The Book Club has increased its ranks of readers and eaters, but we began in 1993 with just four members.

Donna Divina and Jean the Judicious were the instigators of the organization and invited Patrice Passionata and Lorraine La Belle to join them. Our first meeting was at Jean's house on October 21, 1993 to discuss Dakota.

"A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity, and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at noon, and by moonlight." - Robertson Davies (1913 - 1995)

From the beginning it was clear that as much as we enjoyed reading, our primary pastimes were going to be eating and drinking and talking and laughing. We soon added Dorothy Dangereuse and Didi Desperado to our group of fun-lovers. Rachelle the Reckless joined us soon after and added an enthusiastic note to our proceedings, in spite of the fact that she was geographically undesirable.

For several years, we met once a month in turn at one another's house for dinner, but we have also met at various restaurants in Manhattan. Once a year for major treats, Donna has invited us to Fire Island for an early season week-end, and Pat has hosted week-ends in the Catskills.

We have lost Rachele and Dorothy to other geographies and to other pursuits, but the Venezuelan firecracker, Dessy Dazzle, joined us in December of 2003; and we welcomed Norma Notorious and Becky Bewitcher in February of 2006.

We are looking for other like-minded people for the group. If you think you are someone who would fit in, send Lorraine an email.

Here are some members of the group enjoying some of our favorite activities:

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"Let us read and let us dance - two amusements that will never do any harm to the world." - Voltaire (1694 - 1778)

How pleasant the salt anesthetic
Of the air and the sand and the sun;
Leave the earth to the strong and athletic,
And the sea to adventure upon.
But the sun and the sand
No contractor can copy;
We lie in the land
Of the lotus and poppy;
We vegetate, calm and aesthetic,
On the beach, on the sand, in the sun.
--Ogden Nash

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"A good book is the best of friends, the same to-day and for ever." - Martin Farquhar Tupper (1810 - 1889)

Serenely full,
The epicure would say,
Fate cannot harm me,
I have dined today.
--Sydney Smith

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"You can never be too thin, too rich, or have too many books." - Carter Burden (1941 - 1996)

Whatever women do
they must do twice as well as men
to be thought half as good.
Luckily, this is not difficult.
--Charlotte Whitton

"Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint." --Mark Twain

Updated 09/13/06 by LRH
A Knotty Piner Production

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