Book Selection Night Potluck, November 2021
Our Heirloom Garden Zoom, October 2020
Imagine our surprise when author Wade Rouse (aka Viola Shipman) popped in to join us! We had a great time chatting with him! Thank you Julie for your sneakiness!
Beneath a Scarlet Sky, August 2020
Still socially distancing, we met again at Laura's outside by the pool under the NOT so scarlet but a very BLUE sky. We had an Italian style picnic, with individual brown bagged lunches.
And we braved actually meeting outside (with Social Distancing of course) The Child 6/2020
We met at Laura's and were following the safe distancing guidelines. We had hand sanitizer and wipes available, and compared masks with each other, then put them away. Sandy had ordered Panera bagged sandwiches for our dinner, and brought a box of delicious Clementine White Claw. A lovely evening from start to finish. The weather was perfect, no bugs, and I think we were all pretty happy to see each other in person. Took a "trip" around the fence to peek at Laura's bluebird nestlings and lamented over the rabbit damage to her plants inside the pool area. Then we settled down to the business of the book discussion!
Our first Morsels book discussion via Zoom (The Immortalists, 3/2020)
It sounds like something right out of a book, (uh, Station Eleven?). Yikes! Book lovers everywhere are stuck at home (okay okay, SAFE at home) so what do we do about our book discussion? We ZOOM of course! It was great fun. Lots of laughing and talking all at once, but it was good to see each other's faces and hear how we are faring in these very odd times. We did indeed talk a bit about The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin, but tonight was all about making sure we are all okay. Cheers to ZOOM for a fun night!
Station Eleven - the minutiae! January, 2020
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, by Kim Michele Richardson
Bettyville, by George Hodgman
The Lost Family, by Jenna Blum
The Morsels were treated to the Masha's Spring 1966 menu.
Educated, by Tara Westover
Nancy M's house was filled with the aroma of essential oils, which had a very stimulating effect on our conversation. We discussed the book for almost 1 1/2 solid hours!
Before We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate
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Two sweet blonde Cabbage Patch babies holding balloons greeted the guests, and a playlist from the 1930s-1950s played in the background (thanks to the author's website suggestions). A lovely fern was positioned for all to see, as a reminder of Fern (is that you?). Our hostess sported a delicate dragonfly bracelet. Wonder where she got that? :-)
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Brunch for Dinner!
We typically select books for the upcoming year in January, and this year we met at Nancy S for brunch at dinnertime! Not all Morsels were able to attend, so we were very considerate when assigning book selections to the missing members!
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane
Tea and Toast! Julie had quite the spread for our discussion. Not only was the table set with her lovely vintage luster ware tea cups, but also on display was her grandma's sweet hummingbird figure. She found "Well Read" wine, a variety of teas for us to sample, followed by a TOAST bar! We ended the night with delicious Hummingbird Cake and Mochi ice cream.
Born a Crime
Sandy served a variety of South African dishes which were all delicious! We finished up with a lovely jello parfait.
Small Great Things
Nancy S served Ghiradelli chocolates (supposedly Kosher, which infuriates Skinheads), Twizzlers for Corinne, tuna spread with crudites, Minestrone, Italian bread, wine, soda, iced tea, coffee, and Blueberry Sour Cream Cake.
Red Notice
We were treated to a variety of pierogi, cold beets with feta (delicious and SO pretty!)
Feast of Sorrow, by Crystal King
We expected rose radishes, and stuffed doormice from Nancy and we were not disappointed! We were also happy that the wine was not diluted.
News of the World, by Paulette Jiles
The Morsels mosied over to Laura's for some grub and to talk about the News of the World (as well as news of the Morsels!). They all happily used their forks, and the taffy was not even sticky.
January 22, 2018 - Book Selection Pot Luck
The Morsels met at Julie's for a pot luck dinner and to select books for the upcoming year. Julie had decided upon a "Snowflake" theme, it being January in Michigan. Imagine her disappointment when it was 45 degrees, with RAIN instead! We were treated to snowflake plates, napkins, and even a snowflake candy in our champagne glasses. Everything was delicious!
Hero of the Empire, by Candice Millard
We all thoroughly enjoyed learning about Winston Churchill's early life. Nancy was able to find several actual cigar boxes from her brother to serve from, including one with the name "Churchill" on it!
The Book That Mattered Most, by Ann Hood
A book about Book Groups?? We loved the idea! Used the night to talk about the book (s) that mattered most to each of us.
