Freakonomics

Thanks to Logan's Run for hosting a fun and intimate TCOB last night!  Dalish as usual. Prosciutto-wrapped melon and fresh mozzarella, baked penne with a crisp arugula and parmesan salad, and a scrumptious apricot mousse Birthday Cake in honor of Ms. K.  Yum!  We missed our traveling compatriots:  Blondie (Sun Valley), Red (Paris--obv.) and La Madamoiselle (NY). Hurry home girls, we miss you!

On to the book. Freakonomics came in with a 6.5.  Despite a fairly respectable score, the commentary on this book was kind of lackluster.  It's not that people didn't like it, but rather that they didn't see much to discuss.  The overriding reaction was "neato, but not mind-blowing"--which is what the book jacket made it out to be.  There were mixed views of the author's methodology.  The Doctor, in particular, was not convinced that Levitt proved the theses he put forth because he didn't prove causality.  Ms. K and the Highlander, on the other hand, found his research convincing.  The most well-received chapter was the author's conclusion that legalized abortion accounted for nearly 50% of the crime drop between the 1980's and 2000.  A bold and controversial position that he handled with finesse and objectivity.  But, who wants finesse and objectivity when we can talk about scan-dal? (see below)  Did James Frey's drug addition cause him to forget he never served prison time, or was it just correlated?  A million little pieces of controversy. Tempting as it may be, we've decided not to suppot his literary career. Oh-o-woh-o-Oprah!

Our next meeting is Wednesday, March 1 at Red's house. (Red, please confirm this--we talked about it a long time ago). We need apps and dessert volunteers, please! The book is Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, by Erik Larson. It's a long one, 447 pages, so just click on the link below, and read early and often.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

Another late BC recap, but better late than never. We had a very lively meeting at Chez Jefe that kicked off with tuna tartare, followed by pumpkin-black bean soup and grilled cheese (the beginning of those hearty winter BC dinners!), and a low-calorie Oreo cream cake for dessert.  Lish!  After a thorough discussion of Red's new Belgian love interest, we reluctantly moved on to a discussion of the book....

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime was relatively well received, with a 6.75 rating. Could it be that our typical grade inflation is deflating?  That is a comparatively low average score for a book that everyone seemed to like.  But, we certainly are talking about "like" and not "love."  No one was passionate about this book.  We talked about the game show math puzzle a bit (the goats and cars behind closed doors) and once everyone was satisfied with the answer to that, there wasn't a whole lot else to say.  The strongest part of the book was the author's insight into autism, and his portrayal of how an autistic mind sees the world. Several people were surprised to find out that Christopher's character was 15 years old, since his narration suggested that he was more like 10 or 11.  We also talked briefly about the father;  in a recurring BC theme, we were split between being sympathetic towards and disgusted by this character who had dealt a deadly blow to an innocent dog with a garden fork, and yet clearly was dedicated to his handicapped son.  And.... that's about it.  The group was much more interested in discussing the holiday calendar. I believe there is a triple-threat trunk show (the Foxx, La Madamoiselle, Red) being hosted by Logan's Run on the 14th, so save the date.

As I mentioned, the discussion was very lively when it came to the LOD selection and the stressful challenge of picking a book for the December meeting. I've tallied the votes to date, and even though two people didn't weigh in (ahem) there are two clear leaders of the pack, so we'll go with those for December and January, respectively.

The December book will be The Sea by John Banville, this year's Booker prize winner. Yes, it's hardcover, but hey, writers need to make a living too.  January's book is Herzog, by Saul Bellow.

As for the date for Dec. BC, everyone I've heard from so far (missing two) is available all of the dates, but P___ likely will prefer to generously let us use her home on Monday the 5th. So, please pencil that date in and I will send a confirmation once I hear from the rest of the group. Remember that you are welcome to invite a guest but please make sure they read the book and make sure to let the Highlander know if you are bringing someone or not so she can get a headcount.
La Madamoiselle has volunteered for apps for the December BC.  Logan's Run, can I volunteer you and your Skor Bar cookies for dessert?!  Everyone else, wine, bubbly, you name it, but please designate a driver. Until then... read early and often! xo

The Confessions of Max Tivoli

Better late than never on this recap of last week's BC, co-hosted by El Jefe and the Foxx at Chez Jefe. Dinner was lish-- charcuterie and fromage to start (including some authentic Camembert Francaise imported by Red, which still is stinking up El Jefe's refrigerator!), followed by a tasty lasagna and salad with crusty bread, and two kinds of homemade cookies for dessert. Yummy. Who needs to talk about books when we can just eat?

