SWCR Book Club met on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at Dos Hermanos NYA Mexican Grill and Bar
Attendees: Pam, Sarah, Buffy, Laurie and Anne
Hostess: Pam
Book: My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Icebreaker: Where should Pam go on her honeymoon? (Pam didn't have an icebreaker so we thought of one for her).
Laurie
Icebreaker: England
Books:
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemerer
A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemerer
Housemaids Secret by Frieda McFadden
Rites of the Starling by Devney Perry
The Devil Wears Scrubs by Frieda McFadden
The Housemaid is Watching by Frieda McFadden
Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott
The Gift by Frieda McFadden
Anne
Icebreaker: Any place in the world, where there are straw huts extended over the ocean
Books:
Desolation Mountain by William Kent Krueger
Lightning Strikes by William Kent Krueger
Fox Creek by William Kent Krueger
Spirit Crossing by William Kent Krueger
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Buffy
Icebreaker: Mackinaw Island, MI
Books:
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Sarah
Icebreaker: Savannah GA
Books:
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
When The Night Comes Falling by Howard Blum
Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez
Pam
Icebreaker: Provo, UT (she really wants to go to Madeline Island, WI)
Books:
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Flourish by Daniel Coyle
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves
Cruel & Unusual by Patricia Cornwell
The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber
Book rating:
1-0
2-0
3-0
4-1
5-3
19/4 = 4.75
Discussions:
Overall great impression of the book. Discussed the painting The One of the Sea. The originality of it (taco sauce), how tiny the people must have been, being able to imagine the painting just by reading the book. We talked about the character: Ted, KimKim (the artist), Joar, Ali (the friends) and Louisa, who hears their story from Ted and a little from Joar. Met Christian who inspired the Artist, just as the Artist inspired Lousia when they met for a few minutes. The mean Art teacher at school. Talked about Ted and his relationship with Louisa. The incidents on or near the train. The deaths. The funerals. The parents. The main characters devastating stories, including Christian and his mother. C. Jat, the name the artist put on his painting and took as his professional name: C for Christian. J for Joar. A for Ali. T for Ted.
Next meeting: Thursday, May 28, 2026, at TBD
Hostess: Anne
Book: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
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SWCR Book Club met on Thursday, April 2, 2026 at Jen's house in Arlington
Attendees: Jen, Buffy, Pam and Summer
Hostess: Jen
Book: When the Night Comes Falling by Howard Blum
Icebreaker: No icebreaker as we watched a documentary on the Idaho Student Murders
Buffy
Books:
When the Night Comes Falling by Howard Blum
Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi
The Nazi and the Psychiatrist: Hermann Goring, Dr. Douglas M. Kelley, and a Fatal Meeting of Minds at the End of WWI by Jack El-Hai
The Nine: The True Story of a Band of Women Who Survived the Worse of Nazi Germany by Gwen Strauss
Pam
Books:
My Dear You by Rachel Khong
The Ex by Freida McFadden
Leave It Up to Love by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
Naked Girl by Janna Brooke Wallack
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
The Water Women by Bonnie Biaylock
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas
Summer
Books:
When The Night Comes Falling by Howard Blum
Jen
Books:
When the Night Comes Falling by Howard Blum
Book rating:
1-0
2-1
3-3
4-1
5-0
15/5 = 3
Discussions:
We caught up on the Arizona wedding news. Caught Summer up on book club members goings on. Ordered pizza and wings and watched the Peacock documentary The Idaho Student Murders. Talked about the murders, the book and commented on the documentary. Discussed how it must have been hard writing the book while everything was happening and being unable to talk to people involved due to a court gag order at the time. Discussed the way he wrote the book and some of the errors. Where is Ann Rule when you need her (yes, I know she is deceased). Talked about how everyone involved in the murder were being dissected by the public (the bad side of social media). Talked about the Goncalves family and their anger at everything associated with the murder of Kaylee and tried to understand what they were going through, but also how it opened them to being taken advantage of by cruel people and how it could have harmed the case if it went to trial. As much as we wished Kohberger has to allocate for his plea deal, we also commented that if it had gone to trial, there was no reason he would testify or provide the details of the murder. Compared the Idaho murders to the Bundy sorority murders in Florida (both very creepy). Oh, and they found another Bundy victim in Utah through DNA.
Next meeting: Thursday, April 30, 2026, at Dos Hermanos NYA Grill and Bar
Hostess: Pam
Book: My Friends by Fredrik Backman
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SWCR Book Club met on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at Sizzle Street in Waconia
Attendees: Anne, Sarah, Pam, Laurie and Buffy
Hostess: Anne
Book: How I Found Myself in the Midwest by Steve Grove
Icebreaker: What's the furthest you've gone to re-invent yourself?
Buffy
Icebreaker: Minnetonka
Books:
We Will Not Be Silent: The White Rose Student Resistance Movement Defied Adolf Hitler by Russell Freedman
How I Found Myself in the Midwest by Steve Grove
Laurie
Icebreaker: Moved from Oklahoma to Minnesota
Books:
Prince of Wolves by Quinn Loftis
Raised by Wolves by James Patterson and Emily Raymond
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Maehrer
Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Maehrer
Pam
Icebreaker: Arizona
Books:
A World of Hurt by Mindy Mejia
Go Ahead and Laugh by Barbara Scharfenberg
The Whisper Place by Mindy Mejia
The Things we Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yaros
Once in a Lifetime by Danielle Steel
Sarita by Natalie Musgrave Dossett
The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
When the Night Comes Falling by Howard Blum
Sarah
Icebreaker: Hamburg, Germany
Books:
How I Found Myself in the Midwest by Steve Grove
Anne
Icebreaker: North Dakota to attend NDSU
Books:
Sulfur Springs by William Kent Krueger
The Name She Gave Me by Betty Culley
How I Found Myself in the Midwest by Steve Grove
Book rating:
1-0
2-0
3-3
4-1
5-0
13/4 = 3.25
Discussions:
We talked about why he wrote the book. Would it be comfortable being his friend? Going from Google to a Government job. His stories of trying to make friends in MN, his issue with religion, maybe being too PC or trying to sell us whatever he was trying to sell. Thinking the coffee while working for the State of MN was free like everything was free at Google. We all think his family was well off (both he and his wife came from Google, big tech people and entrepreneur types). Some of us felt like he was trying very hard to make people like him. His book did share lots of facts about Minnesota and how good it is and does for the people who live here.
