- EVENT: Hopkins Farm Brewery Visit/READ: "The Good, Good Pig..." by Sy MontgomeryHopkins Farm Brewery, Havre De Grace, MD
Raise a pint (or two) to our Service Members while listening to music on the farm and discussing May’s Member Choice Book, the good good pig.
# EVENT: Fourth Annual Old Glory Music Festival
- Saturday, May 18, 2024
- Hopkins Farm Brewery (map)
https://www.facebook.com/events/734016498336756
Join us for this FREE event down on the farm for a ROCKIN' good time to honor our Service Members in our Armed Forces.
Featuring four bands, food trucks, fresh brewed beers, Maryland's 9/11 Rolling Memorial and 9/11 artifacts, Silent Auction, and 50/50's
Proceeds benefit America's 9/11 Living Classroom
For more information please visit www.hopeandpeacefoundation.orgLOCATION: Hopkins Farm Brewery
3833 Rider Lane, Havre De Grace, MD 21078NOTE: MAKE SURE TO BRING A CHAIR TO SIT IN TO LISTEN TO THE MUSIC. WE'LL TRY TO FIND A QUIET(ER) PLACE TO GO AND DISCUSS THE BOOK.
NOVEL: The Good, Good Pig The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood by Sy Montgomery
Genre: AutobiographyFrom Goodreads:
When Sy Montgomery opened her heart to a sick piglet she had no inkling that this piglet, later named Christopher Hogwood, would not only survive but flourish. The Good Good Pig celebrates Christopher Hogwood in all his glory, from his inauspicious infancy to hog heaven in rural New Hampshire, where his boundless zest for life and his large, loving heart made him absolute monarch.Happy Reading,
Diane
- Online discussion of May's Members' Choice Book Winner!" - the good good pig"Needs location
The votes are in and this little piggy went all the way home! That's right! You all chose the good good pig as May's Members' Choice book. Join us* for what is sure to be a lively online discussion. Stay tuned for the paired in-person event!
Zoom link will be provided an hour before the event.
***
Novel: the good good pig by Sy Montgomery
Genre: Memoir, Pig Autobiography"In loving yet unsentimental prose, Sy Montgomery captures the richness that animals bring to the human experience. Sometimes it takes a too-smart-for-his-own-good pig to open our eyes to what most matters in life.”
—John Grogan, author of Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog
The Good Good Pig celebrates Christopher Hogwood in all his glory, from his inauspicious infancy to hog heaven in rural New Hampshire, where his boundless zest for life and his large, loving heart made him absolute monarch over a (mostly) peaceable kingdom. At first, his domain included only Sy’s cosseted hens and her beautiful border collie, Tess. Then the neighbors began fetching Christopher home from his unauthorized jaunts, the little girls next door started giving him warm, soapy baths, and the villagers brought him delicious leftovers. His intelligence and fame increased along with his girth. Read more...
*Note that while the online discussion is normally the last Monday, we moved it up a week because the last Monday is the Memorial Day holiday.
Happy reading!
- EVENT: Himalayan Salt Therapy READ: "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta SepetysCancelled$30.00
BREATHE, RELAX, AND BE CALMED
Get yourself ready for summer with Halotherapy. Halotherapy can clear your sinuses, soften your skin and instill an overall feeling of well being. You'll experience the effect of breathing in dry salt as you sit quietly and calmly. This is something I've wanted to try, and this new place just opened in Middletown, DE.
EVENT: Himalayan Salt of the Earth Cave Halotherapy
10 W. Main Street, Middletown, DETIME: 12:45 arrival for check in, followed by our 1:00 45-minute therapy session.
2:00 drinks, appetizers or lunch and book discussion at Sully's Irish Pub located next door to the salt cave at 12 W. Main Street, Middletown, DE.FEE: $30 payable the day of the event.
LIMITED TO THE FIRST 5 PEOPLE TO RESPOND.
