French Lesson by Alice Kaplan (Saffron)

The book was a memoir entitled French Lessons by Alice Kaplan, a writer with local roots. The story includes the author's memories of growing up, her father's role at the Nuremburg Trials, her early experiences in school in France, and her adult life in the academic study of French language, literature, and society. We gave the book mixed but mostly positive reviews; the middle eastern restaurant, Saffron, that served as our venue fared about the same.

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns (BBQ at Roger Brooks')

We tried another experiment this month as we met jointly with another book club (all women) that was reading the same book as our club, Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. All who participated liked the experiment, but only about half of each group could attend. Nevertheless, the discussion was lively and penetrating. We discussed the nature of leadership, the challenges of writing a joint biography, and numerous civil war issues. The book got high ratings from all attendees. We chatted over a backyard barbeque at the Brooks house.

Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaren, the One Percent Doctrine by Ron Suskind, Colossus: Rise and Fall of the American Empire by Niall Ferguson (Il Vesco Vino)

This month was an experiment. We each chose to read a different book about the War in Iraq and to discuss them as a group. We read Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaren, the One Percent Doctrine by Ron Suskind, Colossus: Rise and Fall of the American Empire by Niall Ferguson, and others. Il Vesco Vino proved popular with most of us.

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder (Chambers Kitchen)

Mountains Beyond Mountains is the inspiring tale of Dr. Paul Farmer and his fight against TB and other diseases in third world nations like Haiti. Our group, however, was less than wildly inspired, giving the book a slightly below average rating. On the other hand, our restaurant, Chambers Kitchen, was judged above average.

All The King's Men by Robert Penn Warren (Puerta Azul)

Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men was our book-of-the-month, and we gave it a very good reception. Perhaps inevitably, the conversation drifted in and out of Minnesota politics as well. Puerta Azul was our venue, and we gave it a pretty low rating. But at least the wine was good and inexpensive Our next meeting will be January 10; Paul will suggest the next book. (Note: Max actually suggested the next one: Tracey Kidder's Mountains Beyond Mountains.)

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane (The Signature Cafe)

The Red Badge of Courage evoked a lot of discussion: what was it about, was it a good depiction of warfare, how could Crane write the book having never experienced war. Most of us had read the novel in high school or college, but the re-reading was worth it. Overall, we gave it one of the highest ratings. The Signature Cafe also got a high rating. The next book is Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men. Max is on deck to suggest the following book.

The Future of Life by Edward O. Wilson (Caspian Bistro)

We didn't do our best job of scheduling this month: only three of us showed up. But we had a nice dinner at Caspian Bistro (except for the lack of wine which we solved by sending Phil down to the local wine shop to buy a couple of bottles of Merlot). Edward O. Wilson's book, the Future of Life, got very good reviews for a well written scientific analysis and mini-polemic. Wilson is mainly concerned about the negative impact of humans on natural habitat and biodiversity. We talked about picking a piece of classic fiction for the next book and mentioned Melville, Hemingway, and Crane. We chose Crane's Red Badge of Courage. Meeting date: Tuesday, October 17. Bill is on deck to suggest the following book.

Red Azalea by Anchee Min (The View)

Anchee Min's Red Azalea, a personal account of life in the waning days of Mao's China, got pretty high marks for insights into totalitarian societies. Some thought it dragged a bit near the middle or end (particularly in its focus on the author's various relationships), and some were disappointed that it didn't connect very well the author's personal experience with the larger political/social upheavals that were wracking China in the 1970s. But overall, the group judged it a darn good book. Krista Tippet's MPR interview with the author is also worth listening to. The View didn't fare as well as the book, getting a well-below average score from the group (the halibut disappointed). Next book: Edward O. Wilson's Future of Life. Next picker: Bill. Save the date: Thursday, September 14. Other books considered but not chosen: Michael Pollan's Botany of Life and Jonathan Weiner's Beak of the Finch (which Roger particularly likes).

Independence Day by Richard Ford (Margaux)

The book: Independence Day by Richard Ford; the place: Margaux, a French/American bistro in downtown St. Paul. The book got pretty mixed reviews, but was well liked by some and got a good discussion going about the characters, plot, and writing style. The restaurant was mostly a pleasant surprise. Regarding the next book, the group was pretty evenly split between Red Azalea, a memoir of Mao's China by Anchee Min, and The History of the World in Six Glasses, by Tom Standage, but the Min book prevailed in the end. We'll meet on Tuesday, August 15, and Roger is on deck to suggest the next book.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (Cafe Twenty-Eight))

Curious Incident of the Dog was mildly popular, evoking a discussion about autism. The restaurant, 28 Cafe, received pretty good reviews from five, but was panned by two (avoid that pork chop, folks). Next book (July 17): Richard Ford's Independence Day. Runners up: Pablo Neruda's Memoirs and Edward Wilson's Future of Life. Jim suggests the next book.

A Woman in Berlin by Anonymous (JP American Bistro)

Six thumbs up for this month's book, A Woman in Berlin, an anonymous, frank account of the immediate aftermath of the fall of Berlin in 1945. JP American Bistro proved to be a very popular dinner spot. The next book is Mark Haddon's Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (May 30).

Walking Across Egypt by Clyde Edgerton (Dinner at Paul Solon's)

We read Clyde Edgerton's Walking Across Egypt, a light tale set in
Carolina to which we gave pretty mediocre reviews. One of us was downright hostile to the book. The highlight was a southern style dinner at Paul's house.