The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors

by Judy Gelman

This first cookbook created specifically for book clubs shows readers how to add a delightfully delicious angle to their book club gatherings.

Featuring recipes and food-related discussion ideas for one hundred popular book club selections, The Book Club Cookbook guides readers in selecting and preparing culinary masterpieces that tie in just right with the literary masterpieces their club is reading. From "Honey Cakes" to go along with The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd to "Eggplant Caponata" to go with Bel Canto by Ann Patchett; from "Lemony Goat Cheese Tart" with Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel to "Shrimp Flautas" for Empire Falls by Richard Russo; The Book Club Cookbook makes adding foods that stem from the books your club reads fun and easy.

Vicki Levy Krupp and Judy Gelman polled hundreds of book clubs all over the country to determine what their members are reading and to discover the creative ways that they're integrating food into their meetings. With recipes and colorful background information on the role that food plays in the reading choices-much of which was contributed by the authors of the book club selections themselves-The Book Club Cookbook will add some real flavor to your book club meetings.

Author Biography: Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp have participated in many book clubs. After taking a cooking class together, they began meeting regularly at a local sandwich shop. There, over stacks of library books, endless cups of coffee, and bagel sandwiches, The Book Club Cookbook was born.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Books About Books, Reference, Book Club

Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Judy Gelman is co-author of The Book Club Cookbook: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors (Penguin, 2004), the first cookbook designed for book discussion groups, and The Kids' Book Club Book: Reading Ideas, Activities, and Smart Tips for Organizing Terrific Kids' Book Clubs (Penguin, 2007) and Table of Contents: From Breakfast with Anita Diamant to Dessert with James Patterson - a Generous Helping of Recipes, Writings and Insights from Today's Bestselling Authors (Adams, 2010). She is co-author of The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook. She is the co-creator of bookclubcookbook.com.

Reviews

[Sheila DeChantal · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if there was a book that not only recommended GREAT book club reads with synopsis, but also recipes to go with the books from well-known authors and book clubs? For a book club gal, and a book lover - this is a GREAT FIND! Books such as Cutting For Stone, The Book Thief,The Help, ROOM, Reading Lolita, Bel Canto, Water For Elephants, Snow Flower And The Secret Fan, Jane Eyre, Freedom, Devil In The White City, etc...

Book Club members, book lovers, and food lovers will all appreciate this book! Not only does it list a wonderful group of books that make for wonderful discussion, but the food and the ideas to go along with the books will put that little extra into your discussion and have people waiting to get into your book group!

And of course I loved it! Each book gives a full page synopsis as well as publishing information, followed by food that would go well with the book, sometimes by the author, and always ideas from a book club as well. If anything, this book is dangerous as I drank in all the books I have yet to read and delicious food to go with them. The ideas were already forming in my mind....

I want to do a Bel Canto party... dress up the whole works.... maybe I can talk the Bookies into doing this one for our October classic read..... and I would love to do a Chocolat by Joanne Harris review as well with melt in your mouth chocolates.... maybe we could follow up with the movie..... AND....

See what did I tell you? The book is dangerous!

This is a book I will keep close and refer to time and again, not only do I get a good taste of wonderful book club reads... but ideas to go along with the reviews!

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read most of the books suggested here but what makes this book interesting is the pairing of food to each of the books. If you're in a group that includes a meal or appetizers at your meetings, you're bound to find some ideas here.

Beyond the food (and recipes), the authors give a quick snapshot of the book group. I found these profiles quite fascinating. The makeup of each, who, how long they've been meeting, the name of the group, book chosen and read, guidelines, or not were fun to read about. A small section called "More food for thought at the end of most entries ended each section nicely.

I loved the Frances Bacon quote that opens the book:

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed,
and some few to be chewed and digested....
Frances Bacon

The authors are passionate about their subject and it shows. A nice edition to the world of books, clubs, and food bringing all together.