Thank you to our member, Kelly Fields, for this event suggestion
NOVEL: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Genre: Historical FictionFrom Goodreads:
While the Titanic and Lusitania are both well-documented disasters, the single greatest tragedy in maritime history is the little-known January 30, 1945 sinking in the Baltic Sea by a Soviet submarine of the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German cruise liner that was supposed to ferry wartime personnel and refugees to safety from the advancing Red Army. The ship was overcrowded with more than 10,500 passengers — the intended capacity was approximately 1,800 — and more than 9,000 people, including 5,000 children, lost their lives.Sepetys (writer of 'Between Shades of Gray') crafts four fictionalized but historically accurate voices to convey the real-life tragedy. Joana, a Lithuanian with nursing experience; Florian, a Prussian soldier fleeing the Nazis with stolen treasure; and Emilia, a Polish girl close to the end of her pregnancy, converge on their escape journeys as Russian troops advance; each will eventually meet Albert, a Nazi peon with delusions of grandeur, assigned to the Gustloff decks.
Happy Reading,
Diane
- SHOW: The Secret Comedy of Women and READ: “The Getaway Girls” by Dee MacDonaldDelaware Theatre Company, Wilmington, DE$60.00
Let's get together for a Saturday afternoon matinee performance of The Secret Comedy of Women. Experience this truly brilliant and uplifting female comedy that explores the woman's world with joy, heart and intelligent wit. This 2-woman comedy with song, dance & stories celebrates all things female, from girlhood to womanhood!
EVENT: The Secret Comedy of Women (Showtime is 2:00 PM)
LOCATION: Delaware Theater Company
Wilmington's Riverfront
200 Water Street
Wilmington, Delaware 19801
302.594.1100FEE: Tickets are $60 which includes all fees.
If you are interested in this event, please send your payment to me via Venmo - @Diane-Flemming-2 or PayPal - paypal.me/DianeFlemming. I will get us seats located near each other.
PLEASE RSVP BY APRIL 1 as these performances sell out quickly.We can meet after the theater to discuss the book and the show at one of the restaurants TBD on the Riverfront.
Thank you to our member, Lyn, for the event and book suggestions.
NOVEL: The Getaway Girls by Dee MacDonald
Genre: FictionFROM GOODREADS:
One morning, Connie McColl wakes up and decides to swap her ordinary life, for an extraordinary adventure…Connie McColl is finally free to make her own decisions for the first time in decades. And when she meets glamorous Gill and downtrodden Maggie, at a rather dull flower arranging class, it seems that she’s not the only one dreaming of adventure. The three very different women all agree it’s about time they had a holiday to remember.
So they make a pact for this summer to be their best yet - and drive off into the sunset together…
As they meander their way along the beautiful beaches of France and onto the glorious delights of Italy in their luxury campervan, the new friends have plenty of fun and frolics in the sunshine. But the vacation isn’t quite what they expected…
Gill will do anything to have one last holiday romance, Connie has a surprise inheritance awaiting her in Italy, and Maggie has a secret that is going to catch up with them all…
In the end, all three women discover that the journey they thought would be their last really is just the beginning…
Happy Reading,
Diane
- The Rocks King and Queen Seat Trail Hike and "These Silent Woods" By Kimi GrantKing & Queen Seat at Rocks State Park, Jarrettsville, MD
TAKE A HIKE!!
We'll hike the King and Queen Seat trail of Rocks State Park. We'll meet in the Rapid's Parking area and begin the hike from there. After the hike, we'll find a picnic bench and eat lunch and discuss our joint book club pick, These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant.So, pack a lunch and plenty of water and let's explore this beautiful section of Rocks State Park.
LOCATION: Rocks State Park 3634 Rocks Rd. (Rt. 24) Jarrettsville, MD 21084
The King and Queen Seat rises 190 feet above Deer Creek. The soaring natural rock outcrop provides a breathtaking view. There are many vertical rock faces on the outcrop, some of which are as high as 94 feet. Please use caution in this areaHead out on this 3.2-mile loop trail. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 1 hour 38 minutes to complete. This is a very popular area for hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring.
Begin by heading uphill towards King and Queens Seat. This is a rocky outcropping that offers a great view. The loop continues through the forest crossing the occasional stream along the White and Blue Trails. The trail does cross some paved roads in the park, so use caution when crossing.
FEE: Weekends Maryland residents $3/person; out-of-state residents $5/person
Park in the Rapids parking area on Route 24. Rapid’s Parking lot: 3634 Rocks Rd. (Rt. 24) Jarrettsville, MD 21084
Take the purple blazed trail from the parking lot to the white blazed loop trail.
