Unbroken

Thanks to the Saint for hosting a delightful midsummer BC.  Wine, cheese and charcuterie alfresco (nice work, Doctor, for rescuing us on that one!), followed by chicken Marbella and roasted brussel sprouts, and--was it fruit cobbler?--topped with ice cream for dessert.  Lish!

Chicken, prunes, olives and capers... who would have thought?

Let's get right down to it, since Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken was one of the top scorers for the year, and certainly up there in BC history overall.

This book was praised across the board, as evidenced by a whopping 8.9.  (Allow El Jefe a huge non sequiter right here:  on Wednesday can we please rate Michael Phelps?  As I'm typing, he's taken the lead in the 200M fly semifinals, OK, now he's won it.  Separate scores for face, body and personality.)  But yes, Unbroken was a big hit, not to mention timely given the lead-in to the Olympics.  Even those of us who normally don't like to read non-fiction found something good in this book.  Logan's Run commented that she felt a particular connection, having had family members in the military.  Ms. K. found the story to be an amazing testament to the human spirit.  And Red thought the author's description of Louie's 47 days stranded at sea on a raft was beautiful and compelling.  And the raft was just the beginning.  How many times in reading this book did you wonder how it was possible for one man to endure so much hardship?  If the author hadn't included 50 pages of research footnotes in 6-point font, the book would be completely impossible to believe.  (The Chinese men's gymnastics team is currently kicking ass on the pommel horse. Talk about hard to believe--is the human body really made to do that?!)

From narrowly escaping drowning in a plane crash, to having the single piece of chocolate on a life raft with three men stolen from under his nose, to somehow avoiding being shot to pieces by strafing from enemy aircraft, to drinking albatross blood, to fending off sharks with his bare hands, to... wait, sorry?  Oh right, all that happened before Louis got put in a Japanese POW camp and was terrorized within an inch of his life by a maniacal perverted sadist known as The Bird, and suffered what seemed to be about two straight years of diarrhea among other countless incidents of physical and mental torture. (Whoa! The Brits just won the silver in men's gymnastics.  El Jefe didn't even know they competed in that event!)

As if the plot needed more, it was all underpinned by the story of Louie's incredible athletic potential and the heartbreak of his being robbed of the opportunity to fulfil his life's dream--competing in the Olympics. (In a bizarre prallel, the judges just reconsidered the pommel horse score for Japan and gave them extra points--kind of like when the Doctor grade inflates!--demoting Great Britain to bronze and knocking Ukraine out of the running.)

Not only was Louie's own story amazing, but the author also opened our eyes to the conditions faced by thousands of World War II veterans once they returned home--alcoholism, PTSD (undiagnosed at the time), poverty, inability to connect with family and friends.  To be fair, there were some critiques of Unbroken as well.  One telling comment was that in spite of the amazing story material, a certain emotional component was lacking.  The reader didn't feel as if she herself was experiencing the saga with Louie, and in fact didn't shed a tear.  Actually, that was the only negative comment that El Jefe remembers. A great book and a great discussion. Nothing like some light summer reading.

Made in China?  So what?  Ador!

Ryan Lochte, now that's lishy.

But the American flag grillz?

Not lishy after all.

Missy Franklin, 100M backstroke

Guessing she's not competing in swimming.

Eternally lishy

Our next meeting is Wednesday (yes, that's tomorrow) at Ms. K's house.  El Jefe's on apps, the Foxx is on dessert.  Looking forward to talking about Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, and, don't forget your List o' Death suggestions so we can pick some new books!  xoej

Already Dead

Already Dead.  What foresight the author had!  His title aptly describes the level of discussion that ensued from our June book pick.  The upside is, the book gets a score of 8 by default, since El Jefe was the only one who read enough to vote, let alone finish.  For what it's worth, El Jefe loved this noir-to-the-core novel with a crazy cast of offbeat characters--pot growers, spiritualists, Buddhist monks, and deadbeat policemen-- set along California's far north coast.  On the other hand (and here, El Jefe had to resort to Amazon just to get a counterpoint opinion!), "It's extremely long, meandering and often losing the thread of the plot; disturbed by meaningless shifts in the method of narration (from first to third person to retrospective documents), marred by far too much stream-of-consciousness rambling, such as a series of letters written by a lunatic which hold no interest at all."  Amen.

