ASC Book Club

New Date!
Tuesday, November 24
7:00 P.M.

Hosts: Bill & Andy
Location: 2001 Royalwood Dr., Arlington, 76006 (map)
Call for directions: 817-718-2424

IM
Rick R. Reed

The Internet is the new meat market for gay men. Now a killer is turning the meat market into a meat wagon.

One by one, he's killing them. Lurking in the digital underworld of Men4HookUpNow.com, he lures, seduces, charms, reaching out through instant messages to the unwary. He's just another guy.

They invite him over. He's just another trick. Harmless. They're dead wrong.

When the first bloody body surfaces, openly gay Chicago Police Department detective Ed Comparetto is called in to investigate. Sickened by the butchered mess of one of his brothers left on display in a bathtub, he seeks relief outside where the young man who discovered the body waits to tell him the story of how he found his friend. But who is this witness... and did he play a bigger part in the murder than he's letting on?

For Comparetto, this encounter with a witness is the beginning of a nightmare. Because this witness did more than just show up at the scene of the crime; he set the scene. And maybe, he's more than just a killer... maybe he's dead himself.

Comparetto is on a journey to discover the truth, a truth that he needs to discover before he loses his career, his boyfriend, his sanity... his life. Because in this killer's world, IM doesn't stand for instant message... it stands for instant murder.

"IM by Rick Reed is a fast-paced page turner that I could barely put down. The title is the abbreviation for "Instant Messaging" but in this case, the instant messaging results in instant murder. While it is a mystery concerning a series of crimes against gay men, and featuring a gay detective and a questionably gay killer, the plot twists, character development, and suspense make it a story any fan of mystery or crime fiction will enjoy." -- Tyler R. Tichelaar, readerviews.com

"Ripe with suspense and an escalating momentum that doesn't let up..." -- Vince Liaguno, author of The Literary Six

"IM is one intense and super wild thrilling ride... A definite and astounding 5 stars!" -- Terry South, Quality Book Reviews

1. Get the book from the library, book store, or online.
2. Read it. (Sorry, getting the book isn't enough!)
3. Sign-in on the comments for this blog entry so we know how much dessert to get.
4. Come share dessert, as well as your thoughts and insights on the book.
5. All are welcome!

See you there!

GROUP RATING OF BOOK FOLLOWING DISCUSSION (10=HI, 1=LO): 8.0

ASC Book Club

Thursday, October 29th
7:00 P.M.

Hosts: Bill & Andy
Location: 2001 Royalwood Dr., Arlington, 76006 (map)
Call for directions: 817-718-2424

While England Sleeps (by David Leavitt)

Publisher Notes: Set against the rise of fascism in 1930s Europe, While England Sleeps tells the story of a love affair between the aristocratic young British writer Brian Botsford, who thinks homosexuality is something he will outgrow, and Edward Phelan, a sensitive and idealistic working-class employee of the London Underground and a Communist party member. When the strains of class difference, sexual taboo, and Brian's ambivalence impel Edward to volunteer to fight against Franco in Spain, Brian pursues him across Europe and into the violent chaos of war.

1. Get the book from the library or a book store.
2. Read it. (Sorry, getting the book isn't enough!)
3. Sign-in on the comments for this blog entry so we know how much dessert to get.
   
4. Come share dessert, as well as your thoughts and insights on the book.
5. All are welcome!

See you there!

GROUP RATING OF BOOK FOLLOWING DISCUSSION (10=HI, 1=LO): 8.6

DATE/TIME CHANGE: October Supper Gathering

Sunday, October 18th
6:00 PM

Texas Style Burgers & Wings

1831 Brown Blvd, #110, Arlington, TX 76006 Get directions

PH: (817) 275-1125

REVIEW: “The burgers here are the BEST in DFW. It is truly a neighborhood secret. I am never disappointed in the quality and the cost is very inexpensive. The fries are great and so are the onion rings and the blackened chicken sandwiches. This is a great little place.” (Menu: custom burgers, catfish, wings, salad, more.)

So that we can reserve enough seats, please leave your FIRST NAME and EMAIL ADDRESS in the comment section for this posting.

STATE FAIR OF TEXAS

Saturday, October 10^th

• Caravan from Mariano’s Mexican Cuisine (2614 Majesty Drive) at 1:30pm (Join us for lunch at noon!) OR

• Meet us at Big Tex at 2:15-2:30pm

General Information:

• General admission is $15
• Parking is $10 on Official State Fair lots
• Food, rides, and drinks are purchased with 50 cent coupons (sold at coupon booths located throughout the grounds)
• Directions: Take Interstate 30 East to Dallas. Follow the signs for Interstate 30 East toward Texarkana. After you pass Downtown Dallas, take exit 48B and follow directions to Fair Park.

UPDATE: No takers, so will cancel event. However, I've heard good things about this restaurant, so I'll leave it on the list to try in near future. Enjoy the cool weather!

POOL PARTY!

Saturday, September 26

4:00p-???

