Lost Horizon by James Hilton (Bluestem)

Bluestem is kind of a backroom extension of French Meadow restaurant and it proved to be an agreeable choice with a nice menu and generous helpings.  Too bad the place was hopping and the service very slow (not the waiter's fault).  The book was also agreeable to most of us.  A fantasy about an isolated place--Shangri-La-- where people are happy and long-lived and practice moderation in all things, Lost Horizon captures a moment in time between the world wars in which people could only hope that escape from a threatening world was possible.

The next book is Walter Kempowski, All for Nothing, a novel set in the chaos of post-World War II Eastern Europe.  Another book suggested was Jill Conway, Road from Coorain.  We plan to meet on Tuesday, November 27.  Roger will suggest the following book.

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain (Bungalow Club)

Our waitress at Bungalow Club said that her chef told her that Kitchen Confidential was completely true.  While unlikely, the book was lively and entertaining.  And, reflecting the author's personality, it was manic, crude, and funny, and seemed larger than life. Overall, we gave the book a pretty good rating.  The restaurant also got an above average vote.

In the midst of continuing Washington turmoil (Kavanaugh nomination, Rosenstein controversy, etc.), politics dominated our conversation.  Also, we did a round-robin description of our "most memorable meal:" somebody mentioned a Thanksgiving dinner but most of us thought of examples of wonderful French cooking.

Our next book is James Hilton's Lost Horizon.  Other titles suggested were Gibbon's Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, Dumas' Three Musketeers, and Reich's Who We Are and How We Got Here.  The next meeting is Wednesday, October 24; Bill is on deck to suggest the next book.

Supreme Conflict by Jan Greenburg (Wilde Cafe)

It was a dark and stormy night and ... oops!  Well it was kind of cool and rainy, but the storms mostly missed the Twin Cities.  The Wilde Cafe proved itself not quite ready for prime time.  The kitchen did ok, but the rest of the staff seemed like they were on their first day of employment.  We proceeded to have a good time anyway. 

Our discussion focussed a lot on politics and the book, which was a journalist's account of the failure of the right to "swing" the Supreme Court through presidential appointment after appointment in the Reagan/Bush/Clinton/Bush era.  Relying mostly on behind the scenes anecdotes, press accounts, and memoirs, the book blames Justices Souter and O'Connor for lacking clear "judicial philosophies" and thus derailing the hopes of conservative presidents and their advisors. The book was an easy, entertaining read, but some of us would have liked a more systematic analysis.

The next book is Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential.  Other titles considered were Orhan Pamuk, Snow, and Leonard Mlodinow, The Drunkard's Walk.  A couple of people had already read Bourdain, so it was suggested that an alternative would be Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, How Democracies Die.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, September 25.  Paul is on deck to suggest the following book.

Dirty Doc Ames by Erik Rivenes (Octo Fish Bar)

For the first time, we had the author of our monthly book selection grace us with his presence at dinner this time.  Erik described his reasons for choosing the book's subject (nobody had written about this colorful character) and how he went about doing the research (lots of time in the library reading microfilmed newspapers).  The book itself was a fascinating look inside the messy and corrupt political system that ruled Minneapolis at the turn of the 20th century.  Erik's account brought the whole unsavory cast of characters to life.  Mostly featuring seafood, the restaurant was more than adequate and the ambiance was suitable for a book club.

Jim had to miss the gathering but he gave us several book possibilities for next time: Linda Greehhouse, Becoming Justice Blackmun; Linda Greenhouse and Michael Graetz, The Burger Court and the Rise of the Judicial Right; Noah Feldman, Scorpion: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR's Great Supreme Court Justices; and Jan Greenburg, Supreme Conflict: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Control of the U. S. Supreme Court.  We chose to read the Greenburg book.

The next meeting will be Tuesday, August 28.  Phil will suggest the next book.

Writings From the New Yorker, 1925-76 by E. B. White (Urban Eatery)

Four of us gathered at Urban Eatery and enjoyed a nice dinner in relative quiet.  Topics of discussion included the latest national political machinations, local candidates for office, the alleged sins of MPR, and other juicy subjects.  E. B. White's work is almost universally admired, and much of this book was a joy to read.  But this collection seemed choppy and disjointed to some of us, the individual snippets too short to sink one's teeth into.

Our next book is Erik Rivenes, Dirty Doc Ames, a true story of political scandal in early Minneapolis.  Other titles considered were Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, and Kent Haruf, Plainsong.  We'll meet on either July 30 or 31.   Jim will suggest the next book.

