The Art of Dying Well by Katy Butler (Noyes & Cutler)

While not an exemplar of outstanding literary depth and quality, Butler's book is a useful handbook for thinking about and planning for death.  Complete with checklists, best practices, anecdotes, and even a glossary of terms, the book is thought provoking and accessible.  It sparked a good discussion of topics seldom explored in most dinner conversations.  The restaurant provided a good round-table setting, offering excellent food and good service overlooking Mears Park in downtown Saint Paul.  (The piped-in music, however, sometimes made it difficult to converse.)

Our next book is Orwell's Roses by Rebecca Solnit; the only other contender was Kazuo Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun.  We agreed to have our next meeting on January 3 and the following book will be suggested by Bill.

One of Ours by Willa Cather (Lake and Irving)

Our book was a popular choice: Cather's story-telling talents and her writing skills won over most of our group. And her evocation of life in rural America in the years before WWI was admired by all.   One wise guy, however, didn't think she integrated the home-life first part with the war experience of the second part very well.  Hemingway was a better writer about war.

Lake and Irving provided a great setting for our discussion.  The menu was diverse, the food excellent, and the service friendly and prompt.  Our next book is The Art of Dying Well by Katy Butler.  Other ideas were The Summer Book by Tove Jansson, The History of Rasselas by Samuel Johnson, and The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living.  We'll meet on October 26.  Roger is on deck to suggest the following book.  

Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman (Hola Arepa)

The book will be found in the mystery/thriller section of the bookstore, a section we don't often visit. But it provided a pretty good entertainment, especially after the late-in-the-game plot twist. The restaurant offered good food and service, but a lot of noise, too.  We were washed out of the inviting patio seating by rain showers.

Our next book is Willa Cather, One of Ours.  Other titles considered: Millard, River of the Gods; Krueger, This Tender Land; Ward, Sing, Unburied, Sing; and Yong, An Immense World.  We'll meet next on Wednesday, Sept 28, at 6:30.  Max is in the hotseat for choosing the next book.

How German Is It? by Walter Abish (Tongue in Cheek)

The food and service at this east-side restaurant were very good but the noise level made conversation somewhat difficult.  The book, a novel about German identity and culture three decades after WWII, was often insightful and poignant, but ultimately confusing, patchy, and hard to read.  Our recent book, Aftermath, was a far more interesting and compelling portrait of post-war Germany.

Our next title is Thief River Falls, a thriller by Brian Freeman.  Other books considered: Ian Morris, Geography is Destiny; Candice Millard, River of the Gods; Nichole Eustace, Covered with Night; and Peter Matthissen, Shadow Country.  We plan to meet on Tuesday, August 16.  Don is in line to suggest the following book.

The Tyranny of Merit by Michael Sandel (Lat 14)

This book offers an insightful analysis of the impact of the meritocracy honored by western societies in the post-WWII era.  Its side effects, including the creation of meritocratic "losers", has sparked a shamed and disgruntled class of citizens, feeding today's angry populist backlash.  Although the author has few practical suggestions for turning things around, the book is an important contribution to civil discourse.  We gave it high ratings.  The restaurant, with its array of lively Asian-based dishes, was also popular with our group.

Our next book is Walter Abish, How German Is It?  Also considered: Burial Rites by Hannah Kent and Euphoria by Lily King.  We plan to meet on July13 at Tongue in Cheek in St Paul.  Don suggests the next title.

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell (Creekside Supper Club)

A beautifully written historical novel about the Shakespeare family in the 1590s, Hamnet imaginatively fills out the many facts missing from existing histories and describes in luminous prose the possible relationships, tribulations, and emotions of the family members.  Despite a few quibbles about the "plot", we all enjoyed the book and gave it high ratings.  But Creekside was not the ideal venue for our gathering.  The food was mostly very good, but place was loud and the service from the kitchen slow.  

Our next book is The Tyranny of Merit by Michael Sandel.  Also considered were James Rebanks Pastoral Song and Lawrence Wright God Save Texas.  Phil is in line to suggest the following book when we meet sometime in late May.

Aftermath by Harald Jahner (Online)

The book was a surprisingly interesting look into German history immediately following the end of WWII.  The Germans got back to normal--a new normal, really--over a five year period, marked by resettlements, rebuilding, restoration of culture, and reconstruction of democratic institutions.  We gave the book high ratings for its revealing anecdotes and accessible style.  Our next book is Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet and the next book is suggested by Roger.  

Peril by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa and The Growing Seasons by Samuel Hynes (Online)

It was difficult to pull off this book club meeting.  Several of our group had been out of town, ill, or plagued with computer problems. But we did, finally, get together, even if only online (meeting in a restaurant while the pandemic peaked again seemed a bit too risky).  

Our list of books was beginning to pile up, so we discussed both Peril and The Growing Seasons at the same gathering.  Having been covered extensively on TV new shows, Peril, a narrative of the last year of Trump's term and the transition to the Biden years, seemed like old news.  We also found it rather inelegant and hastily assembled.  By contrast, the second book was beautifully written and full of nostalgic details about life in Minneapolis in the 1930s.

Our next book is Aftermath by Harald Jahner Peter's suggestion), and the one after that will be suggested by Max.  Date TBA.