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Read It and Eat: A Month-by-Month Guide to Scintillating Book Club Selections and Mouthwatering Menus
A humorous guide to organizing and hosting book club gatherings features a range of fiction and nonfiction reading selections as well as numerous recipes for drinks, snacks, and dinners inspired by literature, in a resource that is thematically arranged by month and complemented by discussion suggestions. 35,000 first printing.Reissue.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 30, 2005
48 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 6, 2023
Great ideas. Each month has a theme of suggested books, menu and suggested discussion questions.
January 14, 2018
3.5 stars
This was an enjoyable, fun read, appropriately given to me by a book club I visited as a guest author. I'm not sure my own book club would go for Gardner's suggestions, as most of her menus are full-on dinners rather than appies and snacks, but they're still entertaining to read and I found some great book suggestions. Won't be making a roast beef dinner for the group any time soon, though.
The suggestions of discussion questions were interesting too, if a bit too university-esque. I can't imagine asking the members of my group to "compare or contrast" anything...shudder. Still, I loved that she included questions so that people who haven't read the book can participate in the discussion--a must for any book club.
I'm curious about Gardner's own club and if they REALLY talk about the books that long. We're lucky if we get ten minutes before moving on to other things.
This was an enjoyable, fun read, appropriately given to me by a book club I visited as a guest author. I'm not sure my own book club would go for Gardner's suggestions, as most of her menus are full-on dinners rather than appies and snacks, but they're still entertaining to read and I found some great book suggestions. Won't be making a roast beef dinner for the group any time soon, though.
The suggestions of discussion questions were interesting too, if a bit too university-esque. I can't imagine asking the members of my group to "compare or contrast" anything...shudder. Still, I loved that she included questions so that people who haven't read the book can participate in the discussion--a must for any book club.
I'm curious about Gardner's own club and if they REALLY talk about the books that long. We're lucky if we get ten minutes before moving on to other things.
June 22, 2007
I found this book to be really well organized. It was a delight to read. Sarah Gardner had a lot of good suggestions for books as well. Additionally, the book was full of interesting and fun recipes. I saved a few of them for myself because they sounded so darn good. I think this book would be great for those clubs that like to have food that corresponds with whatever they are reading. One thing that I liked about the book was the reading suggestions around the time of the year. This is a good book for those new to clubs who really want to have some kind of structure to both their reading and their snacks.
May 5, 2019
Great suggestions for books and simple book club questions. Recipes are okay...not well written. For example, one recipe calls for a package of jello...but doesn't say what size package. Another example, a recipe calls for 2 cups peach purée and tells you can use frozen peaches or canned..but gives no guidelines on how many cans of peaches you may actually need for the purée yield.
February 6, 2020
What a fun book! I don't even belong to a book club but I enjoyed the ideas presented. Each month of the year had a "theme" - with seveal books then presented for that theme. Each book had a brief synopsis and then several possible receipes to serve to the book club that were relevant to the book. Lots of "food for thought"! (I couldn't resist.) Just an all-round great book.
March 21, 2008
This book had a lot of great ideas for people involved in book clubs and for readers in general. The author has a wide selection of books in just about every category. I think everyone will find a book they've read or were intending to read among her selections.
For every book selected, there is a section with suggested topics/questions for discussion and is followed by a section suggesting the menu for the club's meeting. The menu is not lifted from the pages of the book, but was something the book inspired, like the use of raspberries in the Anne of Green Gables menu in recognition of the role Raspberry Cordial played in giving Anne and Diana their first hangovers. Or the recommendation of ORGANIC ingredients in creating the dishes on the Silent Spring menu.
It's would probably be great fun to come up with some sort of menu for every book I've ever read. And if I ever win hundreds of millions of dollars in a lotto jackpot, I just might have the time to do something like that.
In the meantime, I'll just concentrate on a lesser goal of getting most of the books I'm willing to admit I've read into Good Reads with a high percentage of them carrying my thoughts on them.
For every book selected, there is a section with suggested topics/questions for discussion and is followed by a section suggesting the menu for the club's meeting. The menu is not lifted from the pages of the book, but was something the book inspired, like the use of raspberries in the Anne of Green Gables menu in recognition of the role Raspberry Cordial played in giving Anne and Diana their first hangovers. Or the recommendation of ORGANIC ingredients in creating the dishes on the Silent Spring menu.
It's would probably be great fun to come up with some sort of menu for every book I've ever read. And if I ever win hundreds of millions of dollars in a lotto jackpot, I just might have the time to do something like that.
In the meantime, I'll just concentrate on a lesser goal of getting most of the books I'm willing to admit I've read into Good Reads with a high percentage of them carrying my thoughts on them.
February 27, 2017
This book combines my two favorite pastimes. This is a quick read.
The author is the founder and publisher of The Literary Gathering a bimonthly newsletter that integrates cooking with reading. She wrote this book as a way to get people to socialize and discuss literature. She discovered that by mingling book club discussions with a meal made for a richer experience.
She dedicated each chapter of the book by month and in each chapter she recommends four books to read. With each book she has created a brief review and a list of discussion questions for you to use. She creatively pairs food to coincide with the book's theme or title. She even threw in four bonus chapters in case the monthly selections were not quite your cuppa tea.
This is a great book for people that want to begin their own book club (reading group) or just have a reason to celebrate a book. The recipes are great, very easy to follow and has reasonable portions to serve a group of eight. So grab a book pull out the pots and pans and have some fun.
The author is the founder and publisher of The Literary Gathering a bimonthly newsletter that integrates cooking with reading. She wrote this book as a way to get people to socialize and discuss literature. She discovered that by mingling book club discussions with a meal made for a richer experience.
