Forever is Over by Calvin Wade

 Let me just start by saying that this book comes with a warning....it is 618 pages long! Yes, you heard me correctly...here is how this book was picked. 
It was my month to select a book, I did research and found that Forever is Over by Calvin Wade came with VERY high reviews. I tried valiantly to upload it on my Kindle, but it wasn't yet available on Kindle so I ordered the book on Amazon, (still unaware of how long it was). When the 90 lb. "brick" was dropped off at my doorstep a few days later I soon realized that this would probably NOT be our February book due to it's girth and the simple fact that I didn't want to be lynched by my fellow Book Clubbers. I decided that since I bought it, I would at least give it a chance and begin reading. I figured that I would probably be immediately bored to tears and justifiably throw it in the "round file" or donate it to our local library, however 5 days, a box of Kleenex and 618 pages later I was smitten.
I am both happy and relieved to say that most of us felt the same way about the book and I will not be disowned. About half of us thought the book could have been condensed a bit to lessen the length, while the other half enjoyed every little detail and thought it was OK. Since the book is so long a few of us had difficulty finding the time to devote to the book due to work and family situations so we also agreed that this book should be read when you know you will have the time to read it.
It's a journey through the life of Richie Billingham and the people he is close to.  I really hate to spoil stories and I don't want to give a lot of details re: content. I really try to let the reader's journey be their own without a lot of preconceived notions to set the tone in advance however, I will say that this book is written in a very clever way. The story is told from the perspective of several different people and sometimes a certain event or incident will be re told by 3 to 4 people so each time you are able to see the event from a different set of eyes. It's very interesting to experience this author's writing style. We also felt like this book was easy to read and there are many laughs throughout. 
We loved this book that focuses on life, love and precious time and do recommend it to all of you. Happy Reading!

Appetizers: Mozarella Caprese and Olive Tepanade
Dinner: Homemade Lasagna
Dessert: Lemon Tart with Fresh Blueberries, Lemon Curd and Whipped Cream
Wine: Pinot Noir and Syrah

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

This was our January 2012 book and it was wonderful! Many of us are animal lovers and so we could really relate to this book and it's unique style of being written by the dog, Enzo.
This is a story about a man named Denny who is a race car driver and the hardships that he must endure during the time he was Enzo's owner. I don't want to give any of the story away to a prospective reader but I can tell you that it's about perseverance, courage and strength and it will leave you with a whole new way you might look at your pets in the future!
As in many books written about dogs lately, it does take place during Enzo's life, so we can assume already that tears will fall! Please don't let this discourage you from reading it. Truth be told, I would have read this book over a year ago but my hesitance to read anything that may be sad about a dog stopped me. I am glad it was our January pick and we all highly recommend it to you as well!

Note- I thought it might be fun to start mentioning at the bottom of each review what we had for dinner...I mean we all love food and this could give you some good ideas for your next get together!!

Appetizer: Quiche Dip
Main Course: Penne with Truffle Butter and Parmesan Cheese (Deeelish!)
Dessert: Chocolate Macaroon Cake with Cream
Wine: Red, White and Port