For anyone who noticed the format change, it's because there was simply no book discussion, so might as well dispense with it up front!  There was, however, plenty of enjoyment to be had otherwise at our little summer BC retreat, held in Cabana 173 down at the Bel Air Bay Club.

#173 is slightly north of this view

How many people in the world have the chance to relax at a cozy beach retreat, spending a weekday night with good friends, lots of wine, discussing books (or not) while the sun sets and the waves crash against the shore not 10 feet away?  Only nine people!!  How lucky can we get?  Pretty amazing.  We noshed on the Contessa's roasted eggplant and red pepper tapenade, always a winner, followed by a cheese and charcuterie platter and Feast from the East Chinese chicken salad (yes, yes, a bit of a mixed bag, but hey, no cooking facilities), and for dessert birthday cupcakes in honor of El Jefe and Logan's Run.  Delish!

We also just had to do a little beachside shopping... some of El Jefe's faves from Janna Conner Designs:

Gold wrapped smokey druzy briolette on an antique gold plated chain.

Gold wrapped cobalt quartz and turquoise.

Yellow gold starburst with diamond.

Our next meeting is at The Saint's house, on Wednesday July 11.  The Highlander is on apps and we need a dessert volunteer.  Surely most of you are nearly finished with our book, Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, and ready to start on the August book, Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn.  We need great picks for the fall, so bring your LOD suggestions to the meeting!  Until next time, Read Early and Often! xoej

The Marriage Plot

Thanks to Ms. K for hosting a lovely May BC!  The Saint was back in effect after her authorized one-month maternity leave, and hopefully at some point the little Saintlet will make an appearance, too!  And.... yet another book club bebe' has arrived!  Congratulations to Logan's Run on the birth of William!!   We expect you to be back next month.

We started off with Indian street food inspired "millet puffs," seasoned with turmeric, fresh curry leaves and Reshampati chili powder (oh, and marshmallows, natch), followed by a selection of several different Pitfire pizzas, including a greens egg and ham version that was topped with braised rapini, prosciutto and a fried farm egg on top, a green salad, and a scruptious hot fruit crumble with a dollop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.  Lish!

Indian street food inspired snacks.  How Mitchell Grammaticus.

  

On to the book.  Jeffrey Eugenides' long-awaited first novel since 2002, The Marriage Plot, garnered an average rating just short of 7.5.  Of the six of us, four ranked it in the "8's."  The other two ratings were lackluster 5's and 6's.  El Jefe suspects that there might have been some tendency towards grade inflation here:  either due to confusion caused by the book's deliberately misleading cover (the author is a Pulitzer Prize winner, not the book itself!), or due to a sense of loyalty towards Mr. Eugenides, who for the past ten years has been lauded as a BC favorite.  (And if someone doesn't send in that review of Middlesex...).  Now, just because El Jefe was one of the lowballers, she's not trying to undermine the majority who rated the book highly.  Rather, El Jefe is simply making the observation that when we got into the meat of the discussion, the actual commentary didn't hold up to the scores.  On the upside, several people did appreciate and enjoy that the book was set on a liberal arts college campus.  Although it took place before our own college years (the book was set in the 1980s), people found it to be funny and nostalgic.  Ah, to read about the foibles and pretensions of college seniors as they angsted over post-structuralism and breakups, religious studies and keg parties!  Another interesting observation was regarding the parallels and contrasts that could be drawn between Madeleine's choice of women's studies for her major, and her tendency to be anything but a strong woman.  She followed Leonard around like a groupie, let her own ambitions languish on his behalf, and generally was indecisive and passive.  Surely these ironies weren't incidental, but were deliberately plotted out in advance by the author and included as discussion-worthy tidbits for the insightful book clubs who pick up on them.  And, Eugenides' treatment of Leonard's mental illness was unanimously described as masterful:  how he led the reader to the darkest places in Leonard's tortured psyche, and broke our hearts with Madeleine's futile attempt to gain control over the disease.  But beyond those few points, there wasn't much more that we liked.  The characters were annoying.  Derrida is annoying.  Madeleine's thesis (or lack thereof) was annoying.  And most basically, what the heck was this book about?  "A novel about life, love and discovery."  "A story about being young and bright and lost."  "A robust rich story of adults in a love triangle."  "A confection for English majors and book lovers."  (All from Amazon.com's editorial reviews).  Oy.  All we said was that it wasn't as good as Middlesex.

