My friend, Casey, treated the Book B*tches to the most incredible night several weeks ago. Our July pick was The Five Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand, which is now my favorite EH novel. Not only is it the best EH book, it’s also the perfect book club book. So much to discuss! And so much food content! Menu planning for this gathering was amost overwhelming for Casey, but she hit a homerun. I don’t want to give anything away, but trust me when I tell you to read this with your book club. Or by yourself. Just read it.
Book Club
Here’s what Amazon says:
Hollis Shaw’s life seems picture-perfect. She’s the creator of the popular food blog Hungry with Hollis and is married to Matthew, a dreamy heart surgeon. But after she and Matthew get into a heated argument one snowy morning, he leaves for the airport and is killed in a car accident. The cracks in Hollis’s perfect life—her strained marriage and her complicated relationship with her daughter, Caroline—grow deeper.
So when Hollis hears about something called a “Five-Star Weekend”—one woman organizes a trip for her best friend from each phase of her life: her teenage years, her twenties, her thirties, and midlife—she decides to host her own Five-Star Weekend on Nantucket. But the weekend doesn’t turn out to be a joyful Hallmark movie.
The husband of Hollis’s childhood friend Tatum arranges for Hollis’s first love, Jack Finigan, to spend time with them, stirring up old feelings. Meanwhile, Tatum is forced to play nice with abrasive and elitist Dru-Ann, Hollis’s best friend from UNC Chapel Hill. Dru-Ann’s career as a prominent Chicago sports agent is on the line after her comments about a client’s mental health issues are misconstrued online. Brooke, Hollis’s friend from their thirties, has just discovered that her husband is having an inappropriate relationship with a woman at work. Again! And then there’s Gigi, a stranger to everyone (including Hollis) who reached out to Hollis through her blog. Gigi embodies an unusual grace and, as it happens, has many secrets.
Get it here: https://amzn.to/3OJTZHf
Casey even sent us home with goodie bags, which contained breakfast for the next morning.
Nautical Nantucket vibes made for a beautiful tablescape. Most of us dressed in black and white, just as Hollis requested of her besties.
Casey and I happen to have birthdays one day apart (July 26 and 27…I’m one day older). Our fellow b*tches surprised us with crowns and champagne. I love this group! We have too much fun together.
Birthday Buddies
Casey, thank you for the delicious, festive night! And ladies, thank you for making this old lady feel special.
Happy reading!
