November 2009 - Lost on Planet China

Our book selection for November 2009 i s "Lost on Planet China: The Strange and True Story of One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation, or How He Became Comfortable Eating Live Squid" by J. Maartan Troost.

Just the name itself made me laugh...

The next Book Club meeting will be on Saturday, November 14th at 6:30 pm. Please check the Yahoo group for location and directions.
This book is available at the public library.

Here are some reviews:

"Troost captures the essence of China in a hilarious and yet well-informed way..." (Goodreads)

" In Lost on Planet China, veteran travel writer Maarten Troost sets off to de-mystify “the world’s most mystifying nation.” In the process, he travels from the megalopolises of Beijing and Shanghai to tiny hamlets in Tibet, eats everything from live squid to donkey meat (but no dog, please!), and even learns to haggle like a native. "(Goodreads)

"Troost escorts readers on a rollicking journey through the new beating heart of the modern world, from the megalopolises of Beijing and Shanghai to the Gobi Desert and the hinterlands of Tibet... But in addition to his trademark gonzo adventures, the book also delivers a telling look at a vast and complex country on the brink of transformation that will soon shape the way we all work, live, and think. As Troost shows, while we may be familiar with Yao Ming or dim sum or the cheap, plastic products that line the shelves of every store, the real China remains a world—indeed, a planet--unto itself. (Random House)

You can listen to him talk about the book here.

I think we will have diverse opinions about this book and it might generate some interesting conversation about our own experiences traveling in China.

Can't wait to see you soon!

October 2009 - The Good Earth

Our book selection for October 2009 is The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck.

The next Book Club meeting will be on Saturday, October 10th at 6:30 pm. Please check the Yahoo group for location and directions.

This book is available at the public library.
Here are some reviews:

"In The Good Earth she presents a graphic view of a China when the last emperor reigned and the vast political and social upheavals of the twentieth century were but distant rumblings for the ordinary people. This moving, classic story of the honest farmer Wang Lung and his selfless wife O-lan is must reading for those who would fully appreciate the sweeping changes that have occurred in the lives of the Chinese people during this century." - Reading Group Guides

"The simple raw imagery of THE GOOD EARTH won Pearl S. Buck the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1932. Its poignant portrayal of a poor farmer's life and his bond with the land is as relevant to our own ancestral roots as it is to rural China. Wang Lung, the central figure around which the entire narrative revolves, is a man of many complexities depicted by his relationships with his wife, his father, his children and his village. His land is precious, its value equating to his own self-worth. Although steeped in the ancient traditions, he reflects certain enlightened thinking at times that may be more for the author's emphasis of injustices than a true depiction of the average Chinese peasant in the early 1900s." - BookReporter.com

Can't wait for book club night.

See you soon!

September 2009

We had decided to meet in September to discuss the "Good Earth", however our book club gals will have something much better to do.

We will be at the airport waiting for Hannah to arrive (I guess we will wait for Laurie and Joan too).

We are all so excited to meet this little girl.

Last weekend, there was a baby shower and I really think mommy Laurie will need another room to put all the gifts this girl has received.

It was so much fun to see our group again and to celebrate the arrival of this beautiful girl .

Laurie's mom and sister had a wonderful party, the decorations were beautiful and the food delicious.

August 2009 - The year of the Dog

The next Book Club meeting will be on Saturday, August 22 at 6:30 pm. Please check the Yahoo group for location and directions.

We will be discussing Grace Lin's children's book, "The Year of the Dog".

"It's the Chinese Year of the Dog, and as Pacy celebrates with her family, she finds out that this is the year she is supposed to "find herself." Universal themes of friendship, family, and finding one's passion in life make this novel appealing to readers of all backgrounds. This funny and profound book is a wonderful debut novel by a prolific picture book author and illustrator and has all the makings of a classic." (Amazon)

I also truly enjoyed Grace Lin's website and her blog. She has an interesting sense of humor. I can say I am a fan of her work as I have enjoyed also the "The year of the Rat" and I am looking forward to read "Where the Mountain meets the Moon".

Hope to see you all on Saturday.

I will bring a list of suggested books so we can decide what our next reads will be.

July 2009 - Movie night

So yes, it has been a while since my last post and I missed to post about last month's get together, which was at my house.

It was so much fun and we had a great turn out. The book "Silent Tears" created some good discussion and as usual we had some great food and drinks too.

This month we also got together but this time for a movie night and watched the documentary"Found in China". It was great entertainment from the DVD set up by our lovely Melissa to the interesting conversations we had about going back to China with our children.

But the highlight of this month's meeting was really seeing Hanna's face for the first time. Congratulations Laurie! We are so happy for you and cant' wait to meet Hannah!

June 2009 - The English American

The next Book Club meeting will be on Friday, June 5th at 6:30 pm. Please check the Yahoo group for location and directions.

The book this month is "The English American" by Alison Larkin.

Alison is an English writer/comedian who was adopted and as an adult finds her birth parents.

