Do you love to quilt AND love to read? I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club. Each month, we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book. I research several potential blocks to go with the book's themes, setting, main characters, and events. And I find the patterns free on the internet, making it easy for everyone to access. Each member can choose the block or blocks they'd like to make. I'll also make sure each book is available on Kindle since so many people use that format for reading.
To join, become a follower of my blog so you won't miss any blog post. Leave a comment, letting us know you'd like to join. That's it! To make it super convenient, you can also sign up for my posts to be delivered right to you via email. If you are reading my posts via email, be sure to click through to my blog to be able to comment and to read the comments of others.
Our book to read and discuss during May 2013 is Alice's Tulips by Sandra Dallas. It's historical fiction set in Iowa during the Civil War.
"Alice Bullock is a young newlywed whose husband, Charlie, has just joined the Union Army, leaving her on his Iowa farm with only his formidable mother for company. Alice writes lively letters to her sister filled with accounts of local quilting bees, the rigors of farm life, and the customs of small-town America. But no town is too small for intrigue and treachery, and when Alice finds herself accused of murder, she discovers her own hidden strengths. Rich in details of quilting, Civil War-era America, and the realities of a woman's life in the nineteenth century, Alice's Tulips is Sandra Dallas at her best."
Get a copy of Alice's Tulips at your local library and come join us. If you'd like to know more about Sandra Dallas, visit her website here.
Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting is the winner of Marie Bostwick's latest novel, Between Heaven and Texas. Congratulations, Cheryl! This month's Quilters' Book Club giveaway is Jennifer Chiaverini's latest novel, Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker. Every time you comment on a book club blog, your name will be entered into the giveaway.
Alice's Tulips is written in the form of letters. (A novel told through letters is known as an epistolary novel.) Have you ever read a novel written in this format? Answer in the comments selection below for a chance to win this month's giveaway.
You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.
The Civil War Diary Quilt by Rosemary Youngs (121 stories and the quilt blocks they inspired) would be the closest thing to a epistolary novel that I've read.
ReplyDeleteI am already a follower of your blog but haven't joined the book club yet. I'd like to do to join in if I may. I'll need to hunt up the book to read. :)
ReplyDeletei read the heavens are weeping which was a journal of a man during the civil war. very interesting! haven't done one solely based on letters though. one of jan karon's mitford books has a lot of letters back and forth between father tim and cynthia. liked that a lot. moved the plot nicely i thought. also, gave one a better glimpse of the inner character.
ReplyDeletejust started reading a book that you may want to consider for the reading club. "A quilted legacy" by david f r e l i g h (had to separate the letters or it kept self correcting to firelight) it is his first novel and he is a local boy.....from wrightwood california
Epistolary novels ... I haven't heard that term before ... I think I have read some but can't remember what. I do love historical fiction. When I was a kid, I hated history in school because it was all about remembering dates (and I can't even write numbers in order at all). Then, a teacher read us "Johnny Tremaine" and I could hardly wait for the next chapter. I think the book had just been published and was a Newberry winner so it was a good book for kids. Letters and diaries bring history alive.
ReplyDeleteI've got the Civil War Diary Quilt book also. Very interesting read. Haven't read Sandra Dallas books in a long time, but have always enjoyed hers. I look forward to reading this one.
ReplyDeleteNo, I have not read an epistolary novel before. This will be my first. I am a follower.
ReplyDeleteYes I have read an epistolary novel or two in my past. I read so many books that I can't remember the name of all of them. I have 3 books that I am reading right now in 3 different places. I keep a book handy for any time I have idle time on my hands. Might only get a paragraph at a time in, but, at least I am getting it in. LOL!
ReplyDeleteThe term epistolary novel is also new to me. However, I am intrigued with the Reproduction Fabrics and have added a number of the quilt books that fall into this category and enjoyed reading them: The Civil War Anniversary Quilts, The Civil War Love Letter Quilt, The Civil War Diary Quilt, The Farmer's Wife Pony Club Sampler Quilt, and Quilts from the American Homefront. I have dreams of making many of these quilts! I also will be joining your Book Club.
ReplyDeleteI happened across your blog just recently and thought it was a great idea to combine reading novels with quilting. I would love to join in on you monthly book event. It just so happens that I have Alice's Tulips in paper back on my bookshelf to read this summer. I have enjoyed other Sandra Dallas books so I look forward to reading more of her novels.
ReplyDeleteI love the use of letters in books, even if they are a small part of the format. I love that it adds a first person narrative and you get to imagine the "other half" of the dialogue going on. It's also a wonderful tool for adding a lot of description of people, places and things as it is quite logical for the letter writer to have to describe their surroundings. I loved Alice's Tulips and will give it a re-read this month!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of the term epistolary, let alone read one! However, it does sound like it would be interesting... is the book available as an ebook? Being a long distance truck driver, I would end up paying HUGE overdue book fees at the library :-)
ReplyDeleteI have never read a book of letters before but it sounds interesting. I have read a book by Dallas a while back. I think it was called The Persian Pickle Society? That sounds wrong. will look it up. I am delighted to find this group.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best books I've read recently is in the form of letters - it's called The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows. I highly recommend it. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI am really looking forward to reading this book, just have to finish my current novel first.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to have found this book club, the advance notice of books is great too, especially for overseas readers who have to source the books from places other than kindle.
Bought the book on my Kindle last night and read the first two chapters after seeing Iron Man 3 (could exactly go right to sleep after that movie). So clearly I am in.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of an epistolary novel before and I'm married to a librarian. So clearly he isn't sharing his knowledge!
My CW quilt that I will be working on during this time is a two sided quilt. The first side is a CW BOM from long ago from an LQS called Thimbles, so I call it the Thimbles top. The other side will be Bonnie Hunter's Sister's Choice, made from the scraps. I bought an extra half yard of each BOM fabric just for this purpose and that was a long time ago.
Kathleen S.
Normal, IL
I got my book today and had to sit right down and start to read it. I love it so far. I've both laughed and cried in parts. One of the parts I was chuckling about was when she was saying that she was so tired of making the same pattern over and over. Wow. It's mind boggling that these ladies hand stitched and hand quilted these quilts and managed to get so many done!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to get this book for my summer vacation. Quilting combined with my home state will probably make me home sick though!
ReplyDeleteI have read Debbie Macomber's BETWEEN FRIENDS.
ReplyDeleteI am now a follower and would love to join the book reading and quilting club. As for reading an (new word) epistolary book, I have not but have the book "Alice's Tulips" coming to my small but oh so wonderful library. Thanks for sharing. Blessings and smiles, Emilou :-)
ReplyDeleteHas it been decided yet what we are reading for the month of June?
ReplyDeleteIf so I must have missed it.
Peg
I list the Quilters' Book Club selections for several months ahead in the section titled Schedule at the top of my blog. For the month of June, we're reading The Lover's Knot by Clare O'Donohue - the first of A Someday Quilts Mystery Series.
ReplyDeleteI am not familiar with this author but the book sounds quite interesting. I really do like stories written in the context of letters and it is not that common to find stories in this manner. Would love to win and get familiar with this author. Thanks for the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteSewCalGal
www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com