[Cynthia Paschen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this from the library today. The new. Freshly remodeled. Stunning Ames Public Library! So gorgeous and full of light.

But I digress. I want to purchase a copy of this (revised) edition. It is uncanny how many of these books my book group (Books, Friends, Dessert or BFD) has read since our first meeting in 1994. Egads. We are old.

I want to buy not only a copy for myself, but for each of my book group friends. And for Marla, who loves books even more than I do. Hey Marla! I'd tag you if I could? Hope you are reading this.

So most of these recipes sound divine. Especially Italian Sausage and Peppers (Mystic River) and the Britta's Sabzi Challow (Spinach and Rice) With Lamb (The Kite Runner.)

I am drooling on my keyboard. Got to go downstairs and start cooking.
Bon Appetit!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book while I was wandering about the library. It turned out to be a wonderful find! This book highlights popular book club books and gives wonderful descriptions of the books and why they are popular in book groups. This book also provides recipes to go with the themes of the books and it also profiles book clubs throughout the US, which was fun to read about. I got a huge list of new books to read and can't wait to tear into them! I would recommend this book to everyone if you are wanting to get ideas for new books to read.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique idea for a cook book -- recipes suggested for various books that book club members may enjoy. A summary is given for the book, along with specific recipes. Fun!

[Brindi Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

great ideas and recipes, but not as thrilled with the book titles....

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting! I wish I had discovered this book when it first came out in 2004. I only found it when a co-worker was getting ready to weed it due to lack of circulation.

It contains recipes and "food for thought" of some of the best discussion books (as of 2004) out there.

Some of the books included are:

Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
Atonement by Anna Karenina
Bel Canto by Anna Patchett
Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan
Cane River by Lalita Tademy
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah
Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Dive from Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer
Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen Carter
Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by Rowling
The Hours by Michael Cunningham
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Leap of Faith by Queen Noor of Jordan
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Milk in My Coffee by Eric Jerome Dickey
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
October Suite by Maxine Clair
One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger
Personal History by Katherine Graham
Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Road from Coorain by Jill Ker Conway
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi
Three Junes by Julia Glass
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Waiting by Ha Jin

... and many many more!

We've had a lot of great books come out in recent years -- I sincerely wish there was an update to this book!

[Myckyee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love cookbooks and obviously I love to read, so when the offer came to review The Book Club Cookbook, I jumped at it. What could be more fun than to have available some of the recipes from the most popular book club books? And if it’s your turn to host your book club, well, this book will make choosing a dish so much easier.

This book covers some of my favourite novels: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Lisa See), The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows), and The Help (Kathryn Stockett) as well as some I have yet to read but are on the top of my towering TBR list: Cutting for Stone (Abraham Verghese) and Water for Elephants (Sara Gruen). Actually, the list of books on my own TBR list overlaps quite a bit with the books featured in this cookbook. Each novel’s recipe is preceded by a description of the source book and some are followed by an explanation of the food, thoughts from the author and/or a book club’s take on the book itself and why they chose a particular food for their club.

So far I’ve made two recipes (I’m planning another this weekend). Both are cookies – Chewy Oatmeal from the book Plainsong by Kent Haruf and Chocolate Chip Shortbread from Bee Season by Myla Goldberg. Both turned out great and were gobbled up by my family in no time. It doesn’t just have cookies or sweets – there are savory dishes as well. There is Zaytoon’s Chicken Shwarma from Jonathan Lethem’s Motherless Brooklyn, Britta’s Crab Casserole from The Hours by Michael Cunningham, Greek Rice Pudding and Tzatziki from Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. There are drinks in here too: Glögg from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as well as soups and salads. An ambitious book club could have an entire meal with several courses if they didn’t mind mixing their books!

Another great thing about this book club cookbook is that the featured novels range from contemporary to classic, so that a club is bound to find something of interest. I could see using this book for future club choice ideas as well. It would also make a great gift for an avid reader, book club member or not. I highly recommend it!

