Read Between the Wines

Members of Read Between the Wines book club

Members of Read Between the Wines book club

The Read Between the Wines book club is beginning its sixth year in Robson Ranch. The group is made up of 10 people who like to read books ranging from science fiction to Pulitzer Prize winners, from fantasy to biography and historical fiction. Whatever the book, the get together at the host’s house is sure to include a lively discussion and some fantastic wine and appetizers.

Unlike some of the book clubs, Read Between the Wines never stops for the summer. This is a group of committed readers who read through the summer, perhaps meeting on a patio for swimming after or going to a local antique shop to meet and discuss. Reading is paramount to all 10 members, but the social aspect has become a wonderful addition to serious reading.

Some recent reads were In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, Room by Emma Donoghe and The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. On Monday, September 8, the group met at Claudia Horak’s house and discussed the book she had chosen, Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See. This novel offered a different look at World War II. It tells parallel stories of Marie-Laurie, a 16-year-old blind girl living in occupied France, and Werner, an 18-year-old German soldier who was conscripted from an orphanage due to his extraordinary mechanical abilities. This remarkable book was filled with gorgeous, almost magical imagery that is not usually expected in a war novel. It explored the issues of racism and the importance of the radio in this time period as well as the evils of war and the goodness of people.

The October meeting will be at Debbie Harris’ house, and the book she has chosen is Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. This is the biography of runner Louie Zamperini and chronicles his life as a Pacific POW in Japan. It is a story of survival, resilience and redemption.

The members of Read Between the Wines are Linda Gayer, Mary Lynn Morin, Julie Kostroski, Betsy Piatt, Debbie Olguin, Barb Sewell, Scott Kincade, Debbie Harris, Claudi Horak and Joanne Heiman.

Happy reading!