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Book Clubs with Food, or Food Clubs with Books

by Saralyn Richard

Last week I was the honored guest (by Zoom) at a book club
meeting where my first Detective Parrott Mystery novel was being discussed.
MURDER IN THE ONE PERCENT begins with a birthday party at a weekend retreat in
the beautiful and lush Brandywine Valley, Pennsylvania. A highlight of the
weekend (aside from a murder) is the Saturday night dinner party—an elegant
nine-course menu with wine pairings for every course.

                This
feast, I’m positive, is fit for royalty, or at least the Granthams in Downton
Abbey, and certainly America’s one percent. To give you a peek, here are a
few of the menu items:  rack of lamb,
bouillabaisse, halibut cheeks, and chocolate torte with ganache.

                I offer
subscribers to my newsletter these and other menu items with photos and recipes
in a booklet entitled, Epicurean Feasts. Luckily, one of the foodies in
the aforementioned book club subscribed, fell in love with the menu, and asked
me if I would “attend” their book club meeting. Of course, I said yes, and I
looked forward to sharing the evening with this spirited group.

                What I
didn’t realize at the time was how much these readers would immerse themselves
in the book. The night of the meeting, I arrived through the link, and what I
found was astounding. Everyone was dressed up as a particular character in the
novel, which had been assigned to them in Secret Santa fashion. There were
props throughout the house that matched items in the book. The replication of
the meal from the party was particularly elegant, and I got to enjoy it sans
calories!

                The
discussion of the book was no less exciting. These readers had gobbled up the
story with the same gusto as they’d gobbled the food. They were full of
detailed insights and questions and comments that delighted me no end.

                This
was not the first time a book club had replicated the MURDER IN THE ONE PERCENT
menu or dressed up as the characters, but each time this happens, I marvel at
how delightful it is to witness one’s story in real life. In educational terms,
what the readers had done was synthesize the story, using one of the highest levels
of thinking.

                I
consider this the highest level of compliment for an author, and absolutely the
most fun! As always, connecting with readers is the best part about being a
writer.

                If
you’d like to subscribe to my monthly newsletter, check out my website, http://saralynrichard.com , click on
subscribe, and I’ll send you a copy of Epicurean Feasts. The newsletter
is full of fun opportunities and special offers, and the menu is simply to die
for!

Award-winning author, Saralyn
Richard was born with a pen in her hand and ink in her veins. A former
educator, she loves connecting with readers. Her humor- and romance-tinged
mysteries and children’s book pull back the curtain on people in settings as
diverse as elite country manor houses and disadvantaged urban high schools.

Visit Saralyn at http://saralynrichard.com, on her Amazon page at https://www.amazon.com/Saralyn-Richar…, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Palmcirclepress