[Alma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is more about the books and book clubs than about the actual recipes. It has thorough synopses of 100 books, including classics and newer publications, which have been read and enjoyed by clubs all over the country. Each entry includes details about a book club: how they started, what kinds of people are members and how they have planned and executed meals related to the books they have read. I especially liked all the names of the clubs. Some of my favorites were The Bookenders, Read and Feed, LunaChics, Novel Women, Wuthering Bites, Epicureaders and The Inklings (named for a literary society formed by C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.) There are some interesting sounding recipes here, many featuring ethnic foods. This book is also a good resource for choosing a book to read.

[Connie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors made good selections when they picked 100 books that would make interesting book club reads. I've read 46 of the books, many in book clubs, and these are stories that make the reader think and promote good discussions. For each book, food ideas are suggested that add to the experience of discussing the book. The foods can take the book group members back to another era, suggest a locale, or immerse them in another culture. A synopsis is given for each book with both simple and elaborate food ideas used by actual book groups across the country. Good books and good food make a winning combination!

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

In our book club, we sometimes have readers who get into our selections by preparing a motif and food as either mentioned in the book or significant of the author or setting. That is the purpose of this book which analyzes some recent best sellers and presents various clubs and their reditions of the same. It is cute enough to maybe keep on a shelf somewhere as inspiration for a book gathering. Some of their analyses were a bit too opinionated rather than presenting more-objective views.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this book, it has a varied collection of books. The only way to improve this book would be if they would come over and cook it themselves. If you belong to a book club or want and like to eat, you will want to pour syrup on this and have it for breakfast.

[SoulSurvivor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too excited about selection of books , and the pages spent discussing book clubs that had no interest to me . Some good recipes to try !

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book as an addition to BC reads. Received as a Christmas gift from friend and fellow BC member. Will be a great reference!

[Lisarenee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Food, books, and fun served up under one cover? What a novel idea!

This is the revised and updated edition of 'The Book Club Cookbook'. I managed to snag a copy of the old version, so I'll let you know how it differs from the original. The cookbook offers a wide range of both books and recipes. Recipes include drinks, desserts, entrées, soups and salads. Books range from classics like 'Jane Eyre' and 'The Grapes of Wrath', to some of the more recent book club hits like 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' and 'The Help', to books which have won awards, such as 'The Life of Pi', to memoirs like "Angela's Ashes'. There are many books I've heard of and others I probably should have. The authors also included in this edition a smattering of pictures, which was lacking in the first book. The book is not only a cookbook, but a virtual smorgasbord for the literature loving individual or book club.

I've never done a review on a cookbook before so this was a fun experience for me. The recipes included in the book sometimes have a direct link to the stories they are in, such as Glogg is a drink that Mikael Blomkvist drinks in the 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' by Stieg Larsson:
"Berger and Malm were taking care of the annual Christmas arrangements while Blomkvist sat in Erika's chair, drinking glogg and looking on."(page 633 of the paperback)

And Kipferl cookies were mentioned in Markus Zusak's book 'The Book Thief':
"They were Kipferl left over from Christmas, and they'd been sitting on the desk for at least two weeks. Like miniature horseshoes with a layer of icing sugar, the ones on the bottom were bolted to the plate." (page 459)


Other recipes truly had no direct link to the book, such as both the recipes listed under 'The Da Vinci Code', Rosemary Spaghetti and John Hornburg's Death by Chocolate. The cookbook authors, however, cleverly attempted to link them to the books by other means. The Rosemary Spaghetti was linked by "extending the story's symbolism to the palate. Rosemary is one ingredient that evokes the symbols in The Da Vinci Code. Rosemary symbolically weds icons of the rose and of Mary, an incarnation of the divine feminine, both of which are integral to The Da Vinci Code." Well, I don't know about that, but John Hornburg's Death by Chocolate definitely had me thinking of heavenly thoughts after eating a slice of his dessert. *smirk* For your information, John Hornburg's recipe was served at a the Milwaukee School of Engineering's Great Books Dinner and Discussion Series. John is a noted chef. Heck, after sampling this dessert, I'd buy this cookbook just so I could have this recipe. It's soooooo good. Yum! lol So, if you hadn't already surmised, some of the recipes included in the cookbook are those which were used by book clubs who meet in real life (as opposed to online) and were served at their meetings.

