Host An Unforgettable Book Club Party

A Room With a View is a surprisingly entertaining novel set in Italy and England in the early 20th century. This social comedy is about a high society girl trying to choose between the life that is expected of her and following her heart.

During WWI in the trenches of the Somme, five wounded French soldiers are reported “killed in the line of duty.” Mathilde, fiancée of Manech, one of the five, does not accept the official report, and in her attempt to reconstruct the days leading up to Manech’s reported death, she discovers things are not quite what they seem.

Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières takes place on the Greek isle of Cephalonia under German and Italian occupation during Word War II.

The jovial Italian Captain Antonio Corelli is quartered with Dr. Iannis and his daughter Pelagia. Despite the fact that Captain Corelli is Italian and considered the enemy, his love of life, his kind joyful spirit, and his gifted ability on the mandolin, all work to win Pelagia’s heart.

Elizabeth Gilbert was in her 30s when she realized the life she had made for herself was not the life she wanted. Dealing with divorce, depression and an unhealthy love affair, she plans a year long voyage to find those things that were missing in her life. She heads to Rome to experience the pleasures in life, India to learn about meditation and devotion and Bali to experience balance.

She is an overweight reporter who is looking for love and recognition in life. Jemima J is secretly in love with her handsome co-worker but is sure he would never give her the time of day. Persuaded by a friend to try online dating, Jemima J starts a journey to finding out what is truly important to her and what true love is.

Juliet by Anne Fortier is the story of a grad school drop out drawn to Shakepeare summer camps who inherits a key when her aunt passes away. The key takes her on a journey to Siena, Italy where she discovers the truth about her ancestors and her own past.

40 something WF seeks special group to share fun filled evening. Must love books, food and Irish music. Ah, the age of personal ad dating. Sarah Hurlihy is a barely 40 DWF, whose meddling sister, Carol, writes up an ad for Sarah and puts it in the personals. Sarah finally answers one of the ads and decides to meet John Anderson at a dog park. She borrows her brother’s dog, Mother Teresa, and looks for someone who resembles Harrison Ford. And with that the crazy new love life of Sarah Hurlihy begins.

Dexter and Emma begin a friendship that spans decades after they spend a day together after graduation. When the day ends, they decide to keep in touch. We are given a peek at what their life has become on the same day of the year – July 15th.

The Beach House by Jane Green is about an unconventional woman who is at risk of losing her beautiful Nantucket home so she opens it to summer renters. Slowly people start moving in to the house, filling it with noise, laughter, and with tears. As the house comes alive again, Nan finds her family and friends expanding. Her son comes home for the summer, and then an unexpected visitor turns all their lives upside down.

The Night Circus is the tale of two young magicians, Marco and Celia, who are bound to a game in which neither has chosen to participate and in which neither fully understands the rules.

The Time Traveler’s Wife is a classic love story. Clare and Henry are separated by time but bound by love. In an instant Henry, a librarian, is transported through time leaving Clare anxiously waiting and wondering when and where she will see him again.

“The trouble with eating Italian food is that 5 or 6 days later you’re hungry again.” ~ George Miller, British writer

The Wedding Officer by Anthony Capella is an affirmation of life, love, and good food. The setting is WWII occupied Italy. The British Army is in Naples and James Gould, a young naive British officer, is assigned to prevent weddings between the lonely British soldiers and the young Italian women desperately trying to survive the war. James’ very proper and restrained existence is set upside down by the fiery young woman, Livia Pertini, he hires as the British personnel’s cook.

Ladies and Gentlemen! Step right up for the amazing, the unbelievable, the marvelous wonders we have gathered for this book club party inspired by Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. The main character, Jacob Jankowski, jumps on the circus train after suffering a tragedy in his life. He encounters “the most dazzling collection” of people and animals “gathered from all four corners of the earth”.