Though it was only a Zoom celebration, the members of Fictional Friends celebrated ten years of reading and also dining together before COVID 19. As their Fearless Leader who is only fearful of seeing my face in photos, (note the black rectangle top center) I compiled the following ten lists of Top Ten this and thats of the past ten years. The only one for which the members were allowed to vote was the Top Ten Books and you’ll see how unruly that became.
THE TOP TEN GUESTS WE’VE HAD IN THE TEN YEARS WE’VE BEEN A BOOK CLUB
10. THE GIRL WHO MADE THE MICROWAVE SMELL BAD AT SHARON’S PLACE
9. MARY’S NEIGHBOR’S BARKING DOG (AGGRAVATED BY SUSAN)
8. ALL THE HUSBANDS/BOYFRIENDS WHO HAVE MADE GUEST APPEARANCES
7. ARCHIE, SHADOW, ROSIE, SHADOW AND MINNIE
6. MY FRIEND DEBBIE WHO JOINED US FOR MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN AND THE SUMMER THAT MELTED EVERYTHING (COME FOR THE FOOD, STAY TO HELP ME CLEAN UP)
5. MARCIA’S SISTER, WHO TRAVELLED THE FURTHEST TO JOIN US
4. FRANCES BECAUSE SHE HELPS WITH DESSERT
3. MELISSA’S FRIEND WHO MADE A LOVELY MEAL FOR THE BOOK CUTTING FOR STONE
2. NILS, ON THE NIGHT HE EXPLAINED ABOUT THE SOLAR SYSTEM
1. DENNY, BECAUSE YES I AM AN INDULGENT GRAMMA AND I MADE THE LIST
THE TOP TEN MEETINGS WITH THE BEST MOOD AND SPECIAL EFFECTS WE’VE HAD IN THE TEN YEARS WE’VE BEEN A BOOK CLUB
10. MARY’S LOVELY SETTING FOR I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS WHICH IS POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE. YOU SHOULD REALLY CHECK IT OUT.
9. THE DECEMBER THAT LINDA BOUGHT A NEW CONDO AND A CHRISTMAS TREE JUST FOR THE BOOK CLUB FOR PURPLE HIBISCUS (AND THE COOKIE EXCHANGE)
8. CHRIS’ OUTDOOR SETTING COMPLETE WITH THE LIGHTS FROM CRATE AND BARREL FOR THE STONE DIARIES.
7. SUSAN’S PURCHASE OF NIGERIAN FABRIC FOR THE AMAZING NIGERIAN DINNER FOR THE FISHERMAN
6. THE PARROT AND CHOCOLATES FOR KAREN AND MARCIA’S HOSTING OF FLAUBERT’S PARROT
5. THE MENU AND PLACE CARDS FOR GERI’S MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS MEETING
4. MELISSA’S SETTING AND JEWELED MIRRORS FOR A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING
3. THE TIME WHEN SHARON DECORATED FOR CHRISTMAS IN OCTOBER FOR ACCIDENTAL TOURIST.
2. MELISSA’S SETTING AND PITH HELMETS FOR OUT OF AFRICA
NUMBER 1. THE ACTUAL MISTS OF AVALON THAT GERI ACCOMPLISHED WITH DRY ICE.
THE TOP TEN DRINKS MOSTLY OTHER THAN WINE IN THE TEN YEARS WE’VE BEEN A BOOK CLUB
10. THE STORY MY HUSBAND STILL TELLS ABOUT ME SERVING THE WINE WE HAD SHIPPED BACK FROM FRANCE — 2 BOTTLES OUT OF 6 FOR SARAH’S KEY
9. MELISSA’S SHOTS OF VODKA FOR CITY OF THIEVES
8. MY SHOTS OF JAMESON FOR HOLY ORDERS (RANKED HIGHER BECAUSE MINE WERE IN JAMESON SHOT GLASSES AND THE GIRLS GOT TO TAKE THEM HOME)