We got on the off topic of the Satanic Panic of the 80s.
Next meeting: Thursday, April 2, 2026, at Jen's house in Arlington.
Club will start at earlier between 5:5:30 while we eat and watch a documentary on the Idaho Student Murders. I will finalize time and food with Jen (pizza)? Those attending will be asked to chip in on food. Bring your own drinks and chairs. After the documentary, we will discuss it and the book.
Hostess: Jen
Book: When the Night Comes Falling by Howard Blum
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SWCR Book Club Minutes: January 29, 2026
We are back for another year of book club. This year we will be celebrating our 200th book in June and hope to get a trip up north on the calendar to celebrate this milestone. Maybe we can find some local events to attend as a celebration of 200 books. Toss them out to the group as you see them!
Belated birthday wishes to Anne (Oct); Sarah (Oct); and Jen (Dec)
Happy January Birthday wishes to Teri and Buffy
SWCR Book Club met on Thursday, January 29, 2026 at El Loro in Waconia
Attendees: Pam, Buffy, Anne, Sarah and Laurie
Hostess: Buffy
Book: Beach Music by Pat Conroy
Icebreaker: Favorite character
Some people are sharing all the books they've read since September while others are just sharing a snippet.
Sarah
Icebreaker: Jordan
Books:
Beach Music by Pat Conroy
Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez
Laurie
Icebreaker: JordanBooks:
The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read by Phillipa Perry
Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandana
Spirit Crossing by William Kent Krueger
Apostle's Cove by William Kent Krueger
Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
Remain by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shamalan
Anne
Icebreaker: Jordan
Books:
Tricksters Point by William Kent Krueger
Tamarack County by William Kent Krueger
Windigo Island by William Kent Krueger
Anne of Green Gables #1 by L. M. Montgomery
Beach Music by Pat Conroy
Pam
Icebreaker: Leah
Books:
Beach Music by Pat Conroy
Paper Cut by Rachel Taff
Heart of Texas Volume 1 by Debbie Macomber
Orchard Valley Grooms by Debbie Macomber
Orchard Valley Brides by Debbie Macomber
How I Found Myself in the Midwest by Steve Grove
The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
Sharp Force by Patricia Cornell
Davita's Harp by Chaim Potok
Night Probe by Clive Cussler
Sacred Stone by Clive Cussler
Someone Like You by Susan Mallery
A Sudden Change of Heart by Barbara Taylor Bradford
Only Mine by Susan Mallery
The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living & Leaving the White Evangelical Church by Sarah McCammon
The Last Letter by Rebecca Yaros
Best of My Love by Susan Mallery
Safe Harbour by Danielle Steel
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundahti Roy
The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy
Buffy
Icebreaker: Lucy
Books:
Beach Music by Pat Conroy
The Whisper Place by Mindy Mejia
Metamorphoses by Ovid
Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials by Marion Gibson
Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith & Love by Dava Sobel
Night by Elie Wiesel
Book rating:
1-0
2-0
3-1
4-3
5-2
15/4 = 3.75
Discussions:
1. The Prologue - suicide, court, escaping to Rome
2. The Friends: Mike, Ledare, Capers, Jordan and Shyla (not too many fans of Mike and Capers).
3. The McCall Brothers: Jack, Dallas, Depree, Tee and John Hardin
4. The McCall Parents: The Judge and Lucy; Dr. Pitts
5. The Back Stories:
Max, the Great Jew from Ukraine; forced to leave his village, entire family killed in WWII while he was in America; Mike's father.
Ruth from Poland; saw her family murdered by the Nazi's; The Lady of the Coins story; saved by Max, the Great Jew; Shyla's mother.
Lucy from the Appalachia's of North Carolina; played with snacks, abused by father; escaped, sexually abused by Catholic Priest; stripper turned sweetheart of Waterton; Jack's mother.
George from Poland?; spent time in the same village as the Great Jew; Judenrat member; had a wife and sons murdered at Auschwitz; survivor of Auschwitz; Shyla's father.
Jordan from all over; military brat; lived with an abusive father (Marine); bombed a plane that killed two people; fled the USA; become priest in Rome; sentenced to 5 years in prison
Shyla - the carrier of her parent's trauma; activist; married to Jack, mother to Leah.
6. Do you think Capers betrayed his friends during college? YES!
7. What do you think about what Jordan did? Do you agree with Jack & Shyla helping him escape? His prison sentence? Relationship with his father?
8. Shyla's suicide note.
Next meeting: Thursday, February 26, 2026 at Sizzle Street, Waconia
Hostess: Anne
Book: How I Found Myself in the Midwest by Steve Grove
Remember, SWCR Book Club as a website: SWCR Book Club
This is very kindly updated by Pam (with some help from Buffy as needed).