She dedicated each chapter of the book by month and in each chapter she recommends four books to read. With each book she has created a brief review and a list of discussion questions for you to use. She creatively pairs food to coincide with the book's theme or title. She even threw in four bonus chapters in case the monthly selections were not quite your cuppa tea.
This is a great book for people that want to begin their own book club (reading group) or just have a reason to celebrate a book. The recipes are great, very easy to follow and has reasonable portions to serve a group of eight. So grab a book pull out the pots and pans and have some fun.
January 24, 2010
This is more of a guide, not book of fiction. I like this guide for the following aspects. It is/has:
1. Organized by month, each with a different theme so you can mix it up. Themes include, Muckracking Madness, Sassy Singletons, Fright Night.
2. A list of at least 15 discussion questions for each book. This helps especially when there are people in your so-called book club who DO read the book and would actually (can you believe it?) like to talk about the book not their week at a glance. There are general questions so that who didn't read the book, can participate.
3. (Saving the best for last, perhaps)Recipes/menu for the books whether related to the time period, a favorite food of the characters, or menu covered in the book. Some are definitely more elaborate than others.
4. A list of 4 books per month under these themes. It helps to get ideas for more books to read that lend themselves to discussion.
After realizing this is a book I should have on hand, I need to return it to the library and order it on Amszon.
1. Organized by month, each with a different theme so you can mix it up. Themes include, Muckracking Madness, Sassy Singletons, Fright Night.
2. A list of at least 15 discussion questions for each book. This helps especially when there are people in your so-called book club who DO read the book and would actually (can you believe it?) like to talk about the book not their week at a glance. There are general questions so that who didn't read the book, can participate.
3. (Saving the best for last, perhaps)Recipes/menu for the books whether related to the time period, a favorite food of the characters, or menu covered in the book. Some are definitely more elaborate than others.
4. A list of 4 books per month under these themes. It helps to get ideas for more books to read that lend themselves to discussion.
After realizing this is a book I should have on hand, I need to return it to the library and order it on Amszon.
March 25, 2011
I picked this book up not because I'm in a book club but because the title tied together food and reading. I admit that I let it sit on the shelf while I read other things. I ended up renewing it the max number of times before I finally started looking through it. I liked the way the reading selections were grouped and was pleased with the descriptions of the books and how they might be approached to modern readers. I appreciated the notes on books lengths in some cases since sometimes I want a book I can breeze through quickly. I made a list of books that I will consider reading based on the author's recommendations...even some "classics" that I either read as a kid or that I always thought of as too boring to pick up. I was not a fan of the recipe ideas in the book. While they were creatively named to go with the book selections, I thought many of them were too much of a stretch to be paired with the books and I think about half of them were for alcoholic beverages. I can see many clubs enjoying the liquid slant but I was hoping for a little more substance in the recipes.
April 22, 2010
I just happened on this at the library and checked it out. Though I did a thorough skim, not a read, I was quite delighted by her recipes and her books, both of which appear to stand on their own, not codependent for the success of this book. I marked several books to read (or look into reading): Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married, Busman's Honeymoon, Hercule Poirot's Christmas, and not just a few recipes to copy: Tandoori Chicken and Mint and Coconut Chutney, "Nothing but Bones" Beef Barley Soup, Rociante Supper Stew, Apple Shortbread Pie.
July 2, 2014
Great ideas for Book club suggestions, and I love the fact that they are grouped around the time of year. Skimming through I realize that I love to read seasonal books, so I am always trying to find Christmas books, or Halloween type books, and this goes further to include Valentines, people working on Goals around January, and Travelogues for the summer months. I haven't tried the recipes yet, but I hope to try some of them some out soon. The questions for discussion were not as helpful as I had hoped, but all in all a great book if you are in any type of book club.
December 1, 2010
I love reading about book clubs and getting ideas for how to make my book club's gatherings even more eventful. In "Read It and Eat," Sarah Gardner gives you a plethora of reading suggestions and recipes that will tie in with the books. Each chapter is devoted to a month of the year, and each month has a theme. (For example, March is devoted to Irish authors.) The themes that she comes up with are fun and designed to get your group talking, and not just about the book!
July 28, 2008
This is a fun book especcially if you likke books and recipes. In it she suggests books for book clubs and menus to match the books. There are discussion guestions about each book. A good place to get new ideas for books and recipes even if you aren't in a book club.
August 2, 2018
Books, Food and Friends - it can't and doesn't get any better than this. My TBR list and TBRR list are getting longer and longer and longer!
And my shopping list is beyond control - bring on the Party!
And my shopping list is beyond control - bring on the Party!
December 28, 2024
Interesting concept. For each month of the year plus four bonus chapters she recommends books and then offers some recipes to feed your book club. This is actually how I found the Clark book. There's several books that look worthwhile that I added to my list. The recipes look pretty doable too.
October 18, 2013
this is the book my book club is getting next year's books from. she has lots of good selections as well as different categories for each month and 4 bonus categories with 4 books to choose from for each category.
May 31, 2010
My mother bought me this. I have glanced over it and am looking forward to using it.
July 17, 2008
I don't "do" book clubs, but I like food, so I read this book for the cool recipes, not the book club-hosting ideas.
January 10, 2009
who wants to join a book club with me. please. let's do it.
January 20, 2012
recipes and questions to go with monthly reading group selections
June 29, 2013
This was a fun read. Finished it in an evening. Lots of good suggestions for book club reads with yummy recipes to match. I certainly added lots more books to my to-read list.
September 14, 2013
Interesting suggestions for month to month book club selections and includes menus too; Includes some additional suggestions beyond the 12 months including April's Garden themes
April 18, 2016
This is a great book to read if you are planning to start a book club it has great suggestions for books and how to run your book club. I really like this book!!!!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews