Ninety Percent of Everything by Rose George (Marin)

We all liked Rose George's book about the shipping industry and more.  It was well written and ranged over a range of interesting topics, including the structure and economics of global shipping, life at sea, piracy, the effect of shipping on sea life, and survival at sea.  Some of us wanted more developmental analysis on the shipping industry and others thought the book was a jumble of inter-related topics among an oceanic array of possibilities.  But we still liked it. Maybe it could have succeeded better as a long-piece in the New Yorker?

Our discussion also touched on Mandela's passing, sporting events,  politics, etc.  The restaurant, Marin, got mostly raves (the Fluke special was, well, special), but the service petered out and coffee was cold.

Our next book is Claire Vanderpool's young adult novel, Navigating Early.  Other books considered were Kate DiCamillo, Flora and Ulysses, and R. J. Palacio, Wonder.

Phil suggests the next book, followed by Bill.  Date TBA.

Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba by Tom Gjelten (Sakana)

Unlike many gatherings, we got to the topic of the book immediately.  Cuba, after all, offers a colorful history and lots of controversy. Some of us liked the book's detailed focus on the Bacardi family and the company's development, while others found it less than scintillating, hoping for a more contemporary social and political analysis.  But all agreed that the book was balanced and informative.

The restaurant impressed us all.  Everyone was positive about the pan-Asian cuisine, menu diversity, and service.  It's a good addition to the Highland Park food scene.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, December 10, and our book is Rose George, Ninety Percent of Everything, an examination of the worldwide shipping industry.  Other titles considered were: Candice Millard, Destiny of the Republic, Lynne Olson, Those Angry Days, and Adam Johnson, The Orphan Master's Son.  Paul suggests the next book.

Beloved by Toni Morrison (Nico's Taco and Tequila Bar)

The club (minus Roger who was traveling in Denmark) had a great discussion regarding Morrison’s intense portrayal of the slave experience and the lingering nightmares even after emancipation. Some registered difficulty in always knowing if the narrator was speaking in the present, reliving scenes from the past or moving in some intense and mystical dream world. The book received a very high group score and deserved the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

The restaurant, Nico’s Taco and Tequila Bar, didn’t fare nearly as well. This new venue, occupying an old 3 story house and formerly operated as Birdhouse, was thought to be without much charm, the service slow and the food mediocre.

Jim suggested several books for next time: Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba by Tom Gjelton; World Within World: The Autobiography of Stephen Spender; and American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin. The group decided on Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba.  Roger suggests the next book.  Meeting is set for November 4.

The Valleys of the Assassins by Freya Stark (Spill the Wine)

Most of us had a hard time getting our hands on this book, which was first published in the mid-1930s.  The public/university libraries came through for some, a friend's private collection worked for one, and one person already had it unread in his personal library.  Basically a travelog of Persia, most found it something of a slog, mostly because of the total unfamiliarity of the places and names described.  But the author's frequent trenchant cultural observations, bits of humor and irony, and philosophical thoughts somehow made her quest for archaelogical/sociological/geological wisdom worth it.  Plus, the brave woman who wrote it was basically traveling alone, with a guide or two, in a very hostile environment.

The restaurant, Spill the Wine, is a new incarnation of a place previously located on Washington Avenue, and it was very accommodating.  The food, mostly served on small plates, was very good, and the service was attentive and agreeable.  We rated it much higher than our visit to the old place.

Don suggested several books for next time: Toni Morrison, Home and Beloved; Yoko Ogawa, Housekeeper and the Professor; and Ishiguro Kasuo, Remains of the Day.  We picked Beloved, primarily because we know it's a major piece of literature and most of us haven't read it.  Jim suggests the next book.

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John LeCarre (Louis)

Despite high noise levels at Louis, we had a good conversation about issues like the morality of leaking state secrets.  We all liked the book and found it an easy read, while acknowledging that it was in a special niche of literature and could not compete in overall quality with the best novels of all time.  But it would definitely qualify as one of the best spy thrillers ever.  Dinner entrees were above average in quality and so large that lots of left overs were carted home.

Max suggested three books for next time: Jared Diamond, Collapse, Peter Beagle, Time and Private Place, and Freya Stark, Valleys of the Assassins.  We chose the last, and we'll meet on Tuesday, July 23. Don will suggest the next book.

This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Grand Cafe)

There were divergent opinions about this classic book, Fitzgerald's breakthrough novel written after his eye-opening years at Princeton and published a week before his marriage to Zelda Sayre.  We agreed that it was a tour de force for a 23-year-old and offered a vivid picture of upper class life at an elite school, but we differed on how well it has aged. There was also little consensus on whether the author was reveling in the fun and foibles of the rich set, or mocking it.  The poetry and erudition of Fitzgerald's writing, however, was evident to all.

We all enjoyed the Grand Cafe, especially the Caesar salad and the Halibut.  It was a quiet night and the service was good. Our discussion touched on bad travel experiences, golf, and many other topics.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 25; the book is John LeCarre's The Spy Who Came in from the Cold.  Other titles suggested by Bill were Updike's Rabbit Run, and The Emigrants by Sebald.  Max suggests the next book.

Losing It by William Ian Miller (Gray House)

Our book, Losing It, by William Ian Miller, was a mixed success.  Some of us expected late-life comfort and advice, and some of that was delivered.  But most of us declared the book a hodge-podge of erudite but  hard-to-follow literary references, from Icelandic sagas to biblical texts.  As in Wayne's World, maybe "we are not worthy." Anyway, there were lots of witty asides and zingers that hit home.

Next book is This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Other books suggested were Istanbul Passage by Kanon,  Their Eyes Are Watching God by Hurston, and House of Earth by Guthrie.  We're meeting at 6:30 pm, on Tuesday, May 7.

We had dinner at The Gray House, a pleasantly modest place, self-described as a gastropub (whatever that means), which we enjoyed.  We all had either a lamb cutlet, or a ravioli special which is not recognizable from looking at the menu.

Our conversation mostly focused on the plight of the University, especially money spent on sports figures, administrative functions, and other diversionary stuff that none of us could identify as worthy of a "great university."

PS: Most of us have either graduated from the U or taught there.

To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild (Wilde Roast Cafe)

We met at a pleasant restaurant at Riverplace in Minneapolis, Wilde Roast Cafe.  It was quiet and roomy, had good service, and served mostly good food at a reasonable price.  Our book was To End All Wars, an account of WWI--especially the home front in Britain--by Adam Hochschild.  It was a popular choice that recounted much of the horror of the war at the front as well as the actions of the war's opponents at home.  We debated whether the war was notable for the idiocy of the responsible political and military leaders and how important the war resisters were.  Other topics of discussion included the indignities of contemporary air travel, movies, and the Superbowl, but surprisingly not politics.

For next time, March 26, we'll read Losing It: In Which an Aging Professor Laments His Shrinking Brain by William Ian Miller.  Other titles considered were The Photographer by Guibert, How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read by Bayard, How to Live, or a Life of Montaigne by Blackwell.  Phil will suggest the following book.