Fashionably dressed students at South Shields Marine and Technical College in the 1980s.

Short shorts in college baskball... if only!

Even smarter than El Jefe in the '80s.

 Who can you spot on campus at Brown University?

Our next meeting regularly-scheduled meeting will be at Georgia's home.  We are reading Already Dead:  A California Gothic, by Denis Johnson.  Apps and dessert to be arranged by separate email.  Until next time, read early and often!  xoej

A contemporary noir, Already Dead is the tangled story of Nelson Fairchild Jr., disenfranchised scion to a northern California land fortune. A relentless failure, Nelson has botched nearly every scheme he's attempted to pull off. Now his future lies in a potentially profitable marijuana patch hidden in the lush old-growth redwoods on the family land.

The Hunger Games

Thanks to the Foxx for hosting the April BC.  El Jefe heard it was lovely.  Rumor has it:  chicken pot pies (gotta assume with a green salad?) and an apple tart with vanilla ice cream.  Was it lish?  This is so piecemeal!  How much cap can a recap cap if a recap can't be capped?  On to the book...

Our book was first volume in the mega-bestseller Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins.  Courtesy of the Highlander:

"Overall, the book was very well received, with only two holdouts:  Ms. K and Logan's Run.  Most everyone loved the book and, while admitting it was pretty light fare, found it thoroughly creative and engaging. People were sucked in the plot and details, and were eager to get onto the next chapter of the trilogy!  Scores:

El Jefe, via write-in ballot: 9
The Foxx: 8 (loved the book, started it two days before BC and couldn't put it down. Already on to the second book)
The Doctor: 8 (much better than the tween fiction she thought it would be)
Red: 8
Miss Georgia: 8 (nice score…although she thought it was predictable, and written for an 8th grade audience)
Ms. K: 4 (thought it strange that it was written for young people, when she didn't feel the content was necessarily appropriate for young adults. She also thought it lacked originality)
The Highlander: 8.5 (very enjoyable; a book doesn't necessarily have to be a literary masterpiece to be enjoyable)
Logan's Run: 5 (thought it was strange the book has become so cultish; she said a client had taken her children and was SOOO into it, and Logan's Run kept thinking "what did I not get?!")"

Whoa, Highlander--do we have to do the math?!

Katniss Everdeen

Gale Hawthorne

Peeta Melark

Most importantly... which one is hotter?

Our next meeting is Wednesday, May 2.  Dinner assignments and host to be sent in a separate communique.  We are reading The Marriage Plot, by BC favorite Jeffrey Eugenides.  Until next time, read early and often!  xoej

The Art of Fielding

Thanks to the Doctor for hosting a lovely BC!  We started off with two kinds of bruschetta topped with delishy tapenades, followed by pulled pork tinga street tacos with all the garnishess and a slightly Mexi salad, and a peppermint patty chocolate cake in honor of St. Patrick's Day.  Lish!

