Book Group at Melinmac's There was a fine woman who cooked Her table so welcoming looked She told us, by gosh Come sit down and nosh Great food and fine folks, now I'm hooked! -Charlotte
Book Group met here last night. We meet once a month to eat, drink, commiserate and, of course, discuss the book. We were missing a few people, but Leslie zoomed in for a while and Susan called in later in the evening. I so look forward to the camaraderie – we’re all so very different in life experience and temperament, which makes for lively discussion that’s always interesting. We don’t just meet to agree on whether or not we liked the book – we all love hearing each other’s perspectives and observations.
However, despite our lack of need to find an easy consensus, last night we all agreed that the book was lacking in characterization and that the plot was illogical. It was an easy read, but painful for those of us with a love of language and ideas. We had no end of fun describing how and why we had difficulty getting through the book, even at a sprint. At a recent meeting Margie shared that she asks herself, after finishing a book, whether it was worth the time spent. We all agreed, those of us who finished the book and those who didn’t, that it wasn’t worth the minutes/hours lost.
Normally the host picks the book and leads the discussion. Unfortunately, the two books that I had hoped to offer up were published in 2022. There where over fifty people on the library wait list for my first choice, and there were only three copies available in the library system of my second choice. There are 14 of in the group. So, having struck out, I made the mistake of asking the person who answered the phone at the library what she would recommend. Oh well.
Margie told us that her stepmother has been in the same book group for decades (wow!), and she shared their well-curated reading list for the upcoming year with us. We poured over their list and our own list of suggestions that have been compiled over the years, and resolved to follow their lead and come up with our own collective reading list for 2023.
So back to the food – I had warned folks that I wouldn’t be cooking a meal, just a spread of appetizers, which included:
- Sourdough bread and crackers
- King smoked salmon from Oregon (a Christmas gift from Danny), with cream cheese, capers and sliced shallots
- olive tapenade
- brie cheese and a variety of nitrite-free salumi
- dried papaya, apricots, and mangos
- shaved Brussels sprouts salad (recipe from Lisa G)
- Terra chips and mixed nuts
- wine, kombucha, and iced herbal tea – Yogi Egyptian Licorice
And of course, I forgot to serve the dessert!
- A blackberry cake (more blackberries than cake) with fresh whipped cream.
I sent slices of cake home with people. We’re readers and eaters. I LOVE Charlotte’s limerick at the top of this post. Charlotte is an accomplished writer, both fiction and non-fiction, and now, I’m learning, she’s also a playful poet! I so wish I had thought to take some pictures. Next time.
