December Christmas Dinner

The Book Snobs met on Monday, December 12, for our annual Christmas dinner at Yoshi Zushi.

From Left to Right - Lisa, Theresa, Marta, Janna, Vicki, Carol, Sandra, Claudia (Not pictured - Charlene, Jennifer, Becky)

We had a great time. Check out our fabulous shoes.

Merry Christmas from The Book Snobs.

January 2012 Selection

This month The Book Snobs begin a year of reading a bestselling book from the year of the hostess's birth. This is a switch from selecting books by genre. Vicki has selected Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer for the Book Snobs' January reading pleasure. Seven Years in Tibet was a bestseller in the year 1954.


From The Open Critic:

Set against the backdrop of the Second World War and Tibet’s impending invasion by China, Harrer pens an evocative account of a country suspended in time. Medieval in many ways, it is a place none-the-less, readers will deeply regret having missed.

Lhasa was not Shangrila. The capital city of Tibet was dirty and lacked sanitation; books and recreation were hard to come by; the diet was limited; medicine was more shamanistic than practical; and technology (even the wheel) was looked upon with suspicion. Even so, it was a city easy for the Western imagination to fall in love with; laughter was a constant; curiosity and pleasure were valued beyond industry; and inspite of a rigorous religiosity, the Tibetans were perhaps the least moralizing people of the modern era.

It’s with a great breath of mountain air that Harrer references the guilelessness of his hosts; how for instance laughter was a constant and jokes, retold century after century, never failed to solicit mirth. Curiousity, religion, and pleasure were all valued beyond industry. An earthworm in a shovel of dirt would stop the construction of a ditch, the departure of a friend would require elaborate farewells, and the changing of a season would require the performance of one ritual or another. Festivals, parties, and social interactions kept Lhasans engaged — modernity’s harried pace most emphatically did not.

I mention this at the outset as a way of explaining why Seven Years in Tibet has endured as an adventurer’s tale. Apart from the power of its narrative and quality of Harrar’s prose, it proves exactly what every wanderer wants to believe; that he or she can stumble away from the complexities of today (a British POW camp) into the simplicity of yesterday (Lhasa circa 1940). It’s escapist literature writ large. And more-over, its literal.

The Book Snobs Gathering

The Snobs met at Vicki's home on Monday, January 30, 2012. The theme of the dinner was 1950's style comfort food. The Snobs enjoyed a dinner of Caesar Salad, Macaroni and Cheese, and Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy.

Seven Years in Tibet was a challenging read. Reviews were mixed. Som of the members liked it and some didn't. We discussed the book in two parts. Some preferred the story of the adventurers traveling through Tibet and some preferred the story of Henrich Harrer living in Tibet. We discussed the Dali Lama and the selection process. Generally, the book was well received and made for good discussion.

Recipes from the Book Snobs

Crockpot Meat Loaf Like The Nuns Made

 

1 package Lipton Onion Soup mix

1 cup of panko

1 cup of water

2 pounds of ground meat (any combination of beef, pork, or turkey)

1 package Pioneer Nonfat Brown Gravy

1 can mushrooms

Red Wine

Mix soup mix, panko, water. and ground meat together and form into a loaf that will fit into your Crockpot. Cut a strip of foil and place it in the bottom of your Crockpot. Cut it long enough to cover the bottom and sides of meatloaf. (You’ll use it to lift the meatloaf out of the Crockpot after cooking.) Place meatloaf on top of foil. Cover and cook on low for approximately 8 hours.

Prepare gravy according the package directions. Add mushrooms and