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Reading Room:  Book Club anyone?  |
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churunga
True Blue Farmgirl
3919 Posts
Marie
Minneapolis
MN
USA
3919 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 29 2015 : 07:57:44 AM
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Good compromise Julie.
Marie, Sister #5142
Farmgirl of the Month May 2014
Try everything once and the fun things twice. |
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ClaireSky
True Blue Farmgirl
1792 Posts
Julie
Arcadia
WI
USA
1792 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2015 : 2:19:09 PM
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Steph should be the first "Host"... 
Julie
Farmgirl #399
May 2010 Farmgirl of the Month
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog ... Charles F. Doran |
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Ladybek9756
True Blue Farmgirl
882 Posts
Rebecca
Linneus
Maine
USA
882 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2015 : 3:36:37 PM
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So Steph, what book are we going to be reading. I can't wait to get started.
Becky
May the stars carry your sadness away. May the flowers fill your heart with beauty, and may hope forever wipe away your tears. |
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churunga
True Blue Farmgirl
3919 Posts
Marie
Minneapolis
MN
USA
3919 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2015 : 4:31:07 PM
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I believe this should start on New Year's Day. We could also link to the 2016 Reading Challenge list for those who want to participate in that also. A new thread can be opened on December 1st or thereabouts so that we are all on the same page and in the same book.
Marie, Sister #5142
Farmgirl of the Month May 2014
Try everything once and the fun things twice. |
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PrairieIslander
Farmgirl in Training
36 Posts
Steph
Nelson
British Columbia
Canada
36 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2015 : 5:55:40 PM
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Good evening, all! OK, I am going to take the bull by the horns here and pick a book. I agree we could and probably should start a more disciplined new thread for the new year with a list, and we will definitely do that. But the evenings are long already and I find myself in need of a group of distant friends who might be on the same page as me. So for now I will throw this out into the Farmgirl net for anyone who want to start now with a book for fall.
So, welcome, all! Please make yourself a cup of tea or grab a glass of wine, a brownie even if you like. As hostess, I will introduce myself. I grew up on an Island, and now I live in the prairies. I have two daughters who are 8 and 10, and I love it that they read some of the books I love, like Heidi and the Secret Garden and Harry Potter. I work in a library and an animal shelter. I read a lot instead of TV although I love British shows like Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife. We had to leave our farmhouse and big garden behind to move where there is more work, so now I garden in the community gardens. We live on the edge of a town, where the deer still stroll in off the prairie and past our window as if to say "Hey, who put this town here?"
So I love books of many kinds, and I will literally read anything. This time, though, as the evenings grow long and darker, and it's a witchy week I am going to choose Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. It is available as an e-book through most libraries, so you can get it on your kindle or iPad or whatever, or you can get a hard copy from the library as well. As people start reading the book you could just post your thoughts as you go along. Let's keep it casual and easy this first time around. If you came to my house in real life you would have your feet up and a drink in hand, and find it a pretty casual place to hang out.
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Steph |
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MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl
6693 Posts
Krista
Utah
USA
6693 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2015 : 6:19:01 PM
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| That is true. I feel like I would rather discuss a book with others rather than give a report on one I just read myself. I do still like the list as a way of helping to choose the book we will read. |
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churunga
True Blue Farmgirl
3919 Posts
Marie
Minneapolis
MN
USA
3919 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2015 : 6:24:42 PM
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Great! It sounds very interesting. I just requested the book from the library.
Marie, Sister #5142
Farmgirl of the Month May 2014
Try everything once and the fun things twice. |
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MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl
6693 Posts
Krista
Utah
USA
6693 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2015 : 6:25:03 PM
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| Sorry didn’t see the second page until my post was posted! Glad we came to a decision! Thanks Steph for getting this started! |
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ClaireSky
True Blue Farmgirl
1792 Posts
Julie
Arcadia
WI
USA
1792 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2015 : 02:18:06 AM
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With Halloween so close, how appropriate a book you have choosen. I can't wait to get started.
Julie
Farmgirl #399
May 2010 Farmgirl of the Month
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog ... Charles F. Doran |
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ClaireSky
True Blue Farmgirl
1792 Posts
Julie
Arcadia
WI
USA
1792 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2015 : 2:49:08 PM
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I just reserved the book at the library. But, it won't be in until next week sometime. :/
Julie
Farmgirl #399
May 2010 Farmgirl of the Month
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog ... Charles F. Doran |
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Ladybek9756
True Blue Farmgirl
882 Posts
Rebecca
Linneus
Maine
USA
882 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2015 : 4:08:29 PM
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I just received my book from Amazon today. Will start reading it tonight while I am relaxing.
Becky
May the stars carry your sadness away. May the flowers fill your heart with beauty, and may hope forever wipe away your tears. |
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PrairieIslander
Farmgirl in Training
36 Posts
Steph
Nelson
British Columbia
Canada
36 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2015 : 8:14:57 PM
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Happy Halloween! I just got my ebook of Garden Spells, so I am going to put up my feet, steal a few treats from the kids bags (too many are bad for them, right?) and dive in. Just a few pages.
Steph |
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cheryl keyes
True Blue Farmgirl
468 Posts
cheryl
millinocket
maine
USA
468 Posts |
Posted - Nov 01 2015 : 07:18:52 AM
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HI all I just ordered my Garden Spells book from amazon, should be here by nov 4 or 6 .. will we be discussing while we read or waiting until we finish to discuss? Im excited to be part of a book club have been wanting to do this for a long time.. I live in northern maine and not a lot happens here so getting together on line with my maryjane friends will be great!!! looking forward to meeting all of you.. cheryl
http://plumkrazy.etsy.com
http://plumkrazyvintage.blogspot.com |
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PrairieIslander
Farmgirl in Training
36 Posts
Steph
Nelson
British Columbia
Canada
36 Posts |
Posted - Nov 01 2015 : 09:25:46 AM
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Glad to hear everyone's books are coming in! Maybe we could hold off until you all receive your books, and then just post thoughts as we start to read. There are some great websites for bookclub discussion questions out there, so I have looked up some lists of discussion questions for this book and could maybe post one every few days in November.