This book is available at the public library.

Here are some reviews:

"The English American’ takes a warm and comedic look at who we really are...Pippa Dunn has to know, is it heredity that makes us who we are? Or, is it our own self-acceptance that defines us? More importantly, is the reason she feels like an alien because she was adopted? Or is it something else?"--Hollywood Today

"The English American is a funny, charming and poignant book - the kind that you can't resist reading in a single day. " - -Chicago Sun Times

Also, we need to decide on future readings. Please check the "Books Suggestions" section. We can talk about it during our meeting.

See you next Friday!

What a weekend!!!

Our book club group met for a wonderful retreat at a Bed and Breakfast.

We had such a great time.

Great women, great food, great wine and so much fun!

I think we all realized that we are so much more than a book club.

We started by having one thing in common: we are adoptive parents of children from China and Taiwan. But then we found interest for books and to know more about our children's culture.

Slowly this has become a group that shares joy and sorrows, that seeks and provides advice, that has a shoulder for you to lean on when you need, that makes you laugh, that has experienced similar things you did and can understand you.

You are all amazing women and you make my life so much better. I cherish the moments we spend together and really look forward to the next one.

Countdown for the Retreat

One of our fellow book club friend, Pam, had this wonderful idea that we should get together for a whole night and have a "Book Club Retreat". Not only she suggested , but she also organized it all.

We are getting together this coming weekend at a Bed and Breakfast for a night of fun and laughter. There will be a "Welcome Reception" with wine and cheese and then we are going to a great Italian restaurant for dinner.

But best of all , it is all within walking distance, so no driving is required, which means lots of wine consumption. If you have ever met this group you would understand that we don't really need the wine to have fun, but it sure adds a lot to the conversation. And the sky is the limit when it comes to things to talk about.

Ah, by the way, we really are not discussing any book this month.

Three days until the retreat. See you all there!

Things to Remember

April's book club meeting was a memorable one.

• Great women
• Beautiful weather
• Sitting outside on the pergola
• Smell of confederate jasmine
• Candle light
• Delicious appetizers
• Lots of wine bottles
• Wonderful hostess
• Intelligent conversation
• Laughter, laughter, and more laughter
• Playing musical chairs
• White little chair
• Big black dog

Can't wait for the retreat!!!!

April 2009 - Tid Bits

• This month's Book Club will be on Saturday, April 25th at 6:30. Please check the Yahoo group for location and directions.



• I have started a list of suggested books for future meetings. Please send me an e-mail or add a comment to this post if you have any suggestions.



• I have added a few links of websites where you can buy or sell books.



• Book Club Retreat will be May 8th in St. Augustine. Yeah!!! It is sold out! Can't wait!

April 2009 - Silent Tears

The book this month is "Silent Tears” by Kay Bratt
Please check the FCC Yahoo group for date, time, location and directions.
This book is not available at the public library but you can find it at Dealoz or Amazon.

Also, check the author's website and blog for more information.

There have been controversial discussions and reviews about this book, which made it even more intriguing.

Research-China blog has written about this book and the post generated 72 comments including the author's participation. Some were very passionate about their opinions.

We might have some heated discussions about this book. Can't wait for book club ninght.

See you soon!

Book club: Night of fun

What a turn out we had this month!
Did we all read the book? Of course, not!
But we are there because we knew the night would be filled with lots of laughter, wine, great food and friendship.
We had Chinese take out, which was perfect for the book theme: Chinese food.
This group started to get together on January 26, 2007, and it was the wonderful idea of our friend, Lucia.
This group of women (even though we say that men are welcome) of different ages and background, all mothers or mothers to be of children from China or Taiwan have become great friends. And we all look forward to next month’s book club meeting.

March 2009 - "The Fortune Cookie Chronicles"

The book this month is "The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food"" by Jennifer Lee.

The book club meeting will at 6:00 pm Saturday, March 21st.

Please check the FCC Yahoo group for location and directions.

This book is available at the public library and here is her website for more info:

http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/

Here are some reviews about this book:

"Everything you ever wanted to know about the big business of Chinese food!"

"Jennifer Lee is a first generation Chinese-American who became obsessed with the interface between Chinese restaurants and American culture after learning that over 100 people had gotten five out of six winning Powerball numbers by playing the lucky numbers that came with their fortune cookies. Her obsession has resulted in a delightful cultural history with a tiny bit of personal memoir thrown in. "

"By the way, did you know that Chinese restaurants outnumber all the McD's, BK, and Wendy's combined?"

Are you hungry? Can't wait for Chinese take out and lots of fun!

Welcome to First coast FCC book club

This book club strives to read books (novels, memoirs, biographies, history) in which Chinese culture, China, adoption and/ or parenting are strong elements of the book.

The book club meets monthly at different locations and dates to be announced in the First Coast FCC Yahoo group.

It is usually a night of fun, laughter and friendship. We discuss the book but also bring in our own personal experiences as adoptive parents or parents to be.

Join us and stay posted for monthly information.