But we did, and Confessions of Max Tivioli was pretty popular coming in with a healthy 8.75. Aside from a few comments that the book started slowly or some parts dragged a little, the group really liked CMT overall. It had a little of everything: humor, unique storyline, interesting characters, and tearjerker moments. Everyone especially appreciated that the plot of the novel was so unique: not only does the main character have the singular characteristic of aging backwards, but the twists and turns of the story were revealed little by little in an interesting way that kept the reader intrigued throughout. Although it was difficult to get a mental picture of Max at times, people thought he was a sympathetic character--but with some faults. For example, why couldn't he get over Alice, his boyhood infatuation, even when he was himself approaching old age? Was he emotionally caught in a childlike state just like his body? Also: why didn't he come clean with Alice about his medical condition? By lying to her, he was dooming the relationship from the outset. The group generally also liked Hughie, Max's best friend very much, and his sad death at the end of the novel made a few people cry. Why didn't Max want to stay with him and let Hughie care for him? After all, Max's regression to a childlike state was not much different from Hughie growing old; as Ms. K. said, we all become like children at the end of our lives. Alice on the other hand got a lukewarm reception. People didn't understand her motivations with men, why she left two husbands, and why Max was so attracted to her in the first place. Aside from the characters, it's also worth noting that people appreciated the author's extensive research in re-creating turn-of-the-century San Francisco from the clothing styles to the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake.

Our next meeting is back on schedule, Wednesday October 5, at the Foxx's house! The Doctor is bringing apps, Ms. K. dessert. We are reading Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life, which is the biography of Queen Noor of Jordan.

The Corrections

Now this is a sign that BC really is coming into its own: we're beginning to have those meetings that become "remember when" episodes in book club history. As in, "Remember when Logan's Run's refrigerator was broken for 4 days and she hosted BC anyways? And the Foxx brought dessert in a cooler?" Props to Logan's Run for totally dealing and in perfect style, as usual. Really, you didn't have to, but we're all glad you did! La Mademoiselle made hot brie with apricot jam encased in filo dough, then, a make-you-own burger feast with two side salads by master griller Logan's Run, and topped off by some sort of yogurty-bananay-molassesy-chocolatey concoction for dessert that El Jefe has no idea what you'd call it except dalish!

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen made a strong showing of 8 points on the nose. Grade inflation? Perhaps. But El Jefe would say overall people really liked the book and were glad to have read it. Clearly a character-driven novel, our conversation focused on each of the Lambert family members in turn. There wasn't much consensus on either a favorite or most-hated character. Rather, certain characters bothered people either more or less but that seemed to be the author's intention; as despicable as they were, there was a sympathetic side to everyone. But what if these were our friends rather than fictional characters? Would we still find them sympathetic, or would we find them totally outrageous and out-of-touch, and tell them to just start dealing better? How far does normal family idiosyncrasy go before it crosses the line into serious character flaws? There was more agreement on the funny parts of the book: Chip's exploits in Lithuania, Alfred's hallucinations about malicious talking Turds, Chip's salmon down the pants, and Gary's ridiculous escapade with electric saw and grill tools. Good times for all.

Our next book is The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles. See the last BC installment for a description and link. Meeting will be at Blondie's house on Tuesday, Aug. 2 (note the usual change of date). Ms. K is bringing apps, Logan's Run dessert. Everyone else: LOTS OF WINE--can't wait!!!! Also, don't forget your LOD suggestions, since we may try to pick two in a row again. Until next time, read early and often!

P.S. This is my last day at work before maternity leave. Email me at my personal e-mail for the next 4 months!!!!

True To Da Game

So glad that everyone made the journey eastward last night to see the new Jefe digs! There were even enough chairs for all. We started off the evening with a very European vibe-- prosciutto, melon, and bocconcini skewers-- and then headed to Philly for some comfort food, BBQ spare ribs and mac n' cheese, topping off that light and dietetic meal with lemon chiffon pie-parfait. Seriously blue. Unfortunately, the book didn't live up to the cuisine. It got the lowest score in BC history: a ONE, the blow being delivered by Red (who incidentally, also gave BC's first 10 to Confederacy of Dunces. Plus, for another piece of BC folklore, the second lowest in our history was the Doctor's 2 on Day of the Locust/Miss Lonleyhearts). The overall rating on the book was a 3.6. Since there's not a whole lot in the book that people liked, let's run through some of the low points: the cheesy poems, Gena's money-grubbing attitude, the cliché' gangsta scenes from the late '80's, the fact that no character redeemed his or herself at the end of the book. We did have some discussion of the general literary value of the book. It has been described as a pioneer in the increasingly popular area of "ghetto lit," and apparently has something going for it since it's reached a wide enough audience to include 9 white girls from west (and east) L.A. That being said, no one had quite enough sympathy for the author--who has been in jail and probably is writing from first hand experience--as to overcome the crappy writing. Some positive notes were that it was entertaining enough in a trashy sort of way, and at least the author was able to put a storyline together.