![img](https://www.alltrails.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alltrails.com%2Fapi%2Falltrails%2Fv3%2Fmaps%2F185543652%2Fstatic_map%3Fsize%3D295x240%26scale%3D2%26key%3D3p0t5s6b5g4g0e8k3c1j3w7y5c3m4t8i&w=3840&q=75)
*The Rocks of Deer Creek* (by Thomas Wysong, 1880), a collection of short stories featuring a variety of myths and legends about the areas in and around Rocks State Park and the King and Queen Seat, played a role in attracting trainloads of tourists in the late 1800's.
NOVEL: These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant
From Goodreads: No electricity, no family, no connection to the outside world. For eight years, Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, have lived in isolation in a remote cabin in the northern Appalachian woods. And that's exactly the way Cooper wants it, because he's got a lot to hide. Finch has been raised on the books filling the cabin’s shelves and the beautiful but brutal code of life in the wilderness. But she’s starting to push back against the sheltered life Cooper has created for her—and he’s still haunted by the painful truth of what it took to get them there.The only people who know they exist are a mysterious local hermit named Scotland, and Cooper's old friend, Jake, who visits each winter to bring them food and supplies. But this year, Jake doesn't show up, setting off an irreversible chain of events that reveals just how precarious their situation really is. Suddenly, the boundaries of their safe haven have blurred—and when a stranger wanders into their woods, Finch’s growing obsession with her could put them all in danger. After a shocking disappearance threatens to upend the only life Finch has ever known, Cooper is forced to decide whether to keep hiding—or finally face the sins of his past.
Vividly atmospheric and masterfully tense, These Silent Woods is a poignant story of survival, sacrifice, and how far a father will go when faced with losing it all.
Happy Reading,
Diane
- Online Discussion of June’s Member Choice Theme “Novel Set in the Woods” WinnerLink visible for attendees
The votes are in! These Silent Woods, by Kimi Cunningham Grant undisputedly won the June Members' Choice book vote for the theme of a book Set in the Woods! Join us for what I'm sure will be a lively online discussion. Stay tuned for the paired in-person woodsy event to be posted soon!
Zoom link will be provided an hour before the event. Make sure you have your Meetup setting set to allow messages by following these tips:
Communication settings Tip: This is just helpful guidance. Events fill up really fast. Make sure your settings are set to maximize communication: Click on your profile pic in Meetup, click Edit Profile, then Email Updates, scroll down and find The Novel Tourists Book Club under “Updates about your Group”, click Edit next to The Novel Tourists Book Club and then make your choices. I suggest checking “New Event Announcements,” “Changes to Event Time or Locations,” “My RSVP is confirmed,” and, "Announcements to Members About the Group" and “Event updates from Organizer.”
NOVEL: These Silent Woods, by Kimi Cunningham Grant
Genre: Thriller, SuspenseA father and daughter living in the remote Appalachian mountains must reckon with the ghosts of their past in Kimi Cunningham Grant's These Silent Woods, a mesmerizing book of suspense.
No electricity, no family, no connection to the outside world.
For eight years, Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, have lived in isolation in a remote cabin in the northern Appalachian woods. And that's exactly the way Cooper wants it, because he's got a lot to hide. Finch has been raised on the books filling the cabin’s shelves and the beautiful but brutal code of life in the wilderness. But she’s starting to push back against the sheltered life Cooper has created for her - and he’s still haunted by the painful truth of what it took to get them there.
The only people who know they exist are Scotland, an overly friendly hermit with murky intentions, and Cooper's old friend, Jake, who visits each winter to bring them food and supplies. But this year, Jake doesn't show up, setting off an irreversible chain of events that reveals just how precarious their situation really is. Suddenly, the boundaries of their safe haven have blurred - and when a stranger wanders into their woods, Finch’s growing obsession with her could put them all in danger. When a shocking disappearance threatens to upend the only life Finch has ever known, Cooper is forced to decide whether to keep hiding - or finally face the sins of his past.Vividly atmospheric and masterfully tense, These Silent Woods is a poignant story of survival, sacrifice, and how far a father will go when faced with losing it all.
"The story unwinds at a slow pace, but the denouement is dramatic, surprising, and, finally, gratifying." (AudioFile) - TOUR: Purple Rain Lavender Farm READ: "The Necessity of Lavender Tea"Purple Rain Lavender Farm, Churchville, MD$8.00
Visiting a lavender farm is a sensory experience like no other. You’ll smell the scent, you’ll see the beautiful purple flowers, and feel the calming effects of the plants. We'll be taking a relaxing tour of a local lavender farm at the height of lavender blooms.