7. GERI’S CHRISTMAS PROSECCO WITH FROZEN CRANBERRIES SERVED FOR HALF-BROKE HORSES
6. MY POMEGRANITE MARGERITA’S FOR ANIMAL DREAMS
5. SHARON’S COFFEE WITH APPLE LIQUER FOR TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY
4. GERI’S VODKA PUNCH SERVED FOR THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE.
3. ROSALIE’S MEAD FOR KRISTIN LAVRANSDATTER
2. THE STONE FENCES SERVED AT GERI’S FOR THE GREAT LENORE
1. LINDA’S GIN SLINGS WHICH WERE MENTIONED IN LIFE AFTER LIFE
THE TOP TEN QUOTES IN THE TEN YEARS WE’VE BEEN A BOOK CLUB
10. God will judge us, Mr. Harris, by what we did to relieve the suffering of our fellow human beings. I don’t think God cares what doctrine we embrace. CUTTING FOR STONE
9.In spite of all his irritating qualities, I couldn’t help liking a man who despised a fictional character with such passion. CITY OF THIEVES
8.When he reached the end, he did not die. He called your name and began to live in you.” CONSTELLATION OF VITAL PHENOMENA
7. “We’ve become a nation of indoor cats, he said.” HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING
6.“This them was not anybody in particular. It was just all the upstarts who had turned the world on its head and unsettled the ways of decent living.” A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND
5. “THE ONE PIECE OF BACH I LEARNT MADE ME FEEL I WAS BEING REPEATEDLY HIT ON THE HEAD WITH A TEASPOON.” I CAPTURE THE CASTLE
4.“The bridesmaids were in pastels: one the light peach of baby aspirin; one the seafoam green of low-dose clonazepam; the other the pale daffodil of the next lowest dose of clonazepam.” BARK by Lorrie Moore
3.I don’t want to start thinking about all the things we should have done for this man. LONESOME DOVE
2. “AFTER THAT SHE’S ALL SET AND THE WORLD IS HER ASHTRAY.” DUD AVOCADO
1. “These is white folks’ rules. I don’t know which ones you willing to break and which you ain’t.” THE HELP
THE TOP TEN DESSERTS WE’VE SERVED IN THE TEN YEARS WE’VE BEEN A BOOK CLUB
10.THE CHOCOLATE CAKE THAT CALLS FOR MASHED POTATOES THAT I MADE FOR THE ALL POTATO DINNER FOR EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED
9. THE SIMPLE BUT PERFECT SMORES SHARON SERVED FOR STATION 11
8. THE PEACH CRISP THAT MELISSA SERVED FOR A SHORT HISTORY OF A SMALL PLACE THAT I UNFORTUNATELY PREEMPTED WITH 100 CUPCAKES
7. THE APPLE PIE BAKED ON A SHEET PAN THAT SUSAN MADE FOR THE BOARDING HOUSE GUESTS OF THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER
6. MARY’S TRES LECHES CAKE FOR WHICH SHE WENT TO HER BEDROOM TO WHIP THE CREAM TOPPING.
5. ROSALIE’S BREAD PUDDING WITH WHISKEY SAUCE FOR LONESOME DOVE. WASN’T GERI SEEN TAKING HOME A JAR OF THAT WHISKEY SAUCE?
4. THE SOUTHERN COMFORT CAKE THAT CHRIS MADE FOR WISE BLOOD — YOU COULD GET A SECOND HELPING FOR JUST TEN DIMES. HMM THERE’S A THEME HERE WITH FIVE AND FOUR.
3. MARCIA’S MIXED BERRY PAVLOVA PLUS ALL THE CHOCOLATES ON THE TABLE FOR FLAUBERT’S PARROT
2. JUST A REMINDER BEFORE THE TOP TWO THAT THESE RANKINGS WERE ALL DETERMINED BY INDEPENDENT JUDGES AND THEIR IS ABSOLUTELY NO PARTIALITY INVOLVED. #2 THE TWO DESSERTS, CREME BRULEE AND SPICE CAKE THAT LINDA SERVED FOR MY BIRTHDAY, THE MONTH AFTER MY BROTHER DIED
NUMBER 1. THE CREME BRULEE CAKE DECORATED WITH SHARDS OF CARAMELIZED SUGAR THAT GERI SERVED FOR MY BIRTHDAY AT THE MEETING I LEARNED ABOUT THE LIBRARY IN THE HOMELESS SHELTER AND THE BOOKPLATES IN MY HONOR.