Janesville: An American Story by Amy Goldstein (It's Greek to Me)

Again a small group, but we got back a couple of snowbirds this month.  Everyone liked the book which resonated as a ubiquitous story of community devastation in the rust belt in the wake of the 2008 recession.  The author tells personal stories and shows how a whole community suffers from economic forces beyond their control. Who knew that job retraining could be worse than sticking it out with lower wage jobs? 

The restaurant was a good choice (leg of lamb and moussaka).  Our next book is E. B. White's Writings from the New Yorker, 1927-76.  Other titles considered were Bill Holm's The Heart Can Be Filled Anywhere on Earth, Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, and Thomas Payne's Age of Reason.  Next meeting date is set for Tuesday, June 26.  Don will suggest the next book.

Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel (Fabulous Fern's)

Mantel's novel about the machinations of King Henry VIII and his courtiers was pretty stunning.  The author's writing is elegant and approachable and her historical knowledge and insights are impressive.  But only two of us made it to our dinner/discussion so we did not really give the book its due.  Dinner, though,  was excellent.

Afterward, we took a straw poll to determine the next book selection.  Janesville: An American Story by Amy Goldstein won out.  Other titles considered were How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt and Evicted by Matthew Desmond.  Next meeting is May 16.

Norwegian By Night by Derek Miller (Barbette)

We were a small group since several of our colleagues were in warm, sunny places.  Nevertheless, we had a very satisfying dinner and discussion.  The book, a murder/thriller, was modestly received. The plot seemed weak and implausible.  We chose a heftier title, Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel, for our next read.  We also considered Old School by Tobias Wolff and True Grit by Charles Portis.  We'll meet April 17 although we expect a small crowd again.  Jim is on deck to suggest the next book.

Cruising Paradise by Sam Shepard (Stewart's)

There were only four of us for dinner, but that turned out to be a good number for a good conversation about replacing a totaled car, state politics, travel plans, the latest movies, etc.  Most of us were happy with the restaurant which delivered good food at reasonable prices.  The book was mostly thought mediocre, a collection of short stories that was jumpy, sketchy, and disappointing.  There were some flashes of brilliant writing, however, that sustained interest for some of us.

The next book is Derek Miller's Norwegian By Night.  Others mentioned were Thomas Ricks' Churchill and Orwell and Amy Goldstein's Janesville: An American Story.  Don should be next in line to suggest the next book, but if he's still out of town (which we think he is), Bill will fill in.  Meeting date is TBA.

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (Copper Hen)

One of our best nights ever: high marks for both book and restaurant.  Plus lots of conversation about politics and the harassment issue that has been dominating the news.  The only grumbling about the book, which everyone agreed was a well-written masterpiece, was that the character of the butler seemed more of a caricature than a real person.

The next book is Sam Shepard's Cruising Paradise.  Other suggestions were J. D. Salinger's 9 Stories and Matthew Desmond's Evicted.  We will meet on January 24; Paul will suggest the next book.

Other books we have been reading: Alistair MacLeod, Island; Amy Goldstein, Janesville: An American Story; John Le Carre, The Pigeon Tunnel; Nicholas Stargardt, The German War; Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle; Daniel Mendelsohn, An Odyssey: A Father, a Son, and an Epic.

Silent Nights of the Shadow Catcher by Timothy Egan (The Local)

This meeting marks the 20th anniversary of our book club.  We started the evening with a short visit to the Minneapolis Club which has a collection of photographs by Edward S. Curtis, the subject of this month's book.  Then we made our way to The Local, an Irish Pub which serves fish and chips, chicken pot pie, roast beef, and other comfort food.

The book by Timothy Egan was very popular.  Most of us knew something of Curtis' work, but we found the nuances of his career interesting and inspirational.  Tragically, in the end he lost control over his own work and lived in semi-poverty for two decades.

The next book for us is Nobel-winning Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day.  Other titles considered were Trevor Noah's Born a Crime and Stefan Zweig's The World of Yesterday.  We'll meet on December 20 and Paul suggests the next book.

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah (Tavern on Grand)

The Tavern on Grand proved to be a fairly accommodating venue.  The food is not haute cuisine, but tasty and affordable (everybody ordered walleye).  Service was good and another book club was seated nearby.

The book was mostly popular although it was a grim story of war (young African and his pals are swept up in the lethal action) and unfolded in a predictable scenario.  Surprisingly, we didn't have much to say about it, so many other conversation topics dominated the evening (the eclipse, travel, knee surgery, local politics, etc.).

The next book is Timothy Egan's Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher, a life of photographer Edward Curtis.  Other books considered: Dan Ephron's Killing a King, Jonathan Schell's Time of Illusion, and Tom Vanderbilt's Traffic.  Our next meeting is November 2 and Roger will suggest the next book.