Let's start with a general kind of question before we read as I would love to hear what people think of this. Garden Spells (and all of this author's books) is from a genre of books that I think is referred to as "magical realism" meaning it's less total out-of-this-world fantasy and more about the suggestion of magic and mystery in our everyday reality.
How do you feel about this idea of magic?
Steph |
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Ladybek9756
True Blue Farmgirl
882 Posts
Rebecca
Linneus
Maine
USA
882 Posts |
Posted - Nov 01 2015 : 09:49:22 AM
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As this book deals with herbs and flowers and the power they can have over people, I believe that the suggestion of magic is from this perspective. From my experience working with herbs can bring about different emotions or memories depending on the herb or flower itself. I love the way she incorporates them throughout the story to bring to life the various characters feeling and emotions and how these flowers have a different effect. The magical realism comes from a possibility that could be real and yet conveys a magical approach that seems almost unreal, yet believable.
Becky
May the stars carry your sadness away. May the flowers fill your heart with beauty, and may hope forever wipe away your tears. |
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MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl
6693 Posts
Krista
Utah
USA
6693 Posts |
Posted - Nov 01 2015 : 6:50:22 PM
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| I will be swinging by my library tomorrow to pick up the book. Then I will be ready to go. |
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Pokeyfire
Farmgirl in Training
48 Posts
Kerry
Alamogordo
New Mexico
USA
48 Posts |
Posted - Nov 06 2015 : 4:22:42 PM
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I picked it up from the library today. I am ready to go. Did we already start?
Pokeyfire
Farmgirl #6712
Rain soothes the soul. Sunshine makes everything right. |
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PrairieIslander
Farmgirl in Training
36 Posts
Steph
Nelson
British Columbia
Canada
36 Posts |
Posted - Nov 06 2015 : 4:54:26 PM
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HI Kerry, and welcome! If everyone has gotten their books and we are ready to go, then let's dive in! Let's start with a question to think about as we read:
The apple tree in the Waverley's back yard has very special apples. If you take a bite, you will have a vision of the most important event in your future. But...If you knew that biting into a Waverley apple would reveal your future… would you bite? Why or why not?
Steph |
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ClaireSky
True Blue Farmgirl
1792 Posts
Julie
Arcadia
WI
USA
1792 Posts |
Posted - Nov 07 2015 : 01:39:38 AM
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Interesting question.... Yes, I would take a bite. If I didn't I might have regrets.
Julie
Farmgirl #399
May 2010 Farmgirl of the Month
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog ... Charles F. Doran |
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Ladybek9756
True Blue Farmgirl
882 Posts
Rebecca
Linneus
Maine
USA
882 Posts |
Posted - Nov 07 2015 : 05:52:16 AM
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I don't believe I would take a bite. Sometimes knowing what your future holds can take the surprise out of it. I think that I would prefer to find out the joys and sorrows of life as they happen and not be expecting them. The second reason is what if the only thing that is left that would be the most important to me is the day of my death, I don't want to know it, but rather have it come in its own due time.
Becky
May the stars carry your sadness away. May the flowers fill your heart with beauty, and may hope forever wipe away your tears. |
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churunga
True Blue Farmgirl
3919 Posts
Marie
Minneapolis
MN
USA
3919 Posts |
Posted - Nov 07 2015 : 09:15:50 AM
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The problem with knowing the future or even the past is that there is nothing one can do to change either one. I know of the fantasies about changing one event or another in the past to make the present better however we can never know all of the past or the future. Everything is so much more complicated than our minds can predict. I do not know if I would take a bite of that apple or not. I do know that, whatever it would reveal, I would not change the way I live my life . . . not much anyway.
Marie, Sister #5142
Farmgirl of the Month May 2014
Try everything once and the fun things twice. |
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PrairieIslander
Farmgirl in Training
36 Posts
Steph
Nelson
British Columbia
Canada
36 Posts |
Posted - Nov 11 2015 : 5:52:40 PM
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Hi all, how are you doing with the book?
Anyone have any thoughts they would like to share on what they have read so far?
Steph |
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cheryl keyes
True Blue Farmgirl
468 Posts
cheryl
millinocket
maine
USA
468 Posts |
Posted - Nov 13 2015 : 06:55:37 AM
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Hi All I just got my book today.. looking forward to reading it.. as far as the question would you eat the apple... knowing I shouldn't the temptation would be too much for me, I would have to do it , and then regret it after.. like most things in life I never learn.. cant wait to dig into the book... talk soon
http://plumkrazy.etsy.com
http://plumkrazyvintage.blogspot.com |
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churunga
True Blue Farmgirl
3919 Posts
Marie
Minneapolis
MN
USA
3919 Posts |
Posted - Nov 13 2015 : 2:19:33 PM
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I have just met the Clark women and am beginning to believe that everyone in the town is touched by some kind of magic.
Marie, Sister #5142
Farmgirl of the Month May 2014
Try everything once and the fun things twice. |
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cheryl keyes
True Blue Farmgirl
468 Posts
cheryl
millinocket
maine
USA
468 Posts |
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Reading Room: Book Club anyone? |
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Book Club anyone?