THE TOP TEN MEALS WE’VE SERVED IN THE TEN YEARS WE’VE BEEN A BOOK CLUB
10. I HAVE TO SAY THAT I WAS REALLY PROUD OF MYSELF WHEN I MADE POTSTICKERS FOR BALZAC AND THE LITTLE CHINESE PRINCESS. THEY WEREN’T AT ALL UNIFORM IN SHAPE BUT I THOUGHT THEY TASTED GREAT AND I DON’T THINK ANYONE GOT SICK FROM EATING THEM.
9. ROSALIE’S PLATE LUNCH FOR MOLOKA’I
8. MELISSA HAS SERVED US MANY DELICIOUS MEALS OVER THE YEARS BUT SHE’S GETTING MENTIONED ON THIS LIST FOR THE TIME SHE ORDERED IN CHINESE BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT THE MOTHER DID IN ONE CRAZY SUMMER
7. THE MEAL THAT REQUIRED MARY TO SPECIAL ORDER SPICES FOR THE PERUVIAN CUISINE OF THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY
6. LINDA’S MULTICULTURAL NOD TO INDIA, JAMAICA AND ENGLAND FOR WHITE TEETH.
5. SHARON’S MOROCCAN MEAL FOR THE SHELTERING SKY COMPLETE WITH A LOVELY HI-RISE VIEW OF SAID SHELTERING SKY
4. CHRIS’ LOW COUNTRY BOIL FOR A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND.
3. THE DINNER MENU OF FOOD THAT MRS RENLING WANTED AUGIE TO KNOW THAT ROSALIE SERVED FOR THE ADVENTURES OF AUGIE MARCH WHICH INCLUDED VEAL KIDNEY IN COGNAC SAUCE
2. GERI’S MAGNIFICENT AMBERSON 6 COURSE MEAL
1. A TIE BETWEEN THE TIME THAT SUSAN SURPRISED THE HECK OUT OF US BY SERVING ACTUAL PRIME RIB FOR JOHN HENRY DAYS AND THE TIME THAT MARCIA AND KAREN SERVED PRIME RIB FOR FLAUBERT’S PARROT!
THE BOTTOM TEN BOOKS WE’VE READ IN THE TEN YEARS WE’VE BEEN A BOOK CLUB
10 – 5 ARE BOOKS THAT FELL FLAT FOR MOST OF US AND 4-1 ARE THE BOOKS THAT LIVE IN MEMORY FOR THE GREAT DISLIKE AND CRITICISM BY AT LEAST ONE MEMBER
10. TWO SERIOUS LADIES — “you can never sit down for more than 5 minutes with out introducing something weird into the conversation.”
