ZLAC Book Club — March 25, 2025

For Members and their Guests

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

by Mark Twain

Note that this fall we’ll discuss James: A Novel, by Percival Everett. This is a reimagining of Mark Twain’s novel, told from the enslaved Jim’s point of view. It has been described as thrilling, harrowing, and darkly humorous.

Meeting location is the clubhouse. You may bring your own dinner or snack. BYOB.

The book club includes a rating system.

We think it’s fun to know what our ZLAC community thinks of a book! The system is from 1 to 5, with 2.5 being that you would recommend the book with some hesitation. Anything between 2.5 to 5 is how much you liked it. And anything below 2.5 is how much you hated it.

Don't be shy, all views and opinions are welcome! We will collect the scores and average them, then post the ZLAC score in the following month's Eight Oars newsletter.

Can't make the in-person meeting? No problem! Email your score to: carolynw.ca@gmail.com AND valeriekayelewis@gmail.com, and you will be included in the scoring.

Book description from Amazon.com:

The novel's preeminence derives from its wonderfully imaginative re-creation of boyhood adventures along the Mississippi River, its inspired characterization, the author's remarkable ear for dialogue, and the book's understated development of serious underlying themes: "natural" man versus "civilized" society, the evils of slavery, the innate value and dignity of human beings, and other topics.

You do not need to have read the book to attend!

If you're looking to support small businesses, consider shopping locally with Mysterious Galaxy Books, Warwicks Books, La Playa Books, and Bluestocking Books. Most have free or discounted shipping, and in some cases free local delivery. Purchases from Bookshop.org also support small bookstores.

ZLAC Book Club — February 13, 2025

For Members and their Guests

Bel Canto

by Ann Patchett

This meeting will be held at the home of ZLAC member Valerie Lewis. You may bring your own dinner or snack. BYOB.

The book club includes a rating system.

We think it’s fun to know what our ZLAC community thinks of a book! The system is from 1 to 5, with 2.5 being that you would recommend the book with some hesitation. Anything between 2.5 to 5 is how much you liked it. And anything below 2.5 is how much you hated it.

Don't be shy, all views and opinions are welcome! We will collect the scores and average them, then post the ZLAC score in the following month's Eight Oars newsletter.

Can't make the in-person meeting? No problem! Email your score to: carolynw.ca@gmail.com AND valeriekayelewis@gmail.com, and you will be included in the scoring.

Book description from Goodreads.com:

Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of the powerful businessman Mr. Hosokawa. Roxane Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the international guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening — until a band of gun-wielding terrorists takes the entire party hostage. But what begins as a panicked, life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different, a moment of great beauty, as terrorists and hostages forge unexpected bonds and people from different continents become compatriots, intimate friends, and lovers.

You do not need to have read the book to attend!

If you're looking to support small businesses, consider shopping locally with Mysterious Galaxy Books, Warwicks Books, La Playa Books, and Bluestocking Books. Most have free or discounted shipping, and in some cases free local delivery. Purchases from Bookshop.org also support small bookstores.

ZLAC Book Club — January 9, 2025

For Members and their Guests

Table for Two

by Amor Towles

This meeting will be held at the home of ZLAC member Valerie Lewis, as the clubhouse will be closed for maintenance. You may bring your own dinner or snack. BYOB.

The book club includes a rating system.

We think it’s fun to know what our ZLAC community thinks of a book! The system is from 1 to 5, with 2.5 being that you would recommend the book with some hesitation. Anything between 2.5 to 5 is how much you liked it. And anything below 2.5 is how much you hated it.

Don't be shy, all views and opinions are welcome! We will collect the scores and average them, then post the ZLAC score in the following month's Eight Oars newsletter.

Can't make the in-person meeting? No problem! Email your score to: carolynw.ca@gmail.com AND valeriekayelewis@gmail.com, and you will be included in the scoring.

Book description from Goodreads.com:

The millions of readers of Amor Towles are in for a treat as he shares some of his shorter six stories set in New York City and a novella in Los Angeles. The New York stories, most of which are set around the turn of the millennium, take up everything from the death-defying acrobatics of the male ego to the fateful consequences of brief encounters, and the delicate mechanics of compromise which operate at the heart of modern marriages.

In Towles’s novel, Rules of Civility, the indomitable Evelyn Ross leaves New York City in September, 1938, with the intention of returning home to Indiana. But as her train pulls into Chicago, where her parents are waiting, she instead extends her ticket to Los Angeles. Told from seven points of view, “Eve in Hollywood” describes how Eve crafts a new future for herself — and others — in the midst of Hollywood’s golden age.

Throughout the stories, two characters often find themselves sitting across a table for two where the direction of their futures may hinge upon what they say to each other next.

Written with his signature wit, humor, and sophistication, Table for Two is another glittering addition to Towles’s canon of stylish and transporting historical fiction.

You do not need to have read the book to attend!

