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| Power Style Wellness Connections |
Book Club: What Are They Reading?
By Elaine Rooker Jack and Janet C. Blake
Photos by Joon Kim
Who they are: Bodacious Bookworms: Marcy Brotzge,
Susan M. Cole, Kathy Curry, Andrea Hampton, Beverly
Hampton, Jacqueline Klein, Ashley S. Parker, Regina
Phillips, Laura Rogers, Stephanie Scheller, Harriette
Seiler, Karen Steinhauser, Mary Nancy Todd, Carolyn Vose, Elisabeth Wagner, and Venda
Walter. There are three mother-daughter combinations (Venda and Laura; Mary Nancy
and Ashley; Elisabeth and Stephanie) and one mother-in-law/daughter-in-law combination
(Andrea and Beverly).
First meeting: August, 2002.
How they got together: Andrea and Stephanie were co-workers in public relations. One
day, Andrea asked Stephanie, “Would you like to start a book club with me?” Stephanie
was a little skeptical, but Andrea said, “I promise it’s fun,” Stephanie recalled. “I’ll never
forget that.”
Their meetings: The first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in a member’s home.What the
club means to them after five years:
“I’ve learned a lot about my mother, my mom’s generation.” — Ashley
“I think book club meets a lot of different needs…for me, living in a male-dominated house,
it’s great to meet with women!” — Marcy
“You never feel like, ‘Oh, if I say this, I’m going to offend somebody.’ You don’t feel
judged.” — Regina
How they got their name: The group decided if they ever became famous, they would need
to have a name, so they had a contest via email. Everybody got to suggest two names,
then they voted. Andrea’s name won; she was rewarded with a bookmark.
What they are reading this month: Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette, by Sena Jeter
Naslund, who is writer-in-residence at the University of Louisville.
Why they picked it: Marcy, tonight’s hostess, read a positive review and had enjoyed
another of Naslund’s books, Ahab’s Wife. Naslund had also been one of Marcy’s
instructors at the University of Louisville. Marcy invited Naslund to the club’s meeting, but
the author was traveling; she graciously answered all of Marcy’s questions about the book,
however, via email.
What it’s about: A highly acclaimed novel in the genre of historical fiction, it is the story of
the notorious queen of France told from her own point of view. It begins when she left
Austria in 1770 at age 14 and ends with her beheading during the French Revolution.
What they thought of it: Although one member with small children didn’t finish it for lack of
time, everyone agreed the book was more like “a beach read” than a typical novel. Several
said the book effortlessly and enjoyably taught them more than they ever knew about the
French Revolution.
On the significance of the title: “To me, it was the abundance of everything…it took three
pages to describe what her dress looked like!” — Stephanie
“And the fact that she couldn’t even get undressed by herself!” — Ashley
“One thing about her (Naslund’s) writing is she does motivate her readers to learn more,”
Beverly says. Venda agrees, saying she is now interested in French history, prompting
Laura to suggest “we all should take a field trip to France!”
Some of their discussion about it:
“I had to keep remembering this is a novel, it’s not real.” — Laura
“She didn’t just tolerate it, she enjoyed it. Here’s your rebel.” — Jacqueline
King Louis “reminds me of the way Prince Charles is today because in some ways he was
ahead of his time.” — Beverly
“Things haven’t changed much.” — Kathy
Their rules:
• “You pick the book, you prepare the food.”
• They are not taking any more members.
• Come if you’ve read the book or not.
The Bodacious Bookworms Top 10 List of Recommended Books:
1. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
2. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
3. Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
4. Bel Canto: A Novel by Ann Patchett
5. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
6. Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
7. The Bonesetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan
8. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
9. The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
10. Ada Blackjack by Jennifer Niven
Marcy Brotzge welcomes the 13 other club members into her Iroquois Part area home,
called “Honey Hill” for her late Labrador retriever, Honey. In the kitchen, she has set up an
elaborate buffet dinner and put out several bottles of red and white wine. The club
members rave over the food – they look forward to the months when Marcy is the hostess.
They fill their plates with beef tenderloin sandwiches; fruit salad sprinkled with Grand
Marnier; potatoes au gratin; asparagus with a lemon-mustard vinaigrette; and a mixed
green salad with blue cheese and spicy pecans. Then they fill their glasses with wine and
head for the living room.
Marcy begins by telling everyone about author Sena Jeter Naslund’s email exchange with
her. There’s a chorus of “how nice!” and Marcy reads from the first e-mail, in which
Naslund says she tries to “celebrate the preciousness of life” in her books. Naslund also
shares with the group that she became interested in the life of Marie Antoinette because
she did not think the French queen was portrayed accurately in history.
Beverly has brought along books to share on Versailles and on the artist who painted
portraits of Marie Antoinette. Before long, everyone is talking over one another. They
discuss the many possible sexual affairs in the book, Marie Antoinette’s mother and
siblings, her heavy gowns, and whether Marie Antoinette really said, “Let them eat cake.”
Jacqueline whips out her cell phone and googles the phrase. She explains its nebulous
meaning. Cake, it seems, maybe wasn’t a dessert during the French Revolution.
“It’s kind of like the 33 on the Rolling Rock bottle,” she says. “No one knows!”
For dessert, they are treated to pastries and an actual cake — a Louie’s Derby Cake from
Mert’s Cakes in honor of Marie’s husband, King Louis XVI. Jacqueline googles the cake,
too. It cost $40, and one member comments it’s expensive. But Ashley will have none of it.
“After all, we’re royalty,” Ashley retorts. “The Bodacious Bookworms are all about
abundance!”
And on this night, for all the right reasons, it is true.
Elaine Jack at elainej@iamtodayswoman.com is a regular feature writer for Today’s
Woman magazine. Janet Blake is filling in for her as Elaine recovers from an accident.