Hosts: Don & Yuri

Location: 5204 Wimbledon Ct., Arlington, TX 76017-2785 (map)

Call for directions: (817) 466-2768

Clothing optional

What to bring: towel, sunscreen, potluck dinner item

Dinner Details:

• Potluck dinner to begin at 6:00p
• NO GRILL, so be creative with your potluck choice!
• BYOB (bring your own beverages); ice chest/ice provided
• If attending, please leave your FIRST NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS and POTLUCK ITEM in the comment section for this posting.

BOOK CLUB: Calling all readers!!

A number of guys have been talking at recent parties about the books we're reading, so a book club was suggested. Here's how it works:

1. Get the book from the library or a book store.
2. READ IT! (Sorry, getting the book isn't enough!)
3. Come share dessert, as well as your thoughts and insights on the book... and if you've got bitchy comments, please sit by me!

Let's get started!

Thursday, September 24
7:00 P.M.

Hosts: Bill & Andy
Location: 2001 Royalwood Dr., Arlington, 76006 (map)
Call for directions: 817-718-2424

First up: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris

From Publishers Weekly: In his latest collection, Sedaris has found his heart. This is not to suggest that the author of Me Talk Pretty One Day and other bestselling books has lost his edge. The 27 essays here (many previously published in Esquire, G.Q. or the New Yorker, or broadcast on PRI's This American Life) include his best and funniest writing yet. Here is Sedaris's family in all its odd glory. Here is his father dragging his mortified son over to the home of one of the most popular boys in school, a boy possessed of "an uncanny ability to please people," demanding that the boy's parents pay for the root canal that Sedaris underwent after the boy hit him in the mouth with a rock. Here is his oldest sister, Lisa, imploring him to keep her beloved Amazon parrot out of a proposed movie based on his writing. ("'Will I have to be fat in the movie?' she asked.") Here is his mother, his muse, locking the kids out of the house after one snow day too many, playing the wry, brilliant commentator on his life until her untimely death from cancer. His mother emerges as one of the most poignant and original female characters in contemporary literature. She balances bitter and sweet, tart and rich—and so does Sedaris, because this is what life is like. "You should look at yourself," his mother says in one piece, as young Sedaris crams Halloween candy into his mouth rather than share it. He does what she says and then some, and what emerges is the deepest kind of humor, the human comedy.

GROUP RATING OF BOOK FOLLOWING DISCUSSION (10=HI, 1=LO): 7.9

September Dinner Gathering

Saturday, September 19th
7:30 PM

PHO'95

2525 E Arkansas Ln, Arlington, TX 76010 Directions

PH: (817) 543-2295

Cuisine: Vietnamese..... Ambiance: Casual.....

REVIEW (John & Howard): “We went into PHO'95 today for lunch and enjoyed it. There's room enough for our group. Got opinions from a couple others and said they're willing to try it too. It's in the plaza on NW corner of 360 & Arkansas.” (More reviews)

So that we can reserve enough seats, please leave your FIRST NAME and EMAIL ADDRESS in the comment section for this posting.

I look forward to seeing you there!

POOL PARTY!

Saturday, September 12

CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER!

:-(

Jazz By The Boulevard Music & Arts Festival

Who?	Headline performances of some of the most acclaimed artists in jazz, plus two stages of continuous jazz performances throughout the weekend. For the most current performance schedule, please go to http://www.fortworthjazz.com/.
When?	Friday, September 11, 2009 : 5:00pm — 11:00pm Saturday, September 12, 2009 : 12:00pm — 11:00pm Sunday, September 13, 2009 : 2:00pm — 8:00pm
Where?	Nestled on the tree-lined lawn of the Will Rogers Memorial Center at 3401 West Lancaster, in Fort Worth’s beautiful Cultural District.
Why?	To preserve and beautify the Camp Bowie district, as well as educate and expose the public to the Cultural District’s historical architecture, eclectic variety of museums, shops, restaurants, and significant points of interest.
How Much?	$5 per person, per day for general festival admission & lawn seating; reserved table seating $35 in advance/$40 the day of the festival.
Highlights	∗ 70 specially selected artisans showcasing professional art and fine crafts ∗ Cooking Carnivalè pavilion with wine seminars, specialty food vendors, cooking demonstrations and samplings ∗ Food and beverage from Camp Bowie’s top restaurants, plus traditional ‘jazz’ fare including barbecue, Cajun, catfish and more. Join Ben at the Jazz Festival! Call 817-451-4443.

SEPT 12: FWADA Fall Gallery Night 2009

Not going to the swim party? Check out FWADA Fall Gallery Night 2009!

The Fort Worth Art Dealer’s Association (FWADA) invites you to take-in the visual arts and our community’s unique cultural richness during Fall Gallery Night on Saturday, September 12, 2009 from 2:00pm to 9:00pm. Stroll through participating galleries, museums, retail businesses, and area restaurants, and enjoy the many artists featured during this community event. Gallery Night is free, and open to the public to attend.

If interested, call Ben (817-451-4443) and join him in visiting some of the world-class museums in Fort Worth!