If you're looking to support small businesses, consider shopping locally with Mysterious Galaxy Books, Warwicks Books, La Playa Books, and Bluestocking Books. Most have free or discounted shipping, and in some cases free local delivery. Purchases from Bookshop.org also support small bookstores.

ZLAC Holiday Tea — December 15, 2024

For all members and their guests. Bring the kids! Prospective members welcome too!

Please RSVP here.

Details in the flyer below.

Friendsgiving at ZLAC — November 17, 2024

For all members and their guests. Prospective members welcome too!

Details in the flyer below.

ZLAC’s Restorative Discussion — October 26, 2024

For ZLAC members only. Details in the flyer below.

Please RSVP here by October 19 to reserve your spot!

Halloween Costume Karaoke Party — October 25, 2024

For all members and their guests. Prospective members welcome too!

Details in the flyer below.

ZLAC Book Club — October 22, 2024

For Members and their Guests

Hamnet

by Maggie O’Farrell

This meeting will be in-person at ZLAC. You may bring your own dinner or snack. BYOB.

The book club includes a rating system.

We think it’s fun to know what our ZLAC community thinks of a book! The system is from 1 to 5, with 2.5 being that you would recommend the book with some hesitation. Anything between 2.5 to 5 is how much you liked it. And anything below 2.5 is how much you hated it.

Don't be shy, all views and opinions are welcome! We will collect the scores and average them, then post the ZLAC score in the following month's Eight Oars newsletter.

Can't make the in-person meeting? No problem! Email your score to: carolynw.ca@gmail.com AND valeriekayelewis@gmail.com, and you will be included in the scoring.

England, 1580: The Black Death creeps across the land, an ever-present threat, infecting the healthy, the sick, the old and the young alike. The end of days is near, but life always goes on. A young Latin tutor—penniless and bullied by a violent father—falls in love with an extraordinary, eccentric young woman. Agnes is a wild creature who walks her family's land with a falcon on her glove and is known throughout the countryside for her unusual gifts as a healer, understanding plants and potions better than she does people. Once she settles with her husband on Henley Street in Stratford-upon-Avon, she becomes a fiercely protective mother and a steadfast, centrifugal force in the life of her young husband, whose career on the London stage is just taking off when his beloved young son succumbs to sudden fever.

You do not need to have read the book to attend!

If you're looking to support small businesses, consider shopping locally with Mysterious Galaxy Books, Warwicks Books, La Playa Books, and Bluestocking Books. Most have free or discounted shipping, and in some cases free local delivery. Purchases from Bookshop.org also support small bookstores.

ZLAC Annual Meeting 2024

Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at 6:30 pm

(Doors open and refreshments served at 6:00 pm.)

For ZLAC members only. See details below.

Important: Please RSVP Here >>

ZLAC Book Club — September 19, 2024

For Members and their Guests

The Speed of Dark

by Elizabeth Moon

This meeting will be in-person at ZLAC. You may bring your own dinner or snack. BYOB.

The book club includes a rating system.

We think it’s fun to know what our ZLAC community thinks of a book! The system is from 1 to 5, with 2.5 being that you would recommend the book with some hesitation. Anything between 2.5 to 5 is how much you liked it. And anything below 2.5 is how much you hated it.

Don't be shy, all views and opinions are welcome! We will collect the scores and average them, then post the ZLAC score in the following month's Eight Oars newsletter.

Can't make the in-person meeting? No problem! Email your score to: carolynw.ca@gmail.com AND valeriekayelewis@gmail.com, and you will be included in the scoring.

In the near future, disease will be a condition of the past. Most genetic defects will be removed at birth; the remaining during infancy. Lou Arrendale, a high-functioning autistic adult, is a member of the lost generation, born at the wrong time to reap the rewards of medical science. He lives a low-key, independent life. But then he is offered a chance to try a brand-new experimental “cure” for his condition. With this treatment Lou would think and act and be just like everyone else. But if he was suddenly free of autism, would he still be himself? Would he still love the same classical music—with its complications and resolutions? Would he still see the same colors and patterns in the world—shades and hues that others cannot see? Most important, would he still love Marjory, a woman who may never be able to reciprocate his feelings? Now Lou must decide if he should submit to a surgery that might completely change the way he views the world . . . and the very essence of who he is.

You do not need to have read the book to attend!

If you're looking to support small businesses, consider shopping locally with Mysterious Galaxy Books, Warwicks Books, La Playa Books, and Bluestocking Books. Most have free or discounted shipping, and in some cases free local delivery. Purchases from Bookshop.org also support small bookstores.

Salt Water Day 2024

Sunday, August 25, 2024 at 11:00 am

For ZLAC members and their guests. Bring the kids!

Order your commemorative t-shirt here! Women’s sizes.

Please RSVP

ZLAC Book Club — August 6, 2024

For Members and their Guests

Fresh Water for Flowers

by Valerie Perrin (translated by Hildegarde Serle)

This meeting will be in-person at ZLAC. You may bring your own dinner or snack. BYOB.

NEW! The book club includes a rating system.

