I love books. There’s no doubt about that in anyone’s mind. Just ask my husband, he’ll tell you we have too many books. Too many? You can never have too many books! It’s only natural then that I should belong to a book club.
We meet once a month on a Tuesday night at someone’s house. There are around twenty-eight women in our group, but only about seven ever show up to our meetings. Kathleen, Sylvia and I have been there from the start and along the way we have picked up new members – Kim, Katie, Margarita, Carrie and Angela.
It’s been at least five or six years ago since Pam invited me to join the group. “Come on, now,” she said, “I’ve started this book club for residents of Northeast Baltimore. It’s mostly young moms. Please come. You love books, and, well, I don’t want to be the only older woman there.” So, how could I refuse with an invitation like that?
Pam was right. That first meeting we were the oldest women there. A group of young moms gathered in a girl named Meghan’s house and we discussed the book A Dog’s Purpose. It was, and still is, my least favorite selection. We have now read close to seventy books.
These book club has read really wonderful books, and really, really forgettable ones as well.There have even been a couple of occasions where no one has read the book, but that didn’t stop us from meeting. We learned the kind of wine we liked best and what foods to serve. More importantly, we’ve learned about each other and some very strong friendships have developed.
This month we are reading Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo. Below I’ve listed a selection of books we have read over the years. Many of these books I would never have selected on my own, but I’m glad to have read them. I think it’s important to not only read, but to read outside your comfort zone.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstein
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Outlander by Dana Gabaldon
The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Salt Houses by Hala Alyan
Faithful by Alice Hoffman
The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman
The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman [we must really like her!]
Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo
As Long As We Both Shall Live by Joann Chaney
Left Neglected by Lisa Genova
Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albon
On Being Human by Jennifer Pastiloff
The House of Spirits by Isabelle Allende
Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler
Happy reading!!!
But long ago in a kingdom called South Baltimore I was given a small heart of chocolates every year on Valentine’s Day. Dad would go to the Rheb’s stand in Lexington Market, where he did all his shopping, and buy hearts for his favorite girls. Mom would receive the largest heart, the top of the satin box covered in ruffles and bows. To his own mother, my Nana, he would give a more conservative box, deep red and no frills. My box was small and held four pieces of chocolate. The heart box was red trimmed in gold and the words Be Mine or Valentine was usually printed across the top.
My go-to place is Zeke’s [https://www.zekescoffee.com]. I order a large, dark roast coffee with peppermint and white chocolate, one shot each. Mindy knows this. She’s worked at Zeke’s forever and recently won Baltimore’s Best Server in The Baltimore Sun’s Best of 2019. I look forward to seeing her as much as I do having my coffee.
[https://www.redcanoecafeandchildrensbookstore.com] I feel a bit like Norm on the show Cheers; everyone knows my name. It’s an experience of all the senses. Mostly it’s the warmth and comfort of the familiar and being with people who have become friends.
Robert and I had a great day … and yes, it actually took all day to deliver four hundred flyers to local shops and galleries … so we treated ourselves and had a coffee in nearly every coffeehouse we visited. Can you say caffeine high?
I read and fantasize often about the cafes of Paris. I can picture myself sitting at an outdoor table sipping a cafe au lait and reading a book. Though that sounds exciting – and maybe one of my future goals – I can’t imagine any cafe as welcoming or relaxing as Red Canoe. 
you it was the best cappuccino I’ve ever had.
The staff was friendly and happy to answer any questions. I can hardly wait to visit again!
Scenes From A Baltimore Kitchen 