Spring is finally here! Not only has spring brought us some warm weather and sunshine; it has also brought us a new member! Her name is Christine and we are so excited to add one more reader, wine drinker, and snack eater to our group!
We started off our very green book and wine night by enjoying some delicious St. Patrick's day treats. We had Shamrock sugar cookies, Blarney Stone Bars, an amazing cheese spread, and Paddy's Reuben dip.
The cheese spread was from Trader Joe's and its simple delicious flavor got us all talking about how we wish we had a Trader Joe's closer to us. The nearest one is at least 100 miles away. The hot Reuben dip was definitely a crowd-pleaser, it was creamy and had all the classic flavors of a Reuben.
Of course we all loved these desserts but the Blarney stone bars were new and different from anything else we've tried. They were moist, and rich with complex flavors like brown sugar, pecans, and toffee. You will definitely need to try that recipe!
Another new thing that we tried was some very interesting beers. There were some really fun flavors to choose from! There was a blueberry wheat and a Chocolate milk stout. Both were fun to try! The blueberry was crisp and fresh with a hint of a fresh picked blueberry. The milk stout was dark and rich with a hints of chocolate and coffee flavor. Everyone really enjoyed trying and tasting!
Now onto the main attraction--the book! Everyone really enjoyed this emotional read. In the beginning almost all of us were worried the book would be sad and disappointing because of the context, but it was uplifting and emotional. This book has one of those characters that you find yourself caring for and rooting for throughout the entire book. Since the book covers her entire life into adulthood we felt we knew her so well and truly cared for her while reading. The beginning was rough but the overall message of this book is so powerful and uplifting. Family, forgiveness, second chances, growth, and love; The Language of Flowers has it all of these and more.
We discussed the questions in the back of the book which are located on the books page. We also discussed the dictionary of flowers that the character creates and what some of our favorite flowers mean and which flower we would give to each other based on it's definition. It was really fun to see what some of the definitions were. If you love flowers you have got to check this out it is so neat!
I will also be posting the dictionary of flowers from the book on the books page. My mom and I posted our favorites below.
My mom chose Dahlia as her favorite which means dignity. I've always loved peonies so I chose that for my favorite and it means anger.. I might have to choose a new favorite ;) I'm not sure what message peonies and dahlias together would send.
For April we chose a very interesting read, Before We Met by Lucie Whitehouse. Here is the overview looks like we are in for another exciting read!
"Hannah, independent, headstrong, and determined not to follow in the footsteps of her bitterly divorced mother, has always avoided commitment. But one hot New York summer she meets Mark Reilly, a fellow Brit, and is swept up in a love affair that changes all her ideas about what marriage might mean.
"Hannah, independent, headstrong, and determined not to follow in the footsteps of her bitterly divorced mother, has always avoided commitment. But one hot New York summer she meets Mark Reilly, a fellow Brit, and is swept up in a love affair that changes all her ideas about what marriage might mean.
Now, living in their elegant, expensive London townhouse and adored by her fantastically successful husband, she knows she was right to let down her guard.
But when Mark does not return from a business trip to the U.S. and when the hours of waiting for him stretch into days, the foundations of Hannah’s certainty begin to crack. Why do Mark’s colleagues believe he has gone to Paris not America? Why is there no record of him at his hotel? And who is the mysterious woman who has been telephoning him over the last few weeks?"
Thanks for reading! Please comment or contact me if you would like to reach out to us! I will leave you with a really awesome quote we found in a book club recipe book and remember try a sip of wine instead of whine!
"Some book are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested."
-Francis Bacon
-Francis Bacon
