We are seven handsome and charming* guys who meet at a different restaurant every month or so, having read a book in common, and discuss whatever we want--generally the assigned book, but usually many other timely topics as well. We rotate the responsibility to suggest titles, but the group has the final say. Our book club rules: 1) Anything goes, fiction or nonfiction; 2) paperbacks are preferred; and 3) staying under 300 pages is desirable (N.B., we violate this one all the time). We rate all books and restaurants on a 5-point scale.

* All other adjectives were vetoed.

November 4, 2013

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.
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