Whew! What a great group! There were 16 of us and we were packed in rather tightly but I wouldn't have it any other way.
Keep scrolling to read about our time together. This was our fifth gathering and it looks like we are going to keep this going!
The Book:
The complexities of Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale kept us on our toes and the discussion took several twists and turns as we navigated our way through this beautiful piece of writing. One of my favorite things about talking with others about a book is how different perspectives can be so interesting and enlightening. This was the case for the discussion of The Thirteenth Tale. We all agreed that this is a story to be devoured, and then slowly savored again (ahem, and again) in order to catch the complex clues left by Vida as she unveils her "thirteenth tale" to Margaret. When our time together came to a close, I marveled at how some of us had changed our minds about the fate of certain characters (no spoilers here!) while others remained undecided. One thing we all agreed upon was how beautifully descriptive and eloquent Setterfield's writing enhanced the reading experience. If you have not read Diane Setterfield's novels, I recommend them.
Check out her profile from her website here, and then click around to learn more about her other works and her blog.
If you're interested in having a peek at documents we used to facilitate our conversation, scroll on down and click the discussion guide button.
The Bake:
Let's talk food for a bit, shall we?
The Thirteenth Tale is set mostly in Yorkshire, England. What better time to try our hands at making Yorkshire puddings!? Of course, I had to have a practice run or two, even though I've made these beauties in the past. I'm glad I did because in the process of reading up on recipes, I learned that the puddings may also be made in one larger vessel. This was news to me, and it reminded me of a Dutch baby-style pancake. A buddy of mine from England did pipe in to say it was controversial but I decided let the fine folks across the pond duke it out - I'll eat both versions without prejudice. I read information from a variety of websites but found the most informative (for me) was from a site called SeriousEats. I ended up using the recipe from there, making both the individual Yorkshire puddings and one whole one in a cast iron skillet. It turns out that my dear friend, Theresa, made some over the New Year holiday and was kind enough to share her knowledge/experience with the group as well - hey, it takes a village, people! Check out the pictures below of our tasty Yorkshire puddings and then head over the SeriousEats.com to give the recipe a try yourself. (NO, I am not affiliated with the website at ALL.)
We had some other thematic nibbles as well, and boy it was all so delicious! Tristen, a friend and math teacher extraordinaire, brought scones that were light and bursting with blueberries and raspberries. My sisters-in-love, Teri and Keri, brought spotted dick (Teri) and English toffee (Keri). We all got a kick out of the spotted dick which is a yummy English steamed pudding made from suet and dried fruit. The English toffee is a no-brainer, right? How can one not crunch their way through a confection made from butter and brown sugar? C'mon! Perhaps not thematic but my friend Hannah arrived with some incredible spinach/artichoke dip that was DEE-VOURED! I swear, books, friends, and food make the best combination!
I have to show off this amazing book that my friend Nicole brought to me as a sweet, and perfectly personal, gift. It is a coffee table book full of incredible photos of people reading all over the world. Titled, On Reading by Steve McCurry, this collection of photos restores my faith in the idea that there are others out there who cherish the written word. My own inner circle of readers certainly keeps me motivated but to see others across the globe lost in their reading despite their surroundings is a comfort. To quote Paul Theroux, who wrote the forward, the photographs taken by Steve McCurry are visual proof of "the self-possession of the reader, the luminous gaze, the notion of solitude, the relaxed posture the singularity of effort, the sense of discovery, and a suggestion of joy."
Keep reading!
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