9. SHORT STORY OF A SMALL PLACE — THE REPETITION, THE REPETITION
8. WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND — MY FAULT FOR PUTTING THIS BOOK ON THE LIST
7. WOMEN IN LOVE — NO WOMEN, NO ONE IN LOVE — AT LEAST NOT WITH WOMEN
6. MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN — THE BOOK THAT ONLY TWO MEMBERS FINISHED
5. THE CHRISTMAS TRAIN – OUR FIRST DECEMBER BOOK, WHICH SHOULD BE AT NUMBER ONE IF THIS WAS AN ACTUAL LIST OF WORST BOOKS AND NOT THE TRAVESTY I’VE CREATED
4. MISTS OF AVALON — SORRY MARCIA, THIS ONE MAKES IT ON THE LIST PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF IT’S LENGTH AND THE STORY OF MARY RIPPING THE BOOK INTO PARTS
3. SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION — ANOTHER ONE THAT MADE THE LIST BECAUSE OF MARY’S ANIMOSITY FOR IT
2. MONEY THE BOOK GERI SENT BACK CLAIMING SHE WOULD NEVER HAVE ORDERED
1. THE RED TENT — CLEARLY I MADE THIS LIST
THE TOP TEN BOOKS WE’VE READ IN THE TEN YEARS WE’VE BEEN A BOOK CLUB TURNED OUT TO BE A TOP SIX WITH NUMEROUS TIES;
ALL OF THESE BOOKS RECEIVED ONE VOTE
84 CHARING CROSS ROAD MELISSA
A SHORT HISTORY OF A SMALL PLACE MARCIA
ANIMAL DREAMS SUSAN
BALZAC AND THE LITTLE CHINESE SEAMSTRESS MELISSA
BARK CHRIS
BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS RO
BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES KAREN
GOLDFINCH TERESA
EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED MARCIA
HOLY ORDERS RO
HOUSEKEEPING TERESA
I CAPTURE THE CASTLE SHARON
I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS KAREN
IN SEARCH OF OUR MOTHERS’ GARDENS MARCIA
IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS MARCIA
JOHN HENRY DAYS TERESA
KRISTIN LAVRANSDATTER RO
LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE KAREN
LOVE MEDICINE CHRIS
MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL TERESA
MOLOKA’I SUSAN
ONE CRAZY SUMMER MELISSA
PURPLE HIBISCUS LINDA
THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST KAREN
THE ADVENTURES OF AUGIE MARCH GERI
THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG MARCIA
THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS GERI
THE NIGHTINGALE SUSAN
THE ROSIE PROJECT MARCIA
THE TSAR OF LOVE AND TECHNO TERESA
TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD SUSAN
TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY SUSAN
WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY BESIDE OURSELVES TERESA
IN POSITION 5 ARE THE 17 BOOKS WITH TWO VOTES
A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND TERESA, CHRIS
A MOVEABLE FEAST MELISSA, MARY
A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN LINDA, TERESA
ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE GERI, MARCIA
AS I LAY DYING CHRIS, SHARON
BEL CANTO RO, SHARON
FIFTH BUSINESS CHRIS, MARCIA
GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL SOCIETY GERI, MARCIA
I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE MARY, MARCIA
MISTS OF AVALON GERI, MARCI
OLIVE KITTERIDGE MELISSA, MARY
STATION 11 LINDA, GERI
THE BOYS IN THE BOAT TERESA, MELISSA
THE HELP TERESA, MELISSA
THE RED TENT GERI, MARCIA
THE SUMMER THAT MELTED EVERYTHING TERESA, KAREN
THE WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLE MELISSA, MARCIA
IN FOURTH PLACE ARE THE 7 BOOKS WITH THREE VOTES
BLACKBIRD HOUSE SUSAN, KAREN, MELISSA
CITY OF THIEVES TERESA, SHARON, MELISSA
CUTTING FOR STONE TERESA, SHARON, MELISSA
LIFE AFTER LIFE LINDA, RO, CHRIS
LILA RO, CHRIS, MARY
LONESOME DOVE RO, SUSAN, TERESA
PEOPLE OF THE BOOK TERESA, GERI, MARCIA
IN THIRD PLACE ARE THE TWO BOOKS WITH FOUR VOTES
GILEAD RO, CHRIS, MARY, MARCIA
OUT OF AFRICA RO, SUSAN, MELISSA, MARY
IN SECOND PLACE ARE TWO BOOKS WITH FIVE VOTES
A CONSTELLATION OF VITAL PHENOMENA LINDA, TERESA, SUSAN, CHRIS, GERI
JAYBER CROW SUSAN, TERESA, CHRIS, MARY, MARCIA
AND IN FIRST PLACE IS THE BOOK WITH SEVEN VOTES
A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY RO, SUSAN, TERESA, SHARON, MELISSA, MARY, MARCIA
