Sorry no update for awhile, but I had to document our year end event. For those that know anything about my book club, we have a yearly theme that about half of the books we read fall under. Last year we read books from major writers of the modernist movement and so our final event was reading Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast which is his biography of his time in 1920s Paris.
A Brief Summary of Our Experience
The Planning
Admittedly, we spent the entire year planning this experience. Our original idea for the theme last year always revolved around ending on this book, but we spent a good part of the year debating between doing an actual moveable feast (appetizers at one restaurant, entrees at the next, dessert, after dinner drinks, etc.) or holding a huge feast at one of our homes. We ended up feeling like the later would be more festive, especially if meant bringing back some of our favorite foods featured at book club events throughout the year.
The Food
Coq au Vin and brussels sprouts and charcuterie and cheese plates These are some of our favorite staples in our book club. Especially Coq au Vin which has become an official staple of our book club for special occasions. We make Alton Brown’s Coq Au Vin. There is something about making something so extravagant that makes the meal feel more like a true family gathering than just a simple book club. And, over the years, our book club has become more of a family.
The Drinks
For drinks, we went with books that were popular during the modern era. The one on the left is Negorni and the right is absinthe. Both were wonderful. Negroni are especially easy to make as they are equal parts gin, vermouth, and Campri. Having signature drinks is an easy way to elevate a party and make it feel special without breaking the bank. It keeps you from having to stock a full bar while still giving a cocktail option. Leia is always up for choosing some books to feel in spirit with our reads and these were probably our favorites yet.
The Discussion (Spoiler Free)
I think our favorite part of this month’s discussion was focusing on the relationship dynamics within the work. Considering how much we hated Gertrude Stein, her parts of the story provided especially humorous moments. Additionally, Hemingway’s completely biased but outside perspective of Scott and Zelda’s relationship was incredibly interesting after reading both Tender is the Night and Save me the Waltz. And while we didn’t read anything by Hadley, seeing Hemingway’s first wife come to life was especially moving after she had sacrificed so much for him only to be abandoned at his first taste of success.
Personally I love the forward to his book, as I feel that it frames it so perfectly:
“This book contains material from the remises of my memory and of my heart. Even if the one has been tampered with and the other does not exist.”
The book is supposed to be a fictional account of his time in Paris and I think that shows throughout the text. He’s trying to capture the feeling of the time, and I think he captures very well how he felt about the time although others have told their own accounts.
Building Your Own Book Club Takeaways
- Home cooking is very bonding. If you want to create a warm and homey feel for your book club, making comfort foods either together or even doing it pot luck can create that experience. This might not work in all groups, but having a handful of people all coming together to put together a special meal just feels like a family gathering.
- Specialty drinks. This is a really fun way to tie in the theme of the book to your meal or to experiment without breaking the bank. We’ve looked up drinks they’ve drank in the books we’ve read, or drinks inspired by the book (such as spicy bean blood marys for our brunch book club reading the Bean Trees), or even just a book popular during that era and location (such as with this book club).
- Alternate books for this event. Really you could read any book that takes place in southern France. Chocolat would be a fun one and would lend itself to some extravagant chocolate desserts. This event could easily have been a warm invitation to discuss philosophy with some Albert Camus. If you wanted something more modern, ALl the Light We Cannot See would be a great choice as well.
- Alternative events for this book. See the above section about planning the event to see our own moveable feast idea. Alternately, I think this would be a great book to discuss over coffee especially if you’re fortunate to have a cafe that you can people watch from.
Conclusion
I hope that this inspired you to take a chance and do something new and fun with your book club. If you have a book club that does things a little differently, please reach out to me. You can find my information at the Contact Page and I’d be happy to feature you and your book club on this blog. Also, don’t be shy on writing me asking about topics you’d like to see featured. Let’s all band together to create better book clubs!
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