The Last Bus to Wisdom, by Ivan Doig
Hoo-doggy! Us hobos took the Last Bus to Wisdom to somewheres south of the moon and north of hell. We settled in around the campfire for a rowdy discussion of the book while we nibbled our toast into shapes of various states of the US. Unfortunately, the Testicle Festival was last week which we were disappointed to miss.
Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi
The Morsels foraged our way to Julie's house to discuss Homegoing, the story of two African sisters. One is raised as a slave and the other as a slave owner.
A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles
Last night, the Morsels gathered at the elegant "Metropol Hotel" (aka Laura's house) for an evening of fine dining and discussion of A Gentleman in Moscow, the story of a Russian aristocrat living under house arrest in a luxury hotel for more than thirty years, by Amor Towles. An authentic Russian Art Quilt, hanging on the wall, was the highlight of the night. The mood was further enhanced with soft music by a variety of Russian composers.
Our menu for the night started off with blini, served with sour cream, with smoked salmon or jam, and a Russian Tea. The entree consisted of Latvian stew, with pork, apricots, prunes and onion, served over rice; roasted beets with a dill sauce; and homemade black bread with plenty of butter and fresh lavender honey. Alas, we were forced to chose between an unknown red or white wine, as all labels had been removed per Communist rules. For dessert we were treated to made-from-scratch Mille-feuille, the Count's favorite pastry. Each guest was given a small sack of "gold coins" to take home.
This was such a wonderful book! We all agreed that both written and spoken word were equally as charming. We loved the Count and the variety of characters we were introduced to. The author's use of skipping ahead in time by doubling the days, years was interesting. We had a hard time deciding who would play the Count if the book were made into a movie, and in the end thought perhaps a new unknown actor should fit the bill!
Our menu for the night started off with blini, served with sour cream, with smoked salmon or jam, and a Russian Tea. The entree consisted of Latvian stew, with pork, apricots, prunes and onion, served over rice; roasted beets with a dill sauce; and homemade black bread with plenty of butter and fresh lavender honey. Alas, we were forced to chose between an unknown red or white wine, as all labels had been removed per Communist rules. For dessert we were treated to made-from-scratch Mille-feuille, the Count's favorite pastry. Each guest was given a small sack of "gold coins" to take home.
This was such a wonderful book! We all agreed that both written and spoken word were equally as charming. We loved the Count and the variety of characters we were introduced to. The author's use of skipping ahead in time by doubling the days, years was interesting. We had a hard time deciding who would play the Count if the book were made into a movie, and in the end thought perhaps a new unknown actor should fit the bill!
Merry Christmas from the Morsels!
We selected Euro Bistro on 28th Street this year. All in all a nice night out. As you can see, we are ALL enjoying our book exchange selections!
Rules of Civility, by Amor Towles
A Fall of Marigolds, by Susan Meissner
Nancy M was sporting a lovely marigold scarf! Was it a family heirloom perhaps?
Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes
Mary treated us to a variety of English favorites.
Everything I Never Told You, by Celeste Ng
Nancy D decided to serve us food that Lydia's mother may have straight out of her Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook from the 70s!
The Brain Fog Fix, by Dr. Mike Dow
We were treated to a variety of healthy refreshments, to improve our mood and enhance our spirit!
Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein
Ginny prepared a delicious Shepard's Pie for us. She also supplied us with cigarettes!! (Candy of course!)
The Martian, by Andy Weir
The Morsels selected the book The Martian by Andy Weir LONG before the movie came out. Most of the members went to see the movie and liked it well enough. This was our first Sci-fi title, and the "sci" parts of the book really frustrated certain Morsels, while others actually enjoyed the detail the book revealed that the movie left out.
Euphoria, by Lily King
The story is loosely based on events in the life of Margaret Mead. There are glimpses into the cultures studied by three anthropologists whose passions for each other form a dangerous love triangle, and whose ambitions collide in disastrous ways.
Food Served: Sydney Welsh Rarebit, Fig Sap, Nell's Dilly Beans, Claire's Prawns, Bett's caramels, "Fermented" Cherry Juice, Australian wines, Gin, Whiskey, tonic, and a Cream Puff Circle with marinated berries, whipped cream, and dark chocolate drizzle.
Food Served: Sydney Welsh Rarebit, Fig Sap, Nell's Dilly Beans, Claire's Prawns, Bett's caramels, "Fermented" Cherry Juice, Australian wines, Gin, Whiskey, tonic, and a Cream Puff Circle with marinated berries, whipped cream, and dark chocolate drizzle.
