MISSING THE HOLIDAY HUGS...

Our Holiday party for the Happy Bookers this year of course had to morph into a Zoom night which was only natural since colder temps don't lend themselves to social distancing outside even though I personally didn't get to join those meetings in person either. 

The 8 of us had a part for the evening's event including thoughtful reflective toasts of 2020 to begin and end the evening ( we were provided with a Cosmo recipe*) voting on our favorite book of the year*,  games including a Christmas trivia quiz which yours truly won LOL, What's Rudolph Thinking? Holiday word association with a twist where Rudolph became 'Rochela the Jewish Reindeer' ( You guessed it, I was the reindeer), the a game of clues to decipher Christmas Carols, opening gifts of a special edible treat and book exchange and a favorite past Christmas memory. 

And yes, we always agree to share the books we receive.

So everything was like normal eating, drinking, laughing, good conversation and learning something new about each other. Just didn't have to worry about driving home but gosh those virtual hugs really can't compare with the real ones... 

*Our 2020 reads were ...

My Sister The Serial Killer   

      Korede's sister Ayola is the beautiful one and the one their mother favors.  And well, Korede

usually gets stuck cleaning up Ayola's messes even when it involves murdering her boyfriends. When Ayola sets her sights on the doctor Korede works with, that is where Korede draws the line.

Long Bright River  

     Mickey, a cop and her sister Kacey work two ends of the spectrum in Philadelphia as one is a cop and the other is a sex worker who also deals. When Kacey disappears following a string of murders, Mickey panics and becomes obsessed with solving the crime and finding Kacey.

  Bowlaway 

     Bertha Truitt a newcomer to Salford, Massachusetts in the early 1900's is found in a cemetery by Joe Wear, the caretaker, and Dr. Sprague: a head in the clouds local physician.  Soon Bertha has built the first bowling alley in town, married the Doctor and hired Joe as manager.  The story evolves over time with a cast of quirky descendents. 

 The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

     Amy, a single mom of two teenagers and a librarian at the local school has been abandoned for 3 years by her husband. When he suddenly shows up and wants to spend the summer with the kids, Amy makes her way to nearby  NYC to attend a convention and stay with her fashion editor friend.  Amy's life takes a turn when she meets Daniel and must decide what is next for her.

 The Book of Lost Friends

     Told by present day Bennie, a young teacher in Louisiana  and Hanna, a slave girl who is living in the same area post Civil War.  Bennie is trying to help her students connect to their past and Hanna is a piece of that very puzzle.  Hanna's story is one of adventure as she leaves home on a quest to find family that was sold off.

 On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous

     Written in lettter form, Little Dog, a Vietnamese young man has many struggles as an immigrant, poor, and gay.  As a teen Little Dog meets Trevor while working at a local farm and begins a forbidden affair.  

 Disappearing Earth

     Set on the peninsula of Kamchatcha, two young sisters are kidnapped and what follows is a year of various stories told by a string of loosely connected characters and cultural differences.  Almost a year after the girls disappearance their mother Marina attends a fest north of her city and a connection is made which leads her to the discovery of the girls and another victim.

The Vanishing Half

      During Jim Crow, identical twin sisters Stella and Desiree grow up in a small Louisiana town during Jim Crow which prides itself on the black population being very fair skinned.  The girls leave and make very different choices, with Stella marrying a very dark man that she escapes and returns to town with her dark child, while Desieree  passes for white and bears a child she hopes never discovers what she truly is.

When We Were Vikings

     Zelda, a young woman on the FAS spectrum loves the legends of the Viking warriors and uses them to govern her life. Zelda's mother and father both died tragic deaths, and Zelda's brother Gert cares for her along with his girlfriend Annie (AK47) and a host of caring professionals at Zelda's community center.  When Zelda discovers Gert has fallen in with a gang and sells drugs to help support their household, she knows she has to step up no matter the cost.

We all agreed that Bowlaway was the worst and not one we would ever suggest !

 * Cosmopolitan recipe 

Most of us used Triple Sec vs the very costly Contreau. BTW the splash of lime was very refreshing!