 
Normally El Jefe likes to linger a little longer over any discussion of tacos, however, there are special circumstances surrounding this month's book that require immediate attention.  The Art of Fielding, the fiction debut of author Chad Harbach, was one of the all-time highest scoring books in BC history with two 8's, two 9s, a 10, and two scores in between!  Said another way:  the lowest score this book got was an 8!  Almost unheard of since A Confederacy of Dunces back in 2003.  This newcomer of an author writes like an old pro.  Every character was lovingly conceived, each one's neediness and desperation revealed in a unique and poignant way.  And all so likable!  Schwartzy, jockish and determined on the outside, vulnerable as a kid on the inside.  Scrimmer, so talented and tragic!  Guert, the handsome and stately college president (think, Mit Romney hair) who falls head over heels for a gay freshman, Owen (aka Buddah), in what is somehow a sweet rather than creepy romance.  Even the rest of the team was lovable, with their macho locker room banter and disgusting college guy habits.  The only characters that rubbed people the wrong way were Pella, Guert's daughter and her ex-husband David.  Some thought Pella was a spoiled brat and pretty bitchy (although that reaction is probably just from siding with Schwartzy!).  The other critique was that the end of the story fell apart.  But El Jefe says, what's wrong with digging up a dead body and burying it in a lake?  And others actually found Owen's tribute to Guert out on the boat to be quite touching.  Of course, one of life's great unsolved mysteries will be whether Guert took his own life (insert gesture of tying noose around neck and head jerking sideways), or his ticker simply gave out.  We'll never know.  In sum, this story was a joy to read with something to like for everyone:  humor, drama, sports, romance, coming of age, tragedy and triumph.  No doubt a BC hall-of-famer alongside the likes of Life of Pi, Middlesex, and Infidel.

From the Shortstop Hall of Fame

Honus "the Flying Dutchman" Wagner, Louisville Colonels and Pittsburgh Pirates, 1897-1917

Alex "A-Rod" Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees, 1994 to present

Derek Jeter, New York Yankees, 1995 to present

Cal "Iron Man" Ripkin, Baltimore Orioles, 1981-2001

Luis "Little Louie" Aparicio, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox, 1956-1973

Oscar "R2D2" Mullen, Milwaukee Brewers, March 2012

Our next meeting is at the Foxx's house on Wednesday, April 4th.  El Jefe was on app duty but needs a sub, the Highlander is on dessert.  As it is Bisnonna's 89th birthday, El Jefe and the Doctor will not be able to make it.  So sorry to miss as we are diving headlong into the Hunger Games craze.  Take El Jefe's word for it:  just go straight for the trilogy box set, you won't regret it.  Until next time, you konw what to do... xoej

Eat, Drink and Be Married

Thanks to Logan's Run for hosting a lovely BC, and a packed house to boot!  We started off with a cheese and charcuterie platter, with some sort of figgy-quincy dip on the side that made it exceptionally lishy.  Next, steaming hot chicken pot pies in individual ramekins, accompanied by wild arugula salad with goat cheese and a citrus vinaigrette dressing, and finally, homemade red velvet cupcakes with Valentine's Day sprinkles.  Lish!!  Always love the seasonal desserts.

Such a treat!  For only the second?  third?  time in BC history, our book's author was in attendance!  Rebecca Bloom (we get to call her Becca!), author of Eat, Drink and Be Married, joined us to talk about how she wrote her book, got it published, and won't be embarrassed if her kids read it when they grow up.  As many books as we've read and discussed over the years, this was the first time that we've gotten this much insight into the actual writing and publishing process.  One might think an author has overcome her biggest obstacle once the denouement is conceived, the final chapter written, and the word "Fin" triumphantly typed out on the keyboard.  Alas, no.  There still needs to be someone who wants to read the darn thing and get behind the idea that other people will want to read it.  And as it turns out, finding that someone is pretty difficult in these latter days of the recession.  And so, Becca took it upon herself to self-publish her latest oeuvre, a tale of four best friends who reunite for a wedding, all kinds of drama ensuing.  Of course the first thing we all wanted to know was whether any of the four was Becca herself, and of the others, were they real people?  As it turns out, no character is an exact representation of any particular person Becca knows (or herself), but rather, each is a montage of various personality traits that are familiar to us all.  Which is why the second thing we did was to go around the room and each choose the character with whom we identified the most.  High-brow Hannah, who is a glaringly selfish Bridezilla, but ultimately has a stroke of self-realization on the eve of her wedding?  Nina, the work-out obsessed power player, who can't bear the thought of a baby adding an inch to her waistline or otherwise throwing a wrench in the works of her agro life?  Zoe, the edgy punkster who is the rock her friends lean on, but deep down somewhat self-loathing?  Or Kate, the weird cat-guitar lady?  (Actually, no one picked Kate, and El Jefe would normally take back that uncharitable description of her, except that it doesn't matter because no one picked her.)  It was a lot of fun to get to know these ladies--as well as Becca-- over the course of the book, and we very much look forward to Becca's next project!  (Maybe starting a book club, ha!)