The Good Luck of Right Now, by Matthew Quick
What the #*&?! people! What the #*&?!
Bartholomew Neil loses his beloved mother to cancer, and discovers a letter from Richard Gere in her underwear drawer. His once-stable, once-routine world—of just him, his mother, and God—crumbles to pieces when one of his biggest role models, Father McNamee, denounces himself from the Catholic church.
Convinced that his other beloved role model, Richard Gere, is watching over him now that God no longer is, Bartholomew begins a one-way correspondence; these letters are what make up the entire novel. This fantasy relationship he creates is the only thing that still connects him to his deceased mother, considering she was Richard Gere's "biggest fan". These one way conversations are Bartholomew's way of talking himself through life.
We meet a colorful assortment of Bartholomew's "friends" - the "girlbrarian" and her foul-mouthed brother, his therapist who needs a therapist, in addition to Father McNamee, a lost soul himself. We discovered that the Cat Parliament really DID exist (I had so hoped that Max would end up working and living there, so that Bartholomew and Elizabeth and change to live a life of their own together without him).
We decided that Bartholomew (and maybe even his mother) most likely had Asperger's. We also talked about how hard it was to read the book (or listen to it) with the abundant use of the F-word, but that the book may not have been as good without it. All in all we enjoyed the book, despite the language!
Bartholomew Neil loses his beloved mother to cancer, and discovers a letter from Richard Gere in her underwear drawer. His once-stable, once-routine world—of just him, his mother, and God—crumbles to pieces when one of his biggest role models, Father McNamee, denounces himself from the Catholic church.
Convinced that his other beloved role model, Richard Gere, is watching over him now that God no longer is, Bartholomew begins a one-way correspondence; these letters are what make up the entire novel. This fantasy relationship he creates is the only thing that still connects him to his deceased mother, considering she was Richard Gere's "biggest fan". These one way conversations are Bartholomew's way of talking himself through life.
We meet a colorful assortment of Bartholomew's "friends" - the "girlbrarian" and her foul-mouthed brother, his therapist who needs a therapist, in addition to Father McNamee, a lost soul himself. We discovered that the Cat Parliament really DID exist (I had so hoped that Max would end up working and living there, so that Bartholomew and Elizabeth and change to live a life of their own together without him).
We decided that Bartholomew (and maybe even his mother) most likely had Asperger's. We also talked about how hard it was to read the book (or listen to it) with the abundant use of the F-word, but that the book may not have been as good without it. All in all we enjoyed the book, despite the language!
This Golden Land, by Barbara Wood
The Morsels met at Mary's home near Lake Michigan with an assortment of "Golden" foods ranging from Golden Oreos, Goleden Delicious Apple salad, Corn Spoonbread, Corn muffins, Curry dip with veggies, Mango salsa, a Couscous salad, and lovely golden pineapple upside down cake drizzled with caramel sauce! Mary treated us to Aussie style shrimp (meant to be "on the barbie" but as it was raining, she opted for stir-fry instead), and a golden bread pudding studded with blueberries. Julie also brought out some Goldschlager - a cinnamon flavored schnapps flecked with real gold flakes! Nancy M was on a "bike-about"that day, and met us there. We all agreed that the medical parts of the book were interesting, but the romance rather cheesy. We talked about photography back in the old days, hand-washing, iodine (memories of merthiolate and mercurachrome rushed back!), aboriginies, and Barbara's other books. Green City in the Sun is still our favorite book, by the way.....
After our pot-luck and book discussion, we talked about suggestions for future reading. So many good titles it was hard to decide!
After our pot-luck and book discussion, we talked about suggestions for future reading. So many good titles it was hard to decide!
The Girl Who Came Home, by Hazel Gaynor
Guests were met at the door with the announcement that there were only 2 life jackets and that they may have to look for something to hang on to! There was music playing that played the night of the sinking, and a suitcase similar to one that a passenger may have used was on display with a fancy hat and bag. It was a beautiful day to sit outside by the pool, mid-70s and sunny, no humidity- which made us feel sorrier for the passengers who went into the frigid waters in the dark of the night.
The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street, by Susan Jane Gilman
A very enjoyable discussion involving a LOT of good Jewish and Italian food (Oy vey!). The highlight of the evening, however, was making ice cream! (And eating it). We sampled several batches of Laura's home made ice creams, made a batch of Chunky Monkey "ice cream" (nothing but sliced frozen bananas, walnuts and mini chocolate chips!)in the food processor and a fresh butter pecan in the ice cream maker. Everything was DEE-LISH!