Most of the ingredients are fairly easy to find, but some take a little leg work in order to get them. The Harry Potter series inspired Treacle Tart recipe requires Golden syrup, for which I could find no substitute. Luckily, Amazon carries the product but while the price of the item is fairly reasonable, the shipping will cost you a pretty penny. 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' inspired Glogg requires cardamom pods which I managed to snag for a reasonable price at Williams Sonoma. Thankfully, one resides a half hour from my home. I was caught a off guard as I went to buy the ingredients for the recipe which was inspired by 'A Fine Balace', The Taal Restaurant's Chicken Biryani (Basmati Rice with Chicken), which required red chili powder. Apparently, the spice has a different flavor than regular chili powder found in the US, and I'll have to find a Indian grocer in order to obtain the spice. This recipe will need to go on my 'to make' list.

Books and their associated recipes not included in the new version:

- Douglass' Woman by Jewell Parker Rhodes (Banana Cream Pie)
- The Emperer of Ocean Parks by Stephen L. Carter ( Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade)
- Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith (Lee Smith's Pimento Cheese and Pasty Hopkin's Pimento Cheese)
- Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science and Faith by Dava Sobel (Lemon Ricotta--Goat Cheese Cake)
- Getting Mother's Body by Suzan-Lori Parks (Rhonda's Haney's Greens)
- Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years by Sarah Louise Delany and A. Elizabeth Delany (Pound Cake with Fresh Coconut Frosting)
- A Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to Ivy League by Ron Suskind (Mama's Popular Trial-And Error Potato Salad)
- I Capture the Casle by Dodie Smith (Singapore Sling)
- Milk in My Coffee by Eric Jerome Dickey (Lemon Cheesecake)
- My Soul to Keep by Tanaraive Due (Doro Wat (Chicken Stew) with Injera (Flat Bread), Niter Kebbeh (Spiced Butter), & Berbere Paste)
- October Suite by Maxine Claire (Kathy Galligan's Deviled Eggs, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Pink Lady, & Sour Mix)
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt (Northern Trust Bank's Grilled Portobello Mushrooms)
- Sugar by Beatrice L. McFadden (Great-Grandma Olivia's Sweet Potato Pie & Sweetened Whipped Cream)
- A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (Baked Corn Casserole)
- Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, And Life's Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom (Paul Shipley's Egg Salad)
- Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts (Banana Bread)
- Winter Wheat by Mildred Walker (Irina Shved's Borsch (Beef Soup))

Books and their associated Recipes newly added to this edition:

- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Markus Zusak's Vanilla Kipferls)
- Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (Almaz's Ethiopian Doro Wot & Sister Marie Joseph's Praise's Cari De Dal)
- Freedom by Jonathan Franzen (Dorothy's Famous Christmas Toffee)
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (Annie Barrow's Potato Peel Pie & Non-Occupied Potato Peel Pie)
- Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeanette Walls (Cowboy Hash & Cornbread Fritters)
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Demetire's Chocolate Pie & Caramel Cake)
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (Rebecca Skloot's Chicken Diable & Rebecca Skloot's Ceasar Salad)
- Infidel by Ayaan Hiris Ali (Angellows (Somali Pancakes))
- Little Bee by Chris Cleave (Post Colonial Pie)
- Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson (Helen Simonson's Toad-in-the-Hole)
- My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (Firehouse Marinara Sauce)
- Olive Kitteridge by Elixabeth Strout (Olive Kitteridge's Grandmother's Doughnuts)
- Room by Emma Donoghue (Jack's Sixth-Birthday Cake)
- Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay (New York-Style Cheesecake & Kir Royale Cocktail)
- The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Chorizo and Potat Spanish Toritilla Bites)
- Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (Lisa See's Deep-Fried Sugared Taro)
- South of Broad by Pat Conroy (Benne Wafers & Slightly North of Broad's Black Bottom Pie)
- A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (Jennifer Egan's Oatmeal Fudge "Refrigerator" Cookies)
- Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Oyster Brie Soup (The Grove Park Inn's Recipe))