Our next meeting is, ahem, Wednesday (did someone say, "Oh Snap!"?).  The Doctor is hosting, Red is on apps, and Ms. K. dessert.  In case the Highlander is reading this, open up your Kindle and download "The Art of Fielding," which is the book we have all read over the past month and will be discussing in two days.  Until Wednesday, read early and often!  Bring your picks for the List o' Death!  And good luck to the Saint!  We are very excited to have yet another little one in the BC family by April!  xoej

The Poisoner's Handbook

What a kick off to 2012!  Welcome to Miss Georgia and the Saint, we are deeelighted to have you aboard!  We got acquainted over fromage et charcuterie, Chez Chateau, followed by pasta with Italian tuna, roasted bell peppers and pancetta and a tricolore salad, and then chocolatey mini-brownies in individual ramekins with vanilla ice cream and fruit compote for dessert.  So cozy--so delish!--the perfect winter BC.

The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum scored a 6.5, and would have been higher were it not for a dramatic, lowball "3" by Red.  We endeavored to explain the art and science of the BC rating system to Miss Georgia and the Saint, but, like the scores themselves, the discussion was fraught with disagreement.  Only a few clear rules were delineated:  don't wimp out and refuse to rate, no fractions less than 0.5, and always, always, change your score on an ad hoc basis as a result of the opinions of those who rated before you!  But El Jefe digresses...there were a lot of criticisms of this book.  Several of us were unimpressed by our jazz age protagonists, the incorruptible Charles Norris (New York's Chief Medical Examiner) and his trusty sidekick Alexander Gettler (Chief Toxicologist).  According to our group, they were lacking in character (or, at least the author lacked in describing their characters) and their disgusting toils were repetitive and tedious to read about.  No sympathy for these stalwart men, valiantly laboring away under preposterous working conditions (no car service!) and for too little pay in a corrupt and violent city.  Bah!  Others expressed the opinion that although the author tried to create an integrated narrative, the story nevertheless was disjointed, and reading the book felt like taking a chemistry lesson (assuming that's a bad thing).  But on the other hand, there was unanimous recognition that one learned a lot from this book, which illuminated fascinating and little-known historical facts about a time and place that has been endlessly romanticized, dramatized, and made to seem better than the godawful s*&#hole that it actually was.  The book also raised some interesting socio-political questions as we observed how the most poisonous wood alcohol was consumed by New York's poorest residents, while the uptown population somehow managed to score decent hooch--an obvious comparison to how crack cocaine and other lethal street drugs wreak havoc in poor communities today but are not used by affluent people who can afford "safer" drugs.  Finally, we talked about whether, after reading this book, we felt more or less optimistic about modern health and safety and exposure to chemical substances in daily life.  Sadly, while the understanding of industrial poisons has come a long way since the 1920s, most of us feel that there are new and unknown poisons lurking in consumer goods all around us, and science will just never catch up with detecting or monitoring the substances that find their way into food, cosmetics, the environment and our bodies every day.

Charles Norris and Alexander Gettler

"Radium Girls," painting watch dials at U.S. Radium Corp. circa 1917.

Cyanide.  Just a teaspoon can kill.

Moonshine

 Our next meeting is at Logan's Run's house on February 8.  We are reading Eat, Drink and Be Married, and author Rebecca Bloom will be there to discuss the book.  The Highlander is bringing apps and Miss Georgia is bringing dessert.  Until next time, read early and often, especially because the author is coming!