What we’re about
LOVE TO READ AND TRY NEW ACTIVITIES?
Join this unique book club where we will casually discuss a book while engaging in an activity or exploring a location inspired by the book! This will be a no-pressure book club. If you don't finish the book, no problem. Please join us anyway for a meal and an event. We'll simply use the book as a platform for a fun activity, and to inspire discussion and conversation among fellow bookworms.
Sometimes the activity will be doing something physical. Other events will have us visiting a museum. Sometimes we'll meet to try new dishes, or maybe a cooking class. Theater, glass blowing, birding, festivals, wine tasting, etc. The possibilities are limitless when fiction inspires activities!
This will be a great way to meet fellow book lovers who also want to live a well-read and well-rounded, adventurous life. Most of the activities will take place in and around Cecil and Harford Counties and surrounding areas.
Are you ready for a new book and a new activity? Grab that book (or eBook) and let's go explore together!
Diane
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- 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
- NOVEL TOUR: Book - “I Always Loved You”/Tour- Mary Cassatt Exhibit at Art MuseumPhiladelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
This event is in Conjunction with The Novel Tourists Philly.
Art lovers rejoice! Join us for a book-club-members-only docent-guided tour of the Mary Cassatt at Work exhibit at the Philadelphia Art Museum! We paired the tour with discussion of the book I Always Loved You, a novel about Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas’ great romance. "The first sight of Degas' pictures was the turning point of my artistic life" - Mary Cassatt
"A celebrated member of the French Impressionists, Pennsylvania-born Mary Cassatt challenged the conventional expectations of Philadelphia’s elite. In Paris, Cassatt committed herself to a career as a professional artist and made the social, intellectual, and working lives of modern women a core subject of her prints, paintings, and pastels.” - Art Museum.
After the tour, we’ll have an hour or so to tour other areas of the museum on your own and then we’ll reconvene at TBD for a late lunch and book discussion.
Details and payment information below.
FEE: $48/$46 (Seniors 65+) covers docent-guided tour and museum admission. Spots are filled first pay, first goes. If you are a museum member you still have to pay this fee. Their rules, not ours. Sorry 😞
HOW TO PAY: Use Friends and Family! Do not use the business option because it charges me a fee. Please note the event name or date on your payment. If your payment name is different than your Meetup name, please make sure you note your Meetup name.
Venmo - @audrey-Heller1 (phone ends in 4478)
PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/AudreyBug
NOVEL: I Always Loved You, by Robin Oliveira
Genre: Historical Fiction, Art Fiction
The young Mary Cassatt never thought moving to Paris after the Civil War to be an artist was going to be easy, but when, after a decade of work, her submission to the Paris Salon is rejected, Mary’s fierce determination wavers. Her father is begging her to return to Philadelphia to find a husband before it is too late, her sister Lydia is falling mysteriously ill, and worse, Mary is beginning to doubt herself. Then one evening a friend introduces her to Edgar Degas and her life changes forever. Years later she will learn that he had begged for the introduction, but in that moment their meeting seems a miracle. So begins the defining period of her life and the most tempestuous of relationships.
In I Always Loved You, Robin Oliveira brilliantly re-creates the irresistible world of Belle Époque Paris, writing with grace and uncommon insight into the passion and foibles of the human heart.
***
TOUR: Guided tour of Mary Cassatt at Work exhibit
Where: Philadelphia Museum of Art
Mary Cassatt at Work is the first major exhibition of the artist's work since 1999. As a celebrated member of the French Impressionists, Cassatt challenged the conventional expectations of Philadelphia's elite. The exhibition presents 130 diverse works that follow Cassatt's evolving practice and demonstrates her interest in the "serious work" of artmaking.
LUNCH:
After the Tour: We'll head to _TBD___to discuss the book
Pay on your own for your meal [bring small unmarked bills (I crack myself up 😜) to make payment easier!].
Happy reading