Each book associated with a recipe has a brief synopsis included with it, so if you haven't read the book before, you'll have an idea of what it's about. The book includes explanations as to why the authors of the cookbook chose a particular recipe and some of the recipes come directly from the authors who wrote the book they're associated with. This is a very fun and unique cookbook and I feel it would make a wonderful gift for the book lover in your life. I'm giving this one 4 1/2 roses out of 5. All the recipes I've tried were delicious and I'll be adding some to my favorite recipes list. I would have liked more pictures, but I realize to include them would have increased the size of this book by a significant amount. Perhaps it should have been divided between two books? You definitely get your money's worth out of this one. I will definitely be picking up copies of this book to give as gifts to friends.

Notable notes:
- I didn't use all the frosting in the Death By Chocolate dessert so I ended up refrigerating it. It turned into a delicious fudge. Who knew?
- The Rosemary Spaghetti tasted even better the second day!
- I was afraid to try the Chicken Diable because it contains curry, a spice I'm not particularly fond of, however, I didn't notice the flavor, so it didn't overpower the taste. This was a super easy recipe to make.
- Don't forget to check out the website I posted to the top of the review. It's a great site: http://bookclubcookbook.com/ (It's worth a second mention)

Thank you Penguin for letting me have an advanced copy of this edition. I feel like it was Christmas in February. :)

If you would like to see more of my reviews, please visit my blog at www.seducedbyabook.com I'd greatly appreciate it.

[Travel Books and Movies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t want to gush...but I’m going to gush. The Book Club Cookbook: Recipes for Thought from Your Book Club’s Favorite Books and Authors (and the associated website) is a GOLD MINE for anyone that likes to read, eat, do both at the same time, or do both with others.

The idea for the book came from two women who love to read and who love to cook and who wanted to “match books with foods highlighted in literature.” So they set off on a search for recipes which led them to book clubs which led them directly to some authors which led them to create this book: a collection of recipes inspired by books that are popular in book clubs.

Some recipes are obvious (a Hot Chocolate recipe for the book Chocolat) while others are more subtle (a Rosemary Spaghetti for The Da Vinci Code because rosemary symbolizes an incarnation of the divine feminine). Some of the recipes can be complicated with exotic ingredients, but most are simple and fun to explore.

In some cases, the authors themselves contributed recipes and share some of their thoughts on the books. For example, Markus Zusak shares his own recipe for Vanilla Kipferls (crescent cookies) and explains why those cookies were in The Book Thief: “it hopefully added just one more small ingredient to make the world of my book both authentic and recognizable.”

There’s a lot more included for each book than just recipes, so even if no one in your book club is an adventurous chef, this book is still a great resource--you’ll get ideas for books your book club might want to select, creative names for your book club, suggestions on places to meet, questions to ask, and other tips for making your book club unique and successful.

Indexes are available to search based on Food, Authors, Genres, Themes, and Prize Winners to make it easy.

Happy Reading and Happy Eating!

[Mary Coder · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! I knew it would be. Fun and lighthearted. Ijust had a happy feeling all the way through. I love their website as well. It's as inspiring and tempting as this book! One very real problem is figuring out if i want to keep the BCCB on the shelf in my kitchen or keep it on my side table close at hand (and belly!) For when I feel a hunger pang!! And another is what spice blend do i want to try first!?!