By Elaine Rooker Jack and Janet C. Blake
Photos by Joon Kim
Who they are: Bodacious Bookworms: Marcy Brotzge,
Susan M. Cole, Kathy Curry, Andrea Hampton, Beverly
Hampton, Jacqueline Klein, Ashley S. Parker, Regina
Phillips, Laura Rogers, Stephanie Scheller, Harriette
Seiler, Karen Steinhauser, Mary Nancy Todd, Carolyn Vose, Elisabeth Wagner, and Venda
Walter. There are three mother-daughter combinations (Venda and Laura; Mary Nancy
and Ashley; Elisabeth and Stephanie) and one mother-in-law/daughter-in-law combination
(Andrea and Beverly).
First meeting: August, 2002.
How they got together: Andrea and Stephanie were co-workers in public relations. One
day, Andrea asked Stephanie, “Would you like to start a book club with me?” Stephanie
was a little skeptical, but Andrea said, “I promise it’s fun,” Stephanie recalled. “I’ll never
forget that.”
Their meetings: The first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in a member’s home.What the
club means to them after five years:
“I’ve learned a lot about my mother, my mom’s generation.” — Ashley
“I think book club meets a lot of different needs…for me, living in a male-dominated house,
it’s great to meet with women!” — Marcy
“You never feel like, ‘Oh, if I say this, I’m going to offend somebody.’ You don’t feel
judged.” — Regina
How they got their name: The group decided if they ever became famous, they would need
to have a name, so they had a contest via email. Everybody got to suggest two names,
then they voted. Andrea’s name won; she was rewarded with a bookmark.
What they are reading this month: Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette, by Sena Jeter
Naslund, who is writer-in-residence at the University of Louisville.
Why they picked it: Marcy, tonight’s hostess, read a positive review and had enjoyed
another of Naslund’s books, Ahab’s Wife. Naslund had also been one of Marcy’s
instructors at the University of Louisville. Marcy invited Naslund to the club’s meeting, but
the author was traveling; she graciously answered all of Marcy’s questions about the book,
however, via email.
What it’s about: A highly acclaimed novel in the genre of historical fiction, it is the story of
the notorious queen of France told from her own point of view. It begins when she left
Austria in 1770 at age 14 and ends with her beheading during the French Revolution.
What they thought of it: Although one member with small children didn’t finish it for lack of
time, everyone agreed the book was more like “a beach read” than a typical novel. Several
said the book effortlessly and enjoyably taught them more than they ever knew about the
French Revolution.
On the significance of the title: “To me, it was the abundance of everything…it took three
pages to describe what her dress looked like!” — Stephanie
“And the fact that she couldn’t even get undressed by herself!” — Ashley
“One thing about her (Naslund’s) writing is she does motivate her readers to learn more,”
Beverly says. Venda agrees, saying she is now interested in French history, prompting
Laura to suggest “we all should take a field trip to France!”
Some of their discussion about it:
“I had to keep remembering this is a novel, it’s not real.” — Laura
“She didn’t just tolerate it, she enjoyed it. Here’s your rebel.” — Jacqueline
King Louis “reminds me of the way Prince Charles is today because in some ways he was
ahead of his time.” — Beverly
“Things haven’t changed much.” — Kathy
Their rules:
• “You pick the book, you prepare the food.”
• They are not taking any more members.
• Come if you’ve read the book or not.
The Bodacious Bookworms Top 10 List of Recommended Books:
1. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
2. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
3. Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
4. Bel Canto: A Novel by Ann Patchett
5. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
6. Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
7. The Bonesetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan
8. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
9. The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
10. Ada Blackjack by Jennifer Niven
Marcy Brotzge welcomes the 13 other club members into her Iroquois Part area home,
called “Honey Hill” for her late Labrador retriever, Honey. In the kitchen, she has set up an
elaborate buffet dinner and put out several bottles of red and white wine. The club
members rave over the food – they look forward to the months when Marcy is the hostess.
They fill their plates with beef tenderloin sandwiches; fruit salad sprinkled with Grand
Marnier; potatoes au gratin; asparagus with a lemon-mustard vinaigrette; and a mixed
green salad with blue cheese and spicy pecans. Then they fill their glasses with wine and
head for the living room.
Marcy begins by telling everyone about author Sena Jeter Naslund’s email exchange with
her. There’s a chorus of “how nice!” and Marcy reads from the first e-mail, in which
Naslund says she tries to “celebrate the preciousness of life” in her books. Naslund also
shares with the group that she became interested in the life of Marie Antoinette because
she did not think the French queen was portrayed accurately in history.
Beverly has brought along books to share on Versailles and on the artist who painted
portraits of Marie Antoinette. Before long, everyone is talking over one another. They
discuss the many possible sexual affairs in the book, Marie Antoinette’s mother and
siblings, her heavy gowns, and whether Marie Antoinette really said, “Let them eat cake.”
Jacqueline whips out her cell phone and googles the phrase. She explains its nebulous
meaning. Cake, it seems, maybe wasn’t a dessert during the French Revolution.
“It’s kind of like the 33 on the Rolling Rock bottle,” she says. “No one knows!”
For dessert, they are treated to pastries and an actual cake — a Louie’s Derby Cake from
Mert’s Cakes in honor of Marie’s husband, King Louis XVI. Jacqueline googles the cake,
too. It cost $40, and one member comments it’s expensive. But Ashley will have none of it.
“After all, we’re royalty,” Ashley retorts. “The Bodacious Bookworms are all about
abundance!”
And on this night, for all the right reasons, it is true.
Elaine Jack at elainej@iamtodayswoman.com is a regular feature writer for Today’s
Woman magazine. Janet Blake is filling in for her as Elaine recovers from an accident.