The tour includes picking a bouquet or making a sachet. Also includes lavender lemonade and lavender cookies.
The farm market will be open for guests and that is where you check in once you arrive. They provide a wagon ride to the field. There are two steps to get up into the wagon in the event there is anybody with mobility issues. The field is uneven terrain and grass.
EVENT: private 90 minute morning tour at Purple Rain Lavender Farm including lavender picking or sachet making.
TIME: 10:30 AM
FEE: $8.00 pp payable to me on Venmo @Diane-Flemming-2 or PayPal @DianeFlemming. Please use family and friends to avoid fees. This is for the lavender farm tour. Tea is $22.95 per person with a deposit due by May 1st of $10 to make the reservation. Please send your reservation deposit to the same as above. This $10 is NOT in addition to the price of the tea. The deposit is fully refundable up to three days before the event.
12:45 TEA TIME at Bella's Tea Room
421 St. John Street
Havre deGrace, MD
443.502.5423Read about The Tea Room: Bella's Team Room
We’ll meet at the tea room after to discuss the book and maybe drink some lavender tea!
NOVEL: "The Necessity of Lavender Tea" by Jennifer Moorman
Genre: Magical RealismFrom Goodreads:
Like most teenagers coming of age in the 1950s, Kate Muir wants the basics—rock and roll and a sense of belonging. But for Kate, one thing she can't live without is her endless supply of lavender tea. At sixteen Kate would be happy just to blend in with her Mystic Water peers, but she has “a cursed fate,” her mama says. Kate can see the future, which makes being like everybody else nearly impossible. In spite of her special gift, Kate is forbidden to alter the future in any way, no matter what she sees. Her only chance at living a somewhat normal life is to drink lavender tea, the only remedy that stops the visions. Kate’s older brother, Evan, is her opposite—popular, charming, everyone’s friend—and the main reason Kate isn’t completely rejected by the local kids. When Evan dies in a tragic accident, Kate withdraws into herself and becomes more of an outcast than ever before. But a chance encounter with a young man from the most prestigious family in Mystic Water tosses Kate into a whirlwind of friendship, acceptance, and love. Just when she believes this new life might last, Kate has a terrible premonition. Will she break the rules and alter the future? At the risk of exposing her special ability, can she prevent the horrible event from happening before it’s too late? Journey into this enchanting heart-filling tale of magical realism and the powerful changes brought on by accepting oneself.Happy Reading,
Diane
- EVENT:Hollywood Homicide Murder Mystery/READ:"Hollywood Homicide" by K. GarrettDonaldson Brown Center, Port Deposit, MD$95.00
By request, we'll participate in a Murder Mystery. Wear your glitz and glam to this event! Hollywood Homicide is set at a pre-awards party. The rich and famous (that's you) are gathered at the mansion of Arnold Moneymaker.
EVENT: Whodunnit for Hire and Donaldson Brown Riverfront Mansion have teamed up to bring you Hollywood Homicide murder mystery dinner parties. Costumes are highly encouraged.
TIME: Doors open for guest arrivals and cocktails at 7 p.m.
Murder Mystery Dinner will begin at 8 p.m.
$95 per person, includes three course dinner, tax and gratuity.This is a BYOB event.
FEE: $95pp at donaldson.eventbrite.com
This event will fill up quickly. There is a limit of 49 people. Although, it is months away, I suggest if you think you might like to attend, to get your tickets as soon as you can.
NOVEL: Hollywood Homicide by Kellye Garrett
Genre: Mystery
FROM GOODREADS:
Dayna Anderson doesn’t set out to solve a murder. All the semi-famous, mega-broke black actress wants is to help her parents keep their house. After witnessing a deadly hit-and-run, she figures pursuing the fifteen-grand reward isn’t the craziest thing a Hollywood actress has done for some cash.But what starts as simply trying to remember a speeding car soon blossoms into a full-on investigation. As Dayna digs deeper into the victim’s life, she wants more than just reward money. She’s determined to find the poor woman’s killer too. When she connects the accident to a notorious Hollywood crime spree, Dayna chases down leads at paparazzi hot spots, celeb homes and movie premieres. She loves every second—until someone tries to kill her.
And there are no second takes in real life.
Happy Reading,
Diane