[Mary C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love getting the newsletters and emails from this book club and can't believe all the work that went into the publishing of this cookbook. Some of my favorite authors have they're favorite recipes in it and recipes featured in new and old classic reads. I have the revised edition that just got reprinted I think.

[Bea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is rapidly circulating among the members of my book club. We are going to read some of the books and cook the meals that go with them. I am encouraged to reread many of the selections just to cook the food. And there are some new ones that are intriguing because of the food. What a way to get even more interested in the books!

[Kym · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tried at least 12 of the recipes at our club. We liked it, good recipes. I didn't think there were enough side dishes. The concept of this book and the way it was presented was very entertaining.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which is not so much a cookbook as it is a collection about books and the book clubs who read them. There are wonderful suggestions for books to read here and I added a lot of them to my Want to Read list.

[Laura Duffield Biegger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read. Books I've thought about reading that sound more interesting from the excerpts in this book. Some good recipes to try; some not to try! Lots of great stories about the book clubs around the country, their names and the things they do to "spice" up their meetings.

[Jennifer Spiliakos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. I'd love another one, or a genre related version.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading about how other bookclubs function and what they are reading. However, most of the books sited I already read.

[Margaret Mather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Books with fun food....

[Mary Tufts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too many recipes that I want to make and didn’t get the chance. I also thoroughly enjoyed reading book summaries as well as learning how other book clubs discuss their book selections.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gelman and Krupp have compiled a book of recipes from best selling books. Some of the recipes are for foods referenced in the books, some are recipes that Gelman and Krupp think the characters would make, and some are recipes given by the author or his or her family members. Additionally, with each recipe, there is a summary of the book, and an interview with a book group that discussed the book. The book groups usually mention what they served when the book was discussed, and how their meetings work.

I had no idea that there were so many types of book groups! Most of them have great ideas. Some host formal dinners. Some choose appropriate restaurants. Some only read books set in other countries. Some only read Pulitzer winners. Some pick a book once a year that they think their husbands and partners would also want to read, and invite them. Some (gasp!) actually have men in the groups, and are either couple groups, or just book groups where men are there too.

I first checked the book out of the library, but before the night was through, I was online trying to order The Book Club Cookbook from Amazon. Yes, it was a little old, but still, I wanted it. Then it got even better! The book that I checked out from my library was the first edition, from 2004. Amazon had a new edition, from 2012, which included books that were released after the first edition was printed. The Amazon review dated March 13, 2012 includes a complete list of all the recipes added to the new version, and all the recipes that were in the first edition, but were not included in the 2012 book.

There are a couple of books that I can think of where food was essential to the story. For instance, I HATED the ending of The Dive From Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer so much that I toyed with the idea of writing a book consisting only of alternate endings that would have been better. But, despite my strong feelings, I still remember Carrie baking cherry pie, and how much all of her friends clamoured for it. Now I have the recipe for the pie, if not for a better ending. In Empire Falls by Richard Russo, the brother, David, moves back to town, and has ideas about how to attract a more upscale clientele by offering "good, cheap, ethnic food" in the honest feeling diner. Gelman and Krupp provide a recipe for shrimp flautas, which David created as a special.

There are lots of other recipes tying in with books that I have enjoyed, including Cocoa-Cinnamon Babka from The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon, Mojitos and Mango, Jicama and Corn Salad from Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Jennifer Egan's Oatmeal Fudge Refrigerator Cookies from Jennifer Egan, the author of A Visit from the Goon Squad. All told, there are recipes from 100 books, in this 486 page collection. And now, what's your excuse? Go Get It And Read.

To read more of this review, please click here: http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014...

[Carole at From My Carolina Home · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful book contains chapters on 100 bestselling books, mostly novels, some I have actually read. The introduction is quite interesting, giving the rationale behind the choice of books to include. Popularity for discussion with book clubs, and ability to provoke discussion were the main criteria.

