour;

Sage Cane's House of Grace & Favor by Christy Hubbard (Local); The Charmstone by C.C. Harrison (Local);

Running from Strangers by C.C. Harriston (Local)

Don't forget to "BYOB" Bring your own Book to review again at our next meeting on Wednesday Sept. 2nd. We plan to begin choosing books for each month again. --Sanwa

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>We had a small group on July 1st, discussing various stimulating selections.

The books reviewed included:

The Emancipator's Wife by Barbara Hambly; David Baldacci selections; The Boy in Striped Pajamas by John Boyne;

Murder in the Marais by Cara Black; and The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

We plan to meet next on Wednesday, August 5th, at 5:30pm at Pages Bookstore, again to review individual books. In the Fall, the group agreed to go back to discussing one book each month. --Sanwa

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>Blue Pages Book Club meets Wednesday, JULY 1st at Pages Bookstore at 5:30pm!!

Each member will be reviewing one book of their choosing. Hope to see you there! --Sanwa

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>At the June 3, 2009 Meeting, each member reviewed one or two recently read books:

By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept, by Paolo Coelho; The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder; The Echo Maker by Richard Powers; Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert; Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout; Me by Katharine Hepburn; The Sistine Secrets by Benjamin Blech & Roy Doliner; The Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez; The Great Bridge by David McCullough; Empires of Light by Jill Jonnes; Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin; The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

The books may be purchased or ordered from Pages (not eligible for Book club discount) The next meeting is planned for Wednesday, July 1, 2009, at Pages Bookstore, & will also feature individual book reviews by each member. --Sanwa at Pages StageCoach Village, Suite 164; 7100 E Cave Creek Rd; Cave Creek, AZ 85331; 480-575-7220

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>Because the Blue Sky Restaurant Loft is becoming too warm this season, our Book Club meeting place has temporarily changed to: Pages Bookstore (address and phone below)

The store is in the StageCoach Village Shopping area in Cave Creek, on the north side of Cave Creek Rd, a few blocks east of Harold’s Restaurant, and a few blocks west of Tom Darlington Rd (Scottsdale Rd.)

Our meeting date and time is as usual: the first Wednesday, June 3rd at 5:30pm. During the June meeting we will each review a book recently read. We plan to choose some selections for our next meetings which will likely resume after the summer.

Looking forward to our meeting! --Sanwa