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.

August 17, 2020

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehesi Coates (Zoom)

This brief book is a critique of race relations in contemporary America.  But it is also a lyrical self analysis by a gifted Black writer seeking to reconcile his own life experience with mainstream white culture.  Written in the form of a letter to his son, the book viscerally describes the realities faced by non-whites over the ages and provides insights into the situation rather than solutions.  We gave it above average ratings but some of us considered it a restatement of the race problem without offering much that is truly original.

The next book is James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time.  We also considered Animal Farm by Orwell and Outlaw Ocean by Urbina.  We plan to meet via Zoom on September 24 and Peter will bring suggestions for the next book.

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