Each chapter is devoted to a book and gives a synopsis of the story, a recipe and features on book clubs that read the book. The recipes were mostly chosen by the novel’s authors, and have notes from the authors telling why a particular recipe was chosen. Many times the recipe is something mentioned in the book, while others are inspired by the time or the culture. Novel Thoughts and More Food For Thought follows each recipe, which has notes from book clubs around the country containing the club’s thoughts and what they served when discussing the book. It was fascinating just to read the book club notes!!

The Help is listed with recipes for Demetrie’s Chocolate Pie, and Caramel Cake with Never Fail Caramel Icing. Novel Thoughts focuses on a book club in Illinois, which did a program on history of aprons as an adjunct to the discussion of The Help, having the members wear the aprons while they discussed the book. More Food For Thought visited book clubs in Alaska, Connecticut and New York highlighting their thoughts on the book itself and their menus for the meetings.

Life of Pi has a recipe for Tandoori Shrimp. Room’s recipe is Jack’s Sixth Birthday Cake. Water For Elephants has the recipe for Oyster Brie Soup. The Secret Life of Bees has a recipe for Honey Cake. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is listed with recipes for Swedish Meatballs and Glogg. Classic novels are included as well with entries for The Great Gatsby, Anna Karenina, Jane Eyre, and To Kill a Mockingbird. I’d love to tell you about all of the wonderful entries, but there are too many to list all of them.

Even if you don’t cook, this is a book worth having just for reading. The book club notes and author notes give wonderful insights into the novels. I recommend this book for everyone, and if you like to cook it is even better!!

[SmartBitches · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

I picked up The Book Club Cookbook on a whim because I’m fascinated with the intersection of food and literature, and I ended up falling in love with it. It’s not great as a basic cookbook for home because it’s not organized in a typical way: it’s not sorted by type of meals, or types of ingredients, or prep and cooking time. But it is great as an examination of how food and literature intersect. It’s also fun in its comparisons of different kinds of book clubs – it’s like a literary peek across America. And, of course, if you are actually in a book club and want to incorporate food into your meetings, this cookbook is a fantastic resource.

Each chapter has three parts (sometimes with a bonus feature or two). The first part is a description of a book popular with book clubs. Titles include classics, non-fiction, and current books across a variety of genres, with particular attention to books that address various kinds of diversity. The choices aren’t edgy, but they are varied. In this first section, the author briefly summarizes the book, mentions some of the most important themes within it, and talks about what role food plays in the story.

The next section involves a recipe, sometimes several.

Finally, there’s a profile of a book club and a discussion of why the club picked that particular book, what their conversation about it was like, and what they ate during their book club meeting. Often two or more book clubs are profiled, which is lovely because you get two different approaches to the same material.

I loved reading different descriptions of book clubs and I got a lot of ideas for my own. And I loved reading about how food plays an important role in so many books, regardless of genre or time period. Above all I have to say that every single recipe in this cookbook looks totally delicious.

- Carrie S.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks Goodreads for the great giveaway!!! The Book Club Cookbook combines two of my favorite activities: cooking & reading with outstanding results. Part reference book, part cookbook; this book includes a synopsis & at least one recipe related to each of the 100 books listed. There are also sample menus, discussion questions & book club impressions regarding each book. I can’t wait to take Demetrie's Chocolate Pie (minus the Terrible Awful) to my book club’s discussion of The Help next month. I was especially touched to see my favorite author, Naguib Mahfouz’s Sugar Street in the cookbook. I know it sounds weird, but I was downright giddy to see his favorite soup recipe. I especially enjoyed the discussion of how food is incorporated into each book. I was also was impressed that the cookbook included all genres of books: classic, contemporary, fiction & non-fiction; so there is something for everyone. I have read over thirty of the books mentioned & from the cookbook, I now have many more books on my to-read list. I was disappointed that a few books from the first edition of the cookbook were eliminated from the second edition. I wish they all could have been included in the second edition. Overall, the Book Club Cookbook is an excellent reference/cookbook. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves books, cooking or eating!