Host An Unforgettable Book Club Party

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.

“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.

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 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.

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.