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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Combined Book Club Potluck: The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro

The Art Forger

by B.A. Shapiro

The Evening and Afternoon adult book clubs enjoyed an August potluck supper on Tuesday evening. A variety of colorful summer salads including tomato and mozzarella slices garnished with fresh basil, taco salad, and a cowboy bean salad extravaganza was served buffet-style along with finger sandwiches, meatballs, baked chicken, corn chowder, fruit salad, and assorted chips with salsa. A sparkling lime sherbet punch added pizzazz to the menu.

After the main course, club members adjourned to the library’s reading room for a book discussion accompanied by dessert. The dessert table was awash in chocolate treats; whoopee pies, chocolate pudding cake, frosted marble cake, and a banana cream pie with mile high meringue.

Book club members engaged in a lively discussion about the motives of the art thieves and forgers. Several spoke passionately about what they thought was the fate of the paintings stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. All of their scenarios were plausible. Harder to define were the motives of the thieves and the ultimate owner of the treasures. Was it greed or narcissism? What is the value of a stolen painting, if it isn’t shared with others who can appreciate beauty? Has the statute of limitations expired and who is the true owner now?

Is there a statute of limitations on recovering stolen property? “Time is often the enemy of crime investigators; the trail quickly gets cold. But time has changed the Gardner case in one way that could increase the chances of the paintings' being recovered: The statute of limitations has passed for prosecution of the theft itself. And the US attorney in Boston now says he will not prosecute anyone who has the paintings and offers to return them.

Readers questioned whether there were other undetected forged paintings displayed in museums as the plot in Shapiro’s book. Although the book is fiction, the art techniques discussed are authentic. This feature added to the enjoyment of the story which some said satisfied their preference for “true” historical fiction. Many members have been to the Gardner museum both before and after the theft and spoke highly of the building and the collection. Others said that they are now inspired to visit based on the comments of the group. If your name is Isabella, you can register for lifetime free admission at the museum. If your name isn't Isabella, you can still receive free admission on your birthday. Also, since Isabella Stewart Gardner was a big Red Sox fan, you can wear your Red Sox gear and receive a $2 discount off of admission, too!

The Art Forger was a very successful book selection and it sparked a terrific discussion about the many layers of deception that result in art forgery and theft. The Boston setting was a plus for readers and enhanced the story’s credibility. The author took a real event and crafted a complex and exciting story with an unexpected twist at the end.

What We Thought: The Memory of Running

Combined Book Club Potluck!

This evening’s Book Club meeting began with a hot and cold dish supper enjoyed by everyone.  Afternoon and Evening Book Club members look forward to the biennial event show casing tasty treats including vegetarian casseroles and home style favorites of chicken, spicy sausage and other tempting ingredients.

After dinner the group moved from the Community Room to the Library’s  front room for desserts; decorated cake, trifle, cookies, and even chocolates and a discussion of author Ron McLarty’s The Memory of Running. This book evoked strong reactions and opinions about family issues and the treatment of psychiatric disorders during the past fifty years.

 

All agreed that the author wrote a beautiful story about difficult subjects. There was enough humor to lighten up the overall sadness of the character’s lives. Familiar locations in Rhode Island enhanced the background of events as the characters moved through the highs and lows of life.

The story revolved around family and the love and devotion of parents and children as well as goodness radiating from all of them. The Memory of Running is a story of hope and resilience that exists throughout experience despite life’s trials.

This quote from one of the group inspired Book Club members and was a fitting conclusion to the evening’s program, “In a dog-eat-dog world Smithy wore Milk-Bone underwear.”