Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

The Locale: Ashley & Jian's home

Uglies 

Scott Westerfeld

The Book:  Uglies is set in a world in which everyone has an operation when they turn sixteen, making them supermodel beautiful. Big eyes, full lips, no one fat or skinny. You might think this is a good thing, but it’s not. Especially if you’re one of the Smokies, a bunch of radical teens who’ve decided they want to keep their own faces. (How anti-social of them.) http://scottwesterfeld.com/books/uglies/ 

The Meeting:  Had a small group, which is our norm these days. The girls had a nice discussion and played Contact, aword game.

The Vote: We had two votes. A re-vote on Emily's books and then a vote on Rylee's books.

Emily presented:

• Eve and Adam by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant 
• Mrs. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. WINS!!
• Origin by Jessica Khoury

We'll met @ Emily & Kristine's on December 6th for our annual holiday cookie exchange and then on January 10th for our book discussion on Mrs. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. 

Rylee presented:

• Enigma by ALyssa Odonnell
• Cleopatra's Moon by Vicki Shecter 
• Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt WINS!!

We'll met @ Rylee & Lisa's to discuss Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, date TBD. 

Up Next: We'll met on January 10th @ Emily & Kristine's.

Next to Present: Olivia

Then:

• Perri
• Cassie
• Odessa
• Kate
• Ashley
• Emily
• Rylee

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

The Locale: Kate & Brenda's home

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

John Boyne

The Book: Nine year-old Bruno knows nothing of the Final Solution or the Holocaust. He is oblivious to the appalling cruelties being inflicted on the people of Europe by his country.

All he knows is that he has been moved from a comfortable home in Berlin to a house in a desolate area where there is nothing to do and no one to play with. Until he meets Shmuel, a boy who lives a strange parallel existence on the other side of the adjoining wire fence and who, like the other people there, wears a uniform of striped pyjamas.
Bruno’s friendship with Shmuel will take him from innocence to revelation. And in exploring what he is unwittingly a part of, he will inevitably become subsumed by the terrible process.
http://www.johnboyne.com/fiction/younger-readers/the-boy-in-the-striped-pyjamas/

The Meeting: Again, we had a small group. Olivia and I were unable to attend, but we do hope it was a good meeting. Knowing Kate & Brenda, it was. A viewing of the movie was offered after the meeting, but as I understand it, no one was able to stay.

The Vote: Again, we are behind. Not enough there to make the final decision. Email votes were needed. We will find out the results at our next meeting.

Emily presented:

• Eve and Adam by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant 
• Mr. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs 
• Origin by Jessical Khoury

We'll met @ Emily & Kristine's TBD.

Up Next: We'll met on November 15th @ Ashley & Jian's.

Next to Present: Rylee

Updates:  We still have room for two mom/daughter pairs to join us.

Then:

• Olivia
• Perri
• Cassie
• Odessa
• Kate
• Ashley
• Emily

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar

The Locale: Odessa & Ai Ying's home

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie

David Lubar

The Book: Welcome to high school. Forget about getting any sleep or a decent lunch for the next four years. Brace yourself for too much homework, too much attention from dangerous seniors, and no idea at all what your Spanish teacher is talking about. Or your math teacher, for that matter. Join freshman Scott Hudson for a very funny look at a serious time of life.
http://www.davidlubar.com/bpsfnl.html


The Meeting: Not much to report other than discussion. We had a small group.

The Vote: We are a little behind in our voting, so we voted on two at this meeting.

Kate presented:

• The Girl in the Green Sweater by Krystyna Chiger with Daniel Paisner
• Summer of the Stars by Leslee Horner
• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne WINS!

We met on October 11th @ Kate & Brenda's.

Ashley presented:

• House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
• Unwind by Neal Shusterman
• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

We'll met on November 15th @ Ashley & Jian's.

Next to present: Emily

Then:

• Rylee
• Olivia
• Perri
• Cassie
• Odessa
• Kate
• Ashley

Looking for Alaska by John Green

The Locale: Cassie & Susan's

Looking for Alaska

John Green

The Book: Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words–and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps. (http://johngreenbooks.com/looking-for-alaska/)

The Meeting:  Much fun. Missing Ashley & Kate. Food based on the book. Bufriedos. Yum. And Baked Alaska for dessert. 

The girls overall liked the book. Definitely more grown up stuff occurring in this novel. Smoking. Drinking. Sex. Drunk Driving. Teens doing it. Led to some interesting conversation. Novel is based on John Green's experience at a boarding school on the 80-90s. 

The Vote:   Kate was due to present but did not attend the meeting. She will present her books at the next meeting, along with Ashley, who is up to present.

Up Next: 

We will meet at Odessa & Ai Ying's home on September 20th to discuss Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar.  

Updates:  We are down to 8 mom/daughter members.  We typically like to have 10, which means we have space to invite two new pairs.  Olivia and I know of some interested parties.  Does anyone else have any moms/daughters in mind?

Next to present:  Kate & Ashley. 

Then:

• Emily
• Rylee 
• Olivia
• Perri
• Cassie
• Kate
• Ashley

The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Locale: Emma & Diana's

The Selection

Kiera Cass

The Book: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.  http://www.kieracass.com/books/  

The Meeting:  Our last meeting with Emma & Diana, hosted by them in their home, with packed boxes all around.  A bittersweet meeting.  Excited for them and their new adventure, moving to Wake Forest.  So sad to see them leave.  It was a fun meeting though.  Reading the novel, reminded mothers of the old TV show, The Dating Game, so we had a mock dating game with the girls.  Someone playing the prince, and three girls playing one of the girls in The Selection, one of which, of course, was Natalie.  It was a somewhat impromptu, somewhat planned activity, but it was a hoot.

The Vote:Odessa presented...

• Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt 
• OK for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
• Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar  WINS!!!

We will meet at Odessa & Ai Ying's home on September 20th to discuss Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar.  

Up Next: 

We will be meeting @ Cassie & Susan's on on August 23rd to discuss Looking for Alaska by John Green.   

Updates:  We are down to 8 mom/daughter members.  We typically like to have 10, which means we have space to invite two new pairs.  Olivia and I know of some interested parties.  Does anyone else have any moms/daughters in mind?

Next to present:  Kate

Then:

• Ashley
• Emily
• Rylee 
• Olivia
• Perri
• Emma
• Cassie
• Kate