Combined Book Club Potluck -- The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz

The Spellman Files

by Lisa Lutz

Tuesday, August 18

6:00 p.m.

 

Combined Book Club Potluck #10

All three Halifax *adult* book clubs -- Evening, Afternoon and Mystery Readers -- joined together to enjoy a pot luck supper on a warm August evening. A buffet featuring regional New England favorites took everyone’s mind off of the current week’s relentless heat wave.

A traditional Holmes Pot Luck Punch with lemon and orange sorbet provided seasonal color and refreshment along with a selection of icy sparkling beverages.

An extensive buffet featured hot and cold main courses, salads, and finger sandwiches.  Broccoli crunch, tricolor pasta, macaroni, chicken, green and fruit salads were paired with fresh bread and butter.

Hearty fare included fried green tomatoes, sausage with green peppers and onions, macaroni and beef in tomato sauce, and Laurie’s special chicken enchiladas (Ex-Boyfriend #9's specialty from the book). Pinwheels and chicken salad sandwiches offered even more choices.

After supper everyone adjourned to the Library’s reading room for the book discussion and desserts: frosted cupcakes, blueberry lemon squares, banana cream pie, country peach pie, and more Pot Luck Punch.

Club members agreed that the book was a good summer read. Some members said that it was boring and repetitive but they were interested in the story, anyway, even though some of the characters grated on their sensibilities. The quirky Spellman family dynamic and the eccentricities of individual members generated a lot of discussion. Readers did not agree on the point of the story, the likeability of characters or the surprise ending. One member commented that “It’s hard to write good humor.” Most confessed that they had laughed out loud while reading even though they weren’t certain about the plausibility of events.

A lively discussion ensured about what was a lie and when is okay to lie. Were those lies actually evasions and playing a game? This led to members dredging up memories of childhood and adolescent escapades and lies that had everyone in gales of laughter. Some questioned whether those memories were truth, lies, or embellishments. Perhaps the truth is stranger than fiction!

It was decided that the best way to read The Spellman Files is to suspend belief and enjoy, because “sometimes telling the truth is not the right thing to do.”  Take a look at the rest of the books in the Spellman series and find out for yourself!

Thank you to all who participated in Book Club Potluck #10, and to those who couldn't attend, we missed you and hope to see you at Book Club Potluck #5 this winter! We welcome all your comments and thoughts on The Spellman Files, the food, the punch, and book club members' misspent youths! ;)

Summer Pot Luck Selection: The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz

All three of the Holmes Public Library book clubs will come together in one big group on Tuesday, August 18, at 6 p.m. to share a pot luck supper and talk about The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz, a fun summer read. Hope you can make it!

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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