House of The Spirits

"At times I feel as if I had lived all this before and that I have already written these very words, but I know it was not I: it was another woman, who kept her notebooks so that one day I could use them.  I write, she wrote, that memory is fragile and the space of a single life is brief, passing so quickly that we never get a chance to see the relationship between events; we cannot gauge the consequences of our acts, and we believe in the fiction of past, present, and future, but it may also be true that everything happens simultaneously...that's why my Grandmother Clara wrote in her notebooks, in order to see things in their true dimension."

-The House of the Spirits

A few days ago, my book club met to finish The House of the Spirits.  It never ceases to amaze me how vast an opinion can be.  For some, this novel is an all-time favorite.  For others, it read slower than a history book.  Regardless of personal preference, I treasure any opportunity to exercise my mind.  It was my third time reading HOTS, but somehow, I finished it with a fresh perspective.  

Cosmopolitan puts it best: Allende's masterpiece is "that rarest of successes- a book about one family and one country that is a book about the world and becomes the world in a book."

Since HOTS takes place in an unnamed Latin American Country, we thought it fitting to listen to Spanish Guitar Music.

We snacked on Authentic Latin Pastries, including Pasteles de Guayaba (Guava Pastries.) To give them a twist, I added Brie Cheese to the Filling.

We sipped Cafe Con Leche and received Wicked, next month's book.

Almond cookies- another delectable Latin American snack.

For those who've read the book, I imagined an all-star cast!  Do you agree with my choices?