With the democratic primaries in full swing, everyone was in the mood for a political book this time around. We'll be reading The 2% Solution: Fixing America's Problems in ways Liberals and Conservatives Can Love, by Matthew Miller. This was a totally impromptu suggestion without knowing any background on the book, and as it turns out it's hardcover. :( However, we're going to keep it since it's the right length and everyone was pretty enthusiastic...

Day of the Locust/Miss Lonleyhearts

Thanks to Logan's Run for hosting a great BC last night! It was great to have our new member La Mademoiselle there, and also are newly revived ;) member Ms. K, plus little baby N. who treated us to some kicking and moving around. Ms. K, you look fantastic, we were so happy to see you! We also had Riley there, Logan's Run's roommate's dog; given that she didn't eat the dessert, she was much better behaved than Bella. Speaking of food, La Mademoiselle brought caprese skewers and salmon finger sandwiches with crème fraiche to start, then a decadent cheese casserole and salad for din, and (at least to the extent it didn't wind up on the floor) Ciao Bella gelato and cookies for dessert. Dalish!

On to the book. This was by far the lowest-rated book (both stories!) in BC history. In fact, the Doctor delivered our lowest score ever: 2. Other ratings were two 3's, 4, and two 5's. The reasons why the stories were disliked across the board are many. People thought the tone of the author was arrogant, the stories were depressing, demotivating, and violent, the "plots" dragged on to the extent that people started counting pages, and the characters were totally unsympathetic. We also could not figure out why this book is considered a "classic" or has any literary value (or, at least enough to be on school curriculums, which apparently it is). Was there a deeper meaning? Was the author trying to convey his personal philosophy? Were the books a sign of the times in the 1930's? Finally we decided, if nobody "got it," maybe there's nothing to get, the books just weren't that good.

Our next meeting will be TUESDAY, September 30, at the Doctor's house. Ms. K is bringing apps, and Red dessert. We'll be reading the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. El Jefe started this book last night when she got home from BC (yes, El Jefe is dedicated!) and wants to point out that even though it is on the heftier side, the type is big and it seems like it will be a quick read. See you at the next BC!

Confederacy of Dunces

Hi All, and welcome to La Mademoiselle, our newest BC member. El Jefe knows you've all been waiting with bated breath for the recap, which is a few days late this time as I was up in beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea this weekend sans computer. Thanks to The Tiger for hosting in her fab new home. El Jefe is psyched you had the patio table in place--a big fan of the outdoor BC! We feasted on cheese and salami for apps, then had a delish taco dinner with The Tiger's killer guacamole, and finished off with a dessert from our favorite BC baker, Logan's Run. El Jefe is kind of regretting not taking a doggie bag home. If only Logan's Run had convinced me!! Tiger, can you send the name of the secret ingredient for your chicken, thanks!

Now we must recount a truly historic moment: the first 10 rating in BC history! Yes, you heard me correctly. Confederacy of Dunces scored a 10.

Overall, it had fairly high ratings from everyone else as well, the lowest being a 6 or 6-1/2. The overwhelming comment was that the book was damn funny, although only about half of us admitted to actually laughing out loud (El Jefe was certainly in that group!). Also, the book got praise across the board for it's fantastic character development. There were a few votes for Jones as favorite character, although the Highlander (inexplicably ;) ) liked Gus Levy. What little substantive book discussion (see post script below) we had centered around the question of whether Ignatius J. Reilly was a veritable looney, or whether he was just a misunderstood intellectual and nonconformist. He definitely got strong reactions from everyone, who seemed to love him or be repulsed by him. El Jefe had to leave a bit early to do some work and tend to electrical outages back at the money pit (I mean, Chez Jefe), but folks, did we ever reach a consensus on whether Reilly was a B.K. Troop rip-off or not?

Speaking of B.K. Troop, our next book is Miss Lonleyhearts/Day of the Locusts, two novels by Nathanael West, which was recommended by our author friend Allison Burnett. The meeting will be at Logans Run's house, directions to follow.