The Beginning Idea of a CCL Book Club
I said two years ago about a CCL Book Club, “Starting a Book Club has been calling to me for a few years. In 2021, I asked if anyone was interested, and a few of you said “Yes.” But I didn’t jump in – honestly, a bit of overwhelming emotion jumped into my head. I couldn’t decide which books to read. So the idea has been swirling around for a year, yodeling at me. Therefore, to calm the yodeler and listen to my heart’s yearnings, I am starting A Carefully Curated Life (CCL) Book Club (in 2022).” The same idea holds for the 2025 CCL Book Club.
We’re still following this plan, “This CCL Book Club is a place to read about ideas in different aspects of life. Above all, not all Self-Help books. But books that circle our lives. These are ideas that we can ponder with compassionate conversation. Not every idea will resonate with each of us. ‘I Dwell in Possibility,’ as Emily Dickinson wrote, leads the way; then we can decide whether it works for us. I want us to read various subjects – interior/home design, gardening/special interests, inspiration, lifestyles, and a bit of fiction.”
These past few years have been a lot of fun with “Books, ideas, and community. I love the thought of us chatting about which idea(s) from the book called to us – good, bad, and a great big ‘What?’. This book club isn’t to “Fix a life”; it is for us to mull over ideas. Finally, it is to get past “like” and “didn’t like” with thoughtful ponderings.”
Drumroll, please, the 2025 CCL Book Club Selections
“What is the lineup of 2025 CCL book club books?” I am smiling and laughing at myself again this year – I cannot narrow it down to a couple of books. So we chatted, and you all helped guide me. During one of our book club meetings, it was requested that we include a couple of fiction books, so I paid attention to that request. The following selections tell a bit about each without my opinion – I’m saving my thoughts for our monthly Zoom meeting.
January
An inspirational book to start the new year – choose a book by author Gretchen Rubin. Her first book, The Happiness Project, was a #1 New York Times bestseller from 2019. She has many other books. Reader’s choice: Please choose one that interests you and share it with the community.
February
An interior design book, The House in Good Taste by Elsie deWolfe, is a classic written in 1913. Some information about her from Wikipedia: ‘Elsie de Wolfe, Lady Mendl was an American actress who became a very prominent interior designer and author.’ With another statement to note, ‘Her striking success there firmly established her as America’s first woman professional interior decorator. De Wolfe’s pronounced and distinctly anti-Victorian taste helped shape that of her generation.’ We all enjoy discussing interior design – why not learn more about the first woman designer? If you wish to know more before reading the book, check out InteriorsIcons blog on her.
March
Spring is coming this month, so let’s start with a garden book, Terrain: Ideas and Inspirations for Decorating Home & Garden, edited by Greg Lehmkuhl. This book is full of ideas for everything gardening.
April
We all love cooking and cooking shows. This book describes a lady who does both. Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten. I will admit to not having read this yet, but I listened to its beginning on Audible and was intrigued. Ms. Garten is the narrator.
May – herb garden
The Cook’s Herb Garden: Grow, Harvest, Cook by Jeff Cox. Last year, a few of our ladies asked for an herb book. I searched and couldn’t find one I felt good suggesting. I chose this book because it covers a lot of herbs for beginner herb growers/users and those who have grown them for a while. It goes beyond the well-known herbs to a few regional ones, along with tips for growing, harvesting, using, and cooking.
June – cooking entertaining
This book, Why We Cook by Lindsay Gardner, was chosen for all the ideas and information it contains. While reading it, I wondered what others would think of essays, so I picked it and can’t wait to hear what you all have to say. Amazon describes it as this, “Join the conversation . . .With more than one hundred women restaurateurs, activists, food writers, professional chefs, and home cooks—all of whom are changing the world of food. Featuring essays, profiles, recipes, and more, Why We Cook is curated and illustrated by author and artist Lindsay Gardner, whose visual storytelling gifts bring nuance and insight into their words and their work, revealing the power of food to nourish, uplift, inspire curiosity, and effect change.”
July – fiction
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (there is a study guide on Goodreads). This book was selected by a couple of ladies in our group, along with a Goodreads rating of 4.57 and a Best of #BookTok; I can’t wait to read it. Amazon states from John Green, ‘This acclaimed post-apocalyptic novel of hope and terror from an award-winning author “pairs well with 1984 or The Handmaid’s Tale” and includes a foreword by LeVar Burton and an afterword by N. K. Jemisin (John Green, New York Times).’
August – self-help
The Handbook of Forgotten Skills: Timeless Fun for a New Generation by E. Batiste and N. Crowley is an engaging step-by-step guide to basic skills—something light, fun, and educational for a summer read. I can’t wait to hear what skills interest our book club members.
September
I chose this book because it is another interior design and lifestyle book that teaches about a new idea. We have studied Hygge in the past, and now we move on to another philosophy, Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life, by Beth Kempton.
October
A classic fiction tale, Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, seems fitting for October and Halloween. I think we’ve all seen some version of the movie – why not read the book?
November
A garden, floral design, and inspirational writing all wrapped up in one book, The Flower Hunter: Creating a Floral Love Story Inspired by the Landscape by Lucy Hunter. Goodreads says, ‘In The Flower Hunter, Lucy Hunter takes us on an inspirational journey through a year in her garden and artist’s studio set among the mountains of North Wales. Lucy’s evocative, gently humorous words accompany her glorious photographs and exquisite floral arrangements, as she encourages the reader to marvel at the intricate cycles of the natural world, develop their own innate creativity, and to look for beauty in the everyday.’
December
Christmas by the Book by Anne Marie Ryan. Goodreads states, “A heartfelt and lovely Christmas tale for book lovers everywhere!”—Jenny Colgan, author of The Bookshop on the Shore.” A reviewer said, “Santa came early this year and delivered a spirit-lifting holiday-themed novel that’s entirely successful in being what it set out to be: a comforting Christmas story.”
The Details are the Same as in Previous Years.
Specifically, there will be no charge. A Carefully Curated Life Book Club will meet via Zoom; we started at the end of Covid on Zoom, so we’ll stay there. In truth, I love our diverse group spread out across the country.
Please sign up to get the Zoom link and the Book List. This way, you will be notified when we have decided on the TBD books or have any changes to the meeting dates. Please jump over to this landing page to sign up and for group details. Feel free to invite friends.
Leave a Reply