We think it might be fun to see what our ZLAC community thinks of a book! The system is from 1 to 5, with 2.5 being that you would recommend the book with some hesitation. Anything between 2.5 to 5 is how much you liked it. And anything below 2.5 is how much you hated it.

Don't be shy, all views and opinions are welcome! We will collect the scores and average them, then post the ZLAC score in the following month's Eight Oars newsletter.

Can't make the in-person meeting? No problem! Email your score to: carolynw.ca@gmail.com AND valeriekayelewis@gmail.com, and you will be included in the scoring.

French novelist Valerie Perrin wrote this funny yet moving story of Violette Toussaint, a caretaker at a cemetery in a small town in Bourgogne. One day the local police chief arrives with a strange request: to deposit his mother’s ashes on the gravesite of a complete stranger. We soon find that his mother’s story is intertwined with Violette’s secret past.

You do not need to have read the book to attend!

If you're looking to support small businesses, consider shopping locally with Mysterious Galaxy Books, Warwicks Books, La Playa Books, and Bluestocking Books. Most have free or discounted shipping, and in some cases free local delivery. Purchases from Bookshop.org also support small bookstores.

ZLAC Book Club — June 27, 2024

For Members and their Guests

Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage

by Alice Munro

This meeting will be in-person at ZLAC. You may bring your own dinner or snack. BYOB.

NEW! The book club will now include a rating system.

We think it might be fun to see what our ZLAC community thinks of a book! The system is from 1 to 5, with 2.5 being that you would recommend the book with some hesitation. Anything between 2.5 to 5 is how much you liked it. And anything below 2.5 is how much you hated it.

Don't be shy, all views and opinions are welcome! We will collect the scores and average them, then post the ZLAC score in the following month's Eight Oars newsletter.

Can't make the in-person meeting? No problem! Email your score to: carolynw.ca@gmail.com AND valeriekayelewis@gmail.com, and you will be included in the scoring.

Canadian author Alice Munro won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013, with good reason: she is widely considered a master and innovator of the short story. Munro passed away in May, and we honor her by reading and discussing this book of short stories, published in 2001.

You do not need to have read the book to attend!

If you're looking to support small businesses, consider shopping locally with Mysterious Galaxy Books, Warwicks Books, La Playa Books, and Bluestocking Books. Most have free or discounted shipping, and in some cases free local delivery. Purchases from Bookshop.org also support small bookstores.

Terrace Luncheon

Saturday, June 15, 2024 at 12:00 pm

Sold out! Thanks to all who purchased tickets. See you there!

ZLAC Book Club — May 30, 2024

For Members and their Guests

Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein

This meeting will be in-person at ZLAC. You may bring your own dinner or snack. BYOB.

NEW! The book club will now include a rating system.

We think it might be fun to see what our ZLAC community thinks of a book! The system is from 1 to 5, with 2.5 being that you would recommend the book with some hesitation. Anything between 2.5 to 5 is how much you liked it. And anything below 2.5 is how much you hated it.

Don't be shy, all views and opinions are welcome! We will collect the scores and average them, then post the ZLAC score in the following month's Eight Oars newsletter.

Can't make the in-person meeting? No problem! Email your score to: carolynw.ca@gmail.com AND valeriekayelewis@gmail.com, and you will be included in the scoring.

This book is about true crime but so much more: it's about identity and history as well. Hard to believe it's a true story! Read more about it at Goodreads.

You do not need to have read the book to attend!

If you're looking to support small businesses, consider shopping locally with Mysterious Galaxy Books, Warwicks Books, La Playa Books, and Bluestocking Books. Most have free or discounted shipping, and in some cases free local delivery. Purchases from Bookshop.org also support small bookstores.

Garden Tea

Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 2:00 pm

Organized by Crew XII for ZLAC members and their guests.

New Member Tea

For ZLAC Members

Sunday, May 5, 2024 at 2:00 pm

Please join us for afternoon tea to welcome, honor, and celebrate our new ZLAC members!

If you plan to attend, please RSVP to membership@zlac.org by April 30.

Holiday Tea 2023

This free event is for members and their guests.

Attending? Please RSVP to our Social Chair.

We also need volunteers to assist with setup and food prep. Please contact the Social Chair.

ZLAC Book Club — October 2023

For Members and their Guests

This meeting will be in-person at ZLAC!

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear, are invited to a isolated mansion on Indian Island by a host who, surprisingly, fails to appear. On the island they are cut off from everything but each other and the inescapable shadows of their own past lives. One by one, the guests share the darkest secrets of their wicked pasts. And one by one, they die...

 Which among them is the killer and will any of them survive?

You do not need to have read the book to attend!

If you're looking to support small businesses during these difficult times, consider shopping locally with Mysterious Galaxy Books, Warwicks Books, La Playa Books, and Bluestocking Books--most have free or discounted shipping, no-contact pick up, and in some cases free local delivery. Purchases from Bookshop.org also support small bookstores.