What We Thought: Combined Book Club Potluck, Delicious! by Ruth Reichl

Combined Book Club Potluck

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 6 p.m.

Delicious!

by Ruth Reichl

All three Holmes Public Library adult book clubs -- Evening, Afternoon, and our new Mystery Readers -- joined together to enjoy a potluck supper on a February evening celebrating a respite from a series of unrelenting snow storms.

A hearty winter’s meal was served buffet style with Asian and Brussels sprout salad, bruschetta, corn pudding, homemade brown and white bread, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed chicken thighs, kielbasa in a sweet sauce, tuna casserole, taco corn bread casserole and franks and beans.  A winter cider and cranberry punch added color and warmth to the menu. After the main course all adjourned to the Library’s reading room for a book discussion accompanied by desserts; white cake, frosted cupcakes, gingerbread squares, chocolate cookies, and amaretto truffles.

Book club members generally agreed that the book was a very good read but members had various opinions about the main point of the story. Was it about Billie’s relationship with her sister Genie, and their father’s relationship with both of them? Was it about Billie’s quest to forge her own way in her life path and career in New York City at the Gourmet-style magazine, Delicious!? Was Billie’s emotional tie to her perfect, older sister shaping her choices as well as holding her back from achieving her desires in love and friendships? One reader quoted from the book, “The worst crime is to ignore your gift,” and Billie’s gift was her extraordinary palate and cooking skills.

The story of the letters Billie discovered in a secret room behind the magazine’s recipe library became a large part of the plot, and led Billie and other characters on a treasure hunt of sorts. Billie’s lawyer father became involved and, as a result, father and daughter became closer which resolved her guilt about her sister Genie’s terrible accident. A few readers thought that the letters were a distraction, but most said the story behind them was an important theme and led to yet another discovery about the history of the Delicious mansion and the original intent of the secret room on the third floor.

Several readers noted that this book had a large cast of characters. But all of the New York group contributed to Billie’s growth. She developed a strong and independent spirit and everyone she met really liked her and took her under their wings. There were enough characters for everyone to have a favorite. Several liked Sammy from the magazine and wished they had a friend like him. A few were interested in Mitch the complainer from the Italian deli. The expectation of his character and when his true background was revealed surprised everyone. Because the author wrote such vivid descriptions, readers were able to spend a lot of time talking about the characters and their place in the story.

Everyone liked the story of Delicious! Even the guests who didn’t read it yet.

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This Month's Selection: Delicious by Ruth Reichl

Combined Book Club Potluck

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015

6:00 p.m.

Billie Breslin has traveled far from her home in California to take a job at Delicious!, New York’s most iconic food magazine. Away from her family, particularly her older sister, Genie, Billie feels like a fish out of water—until she is welcomed by the magazine’s colorful staff. She is also seduced by the vibrant downtown food scene, especially by Fontanari’s, the famous Italian food shop where she works on weekends. Then Delicious! is abruptly shut down, but Billie agrees to stay on in the empty office, maintaining the hotline for reader complaints in order to pay her bills.

To Billie’s surprise, the lonely job becomes the portal to a miraculous discovery. In a hidden room in the magazine’s library, Billie finds a cache of letters written during World War II by Lulu Swan, a plucky twelve-year-old, to the legendary chef James Beard. Lulu’s letters provide Billie with a richer understanding of history, and a feeling of deep connection to the young writer whose courage in the face of hardship inspires Billie to comes to terms with her fears, her big sister and her ability to open her heart to love.

Bring a potluck dish to share with the group! Have you read this book already? Please share your thoughts about Delicious on the blog!