Happy New Year!
The Morsels met at One Trick Pony in downtown Grand Rapids for a luncheon book exchange to start off 2015. We all went home with awesome new books, and no duplicates!
The Signature of All Things, by Eliazabeth Gilbert
We enjoyed the discussion and also the food! We were treated to fresh pineapple with cinnamon and sugar (delish!), gouda with pumpernickel brea, a hot pastrami dip served with endive, droste chocolates (dark and milk), a beautiful cranberry almond tart with freshly whipped cream, and last but not least, Boerenjongens, a traditional Dutch liqueur that Nancy made months ago from fermented sultanas (and not so tasty!)
Whistling Past the Graveyard, by Susan Crandall
Lulu greeted each Morsel at the door with a goodie bag consisting of a whistle (to use as we pass a graveyard?) and a few sweets. We were treated to shrimp and grits, corn muffins, fresh melon and crap on a cracker!! Dessert was an amazing Apple Dapple Cake with fresh whipped cream.
Luncheon of the Boating Party, by Susan Vreeland
Our lovely Sandy modeling Julie's boating hat at the Women's City Club. The Morsels met there for dinner after spending the day at Art Prize in downtown GR.
Peony in Love, by Lisa See
note the pretty peonies and the spirit money! We were treated to Chinese cucumber salad, fried rice and ham, melon, pistachios, banana apricot pastries with french vanilla ice cream
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, by Jan-Philipp Sendker
As the Art of Hearing Heartbeats was set in steamy Burma, our hostess Sandy had saris for all of us, and showed us how to tie them. She says they wear them in Hawaii a lot. Good food, some sort of curry chicken over saffron rice. Tropical fruit salad, and toasted coconut ice cream with an almond seminola pudding of some kind. Oh and she served a delicious lemon ginger iced tea. SO good!
Madame Tussaud, A Novel of the French Revolution, by Michelle Moran
We were treated to a Bloody "Marie" Bar, roasted Brussel Sprouts (little heads), a basket of baguettes, a "guillotine" to slice them, and a dipping sauce that looked suspiciously like blood. We also had a homemade Kaespaetzle (cheesy spaetzle) and an assortment of cheeses and ham. Everyone was given a cockade to show their support for the revolution. Before we all left, we were all served CAKE (little petit fours, eclairs, and macarons, a favorite of Marie Antoinette).
The history of that period in time was fascinating. You had to be careful or you'd lose your head, literally! We were fascinated by the sheer number (40,000) killed during the Reign of Terror. The guillotine itself was rather disturbing as well. We thought it was interesting to find Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings in Paris. Tried to figure out where Madame Tussaud obtained her wax for sculpting, as candles were in such short supply they were sol don the black market. It was hard to research as the Wax Museums seemed to overtake all of the internet searches!
The history of that period in time was fascinating. You had to be careful or you'd lose your head, literally! We were fascinated by the sheer number (40,000) killed during the Reign of Terror. The guillotine itself was rather disturbing as well. We thought it was interesting to find Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings in Paris. Tried to figure out where Madame Tussaud obtained her wax for sculpting, as candles were in such short supply they were sol don the black market. It was hard to research as the Wax Museums seemed to overtake all of the internet searches!
A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness
A coven of very fashionable witches met at Julie's last night. We sample Witches Brew and Vampire wines, nibbled on nuts and berries, and feasted on Diana' s favorite pizza. Julie treated the group with a Creepy Spider Cake.
We had mixed reviews about the book. All felt it was entirely too long, and most were disappointed that it is a trilogy. Felt a little duped that we were going to have to read more to find out more about the star-crossed lovers. We agreed that Deborah was a good historical writer, felt Diana was rather immature and impulsive, Matthew too controlling, and the 3 story lines (the vampire/witch theme, love story, knights of the templar) didn't blend well together. Not sure who all will go on to read the other two books, but we all enjoyed the discussion.
We had mixed reviews about the book. All felt it was entirely too long, and most were disappointed that it is a trilogy. Felt a little duped that we were going to have to read more to find out more about the star-crossed lovers. We agreed that Deborah was a good historical writer, felt Diana was rather immature and impulsive, Matthew too controlling, and the 3 story lines (the vampire/witch theme, love story, knights of the templar) didn't blend well together. Not sure who all will go on to read the other two books, but we all enjoyed the discussion.