JUNE: MFK Fisher's, "The Gastronomical Me"
June 20 TH 6:30 p.m. at Catherine's house.
Be there or be square.

May Pick: Licking the Spoon

A head's up that Rachel will be hosting a discussion of Licking the Spoon next Thursday, the 16th. Several copies are in circulations as well as available at Back of Beyond.

If, like me, you're a fan of the memoir/cookbook mash up, here are some of my favorites:

 I'm a huge fan of Nora Ephron, and Heartburn was the first book of hers I ever read. I love it too much to discuss. Someday I'll make that keylime pie from my favorite scene.

Cookbook fans will enjoy her retrospective essay, Serial Monogomy, about her favorite cookbooks over the years. The link takes you to the article at The New Yorker, but it is also in her essay collection, I Feel Bad About My Neck.

There's a blurb on the cover of Licking the Spoon from a previous book-club-pick author, Gretchen Rubin, liking this book to Heartburn and another of my favorites, Home Cooking by Laurie Calvin, but for the life of me (I still have the last quarter of the book to finish), other than the fact that they all include recipes, I don't see any similarities.

A Homemade Life, the memoir of a much younger author, with recipes, is another favorite. She is the writer of the blog Orangette. It made me wish I lived in Paris and ate bread & chocolate daily (oh, wait, that last one I do).

I'll end with Kingsolver, whose didactic and sometimes condescending tone I can forgive because the recipes in here are really good. Her pizza crust recipe has become a staple. And she's right about almost everything, but I just wish she wasn't so sure of it.

I love Ruth Reichl, but have never read any MFK Fisher. Please share your favorite food-writers! And let me know if you'd be interested in borrowing any of the above---I think I have all but Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which was a library check-out.

April Pick: Forty Rules of Love

Christy hosted a fun gathering in April to discuss Elif Shafak's Forty Rules of Love. It was my favorite kind of discussion, where half the group were nays (Christy and me), half were yays (Rachel and Catherine), and Liz's take was in the middle (from what I remember). Rachel shared some of her favorite quotes, which I found more profound than any of the "rules", and we shared some of our favorite bad lines.

There's a TED talk by Elif Shafak that you can watch here: http://www.ted.com/talks/elif_shafak_the_politics_of_fiction.html

Also, there's a group discussion with Isabel Allende TODAY on goodreads.com:
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/101912-ask-isabel-allende---wednesday-may-8th
For those who enjoyed Eva Luna, they'll be discussing Allende's newest novel, Maya's Notebook.

March Pick: Eva Luna

Source: stephaniehowell.typepad.com via Deirdre on Pinterest

 

Thanks to everyone who made it last night for our discussion of State of Wonder, cats vs.dogs, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Celebrity death predictions and other randomness. I think Rachel, Marva and I enjoyed the book the most; several found the characters too stilted or dry. Lots of discussion about the ending and whether there will be a sequel. Thanks to all who brought wine and chocolate. If we ever abandon the third Thursday of the month, I think we should rename the club BWC---Books, Wine and Chocolate!

Liz announced her pick for April: Eva Luna by Isabel Allende, not to be confused with The Stories of Eva Luna, which the library also has. We’re scheduled for March 21st.

Christy should be back from Thailand and Liz B. will be leaving for Belize. Between that and the great descriptions in the last three books, anyone else have Island (get out of) Moab Fever?

February Book---State of Wonder

Thank you, Liz, for an evening of wine, cheese and great discussion. One of the main reasons I love book club, and discussing books in general, is that I learn things and see connections that I never would have otherwise. Dalva was definitely one of those rich reads where each person's perspective added to my understanding and I left with more affection for it than before we met.

Next up is State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. Here's a summary I found online:

A researcher at a pharmaceutical company, Marina Singh must step out of her comfort zone when she is sent into the heart of the Amazonian delta to check on a field team that has been silent for two years — a dangerous assignment that forces Marina to confront the ghosts of her past.

The library has ordered a second copy, I heard one was already snagged from Wabi Sabi, and Back of Beyond has some in stock too. Be sure to mention it is for our book club to receive a discount!

See you at my place on the Third Thursday!

January Book - Dalva

Thank you to Karen for hosting last night's gathering.  Please join me next month to discuss Dalva.

From her home on the California coast, Dalva hears the broad silence of the Nebraska prairie where she was born and longs for the son she gave up for adoption years before. Beautiful, fearless, tormented, at forty-five she has lived a life of lovers and adventures. Now, Dalva begins a journey that will take her back to the bosom of her family, to the half-Sioux lover of her youth, and to a pioneering great-grandfather whose journals recount the bloody annihilation of the Plains Indians. On the way, she discovers a story that stretches from East to West, from the Civil War to Wounded Knee and Vietnam -- and finds the balm to heal her wild and wounded soul.

There is one copy at the library, one at the used book store, and soon there will be some at Back of Beyond.  Happy Reading!

Please join me for an evening at my house to talk about Daniel Suelo and Mark Sundeen and their story of Daniel's life paths. Daniel is in Moab right now and I was considering having him show up to our gathering. Either way, I'm sure we'll have lively discussions! Thursday, Dec. 20. 7pm. Anyone not in our group who has read the book is also invited!

Like we did last year, in the spirit of books and Christmas, I encourage you to bring a wrapped book that you're done with for a little gift exchange. Hope you can make it!