A book club’s virtual (and, in-person, very tasty) journey
WINDSOR SQUARE RESIDENT and book club member Nancy Redford.
PENELOPE STIPANOVICH displays her recommendation.
CAMILLE DIAMOND has been a virtual attendee since Covid-19 began.
It started, like many things in 2020, with a Zoom link. Stuck at home and craving social connection, I launched a virtual book club, sending invitations to every friend I thought might say yes. The response was better than expected, and five years later, we’re still meeting monthly—proof that good books and great conversations can outlast even a global pandemic.
While most of our members live in the area, our online format also allows far-flung and traveling friends to participate. Occasionally, though, we take our discussions offline, as we did recently for Taste by Stanley Tucci. Hosted by Nancy Redford of Windsor Square, this in-person gathering featured dishes inspired by Tucci’s recipes, and, of course, a taste of his very specific martini (stirred, not shaken).
As an audio book devotee, I found “Taste” especially delightful narrated in Tucci’s own voice. That passion for food! That delivery! Four out of five stars.
Each year, our book club votes on our favorite reads.
This past year ended in a tie: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke and The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese.
I’m a tough rater, but Piranesi earned a rare five out of five from me. It’s exactly the kind of novel I love—one that demands discussion. Clarke’s labyrinthine world draws inspiration from The Inklings (the Oxford-based intellectual circle of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien), particularly the lesser-known Owen Barfield. If you read it and find yourself puzzled, you’re not alone. It’s a book best unraveled with others.
The Covenant of Water, meanwhile, scored a solid four stars. Verghese’s sweeping saga centers on a Christian family in Kerala, India, cursed by a mysterious affliction. At 31-plus hours in audio book form, it’s an undertaking. While I wished the novel had been divided into two or three books, many club members found its immersive depth rewarding. The story’s meditation on family secrets and the unknowable resonated deeply. Verghese’s medical expertise is woven throughout the novel, and while I sometimes found the medical details excessive, others found them fascinating.
Five years in, our book club has become more than just a monthly meeting—it’s a shared experience, a window into new ideas and sometimes, an excuse to gather over good food and better martinis. Here’s to another year of reading, debating and discovering.
Are you in a book club? Share your club’s favorite reads with the Chronicle. Email hedy@larchmontchronicle.com with “books” in the subject line.
Category: People
