The Souper P's
Lynn Judge / Roswell
How often they meet: Monthly
About this club: Three years ago a group of friends got to talking about "Skeletons at the Feast" by Chris Bohjalian. "We decided to have a casual dinner of soup and discuss the book," Judge says. "It was such a huge success that we decided to continue having soup each month and basing our dinner on the theme of the book." The hostess makes the soup, and other members contribute appetizers, salad, dessert and wine. Membership was limited to eight, so they could all sit comfortably around a dinner table. Members recently read "Olive Kitteridge" by Elizabeth Strout and enjoyed lobster bisque. When they read "Julia's Chocolates" by Cathy Lamb, they had Polish cherry soup. They originally chose soup to keep the meal simple, but over time the food has become gourmet. "Our club has become the monthly meeting none of us wants to miss because of the fabulous food and the lively conversation," Judge says. "Sometimes we even talk about the book." They were among the minority of book clubs that did not like "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. They were thrilled to have Atlanta author Kathryn Stockett join them by phone to discuss her bestseller "The Help." A neighbor provided context when the club read "Saboteurs" by Michael Dobbs, about eight German saboteurs who invaded the U.S. in 1942. The neighbor's father was an FBI agent involved in the Germans' capture.
Recently read: "Mudbound" by Hillary Jordan
What it's about: A family lives on a desolate farm in Mississippi after World War II.
What members thought: "We all enjoyed it, and it led to a very spirited conversation about some of the horrific events depicted," Judge says. They dined on vegetable soup, corn bread and Mississippi mud pie.
Next assignment: "The School of Essential Ingredients" by Erica Bauermeister
Patti Ghezzi, for the AJC
Tell us what your club is reading.
Contact Patti Ghezzi at ajcbookclubs@yahoo.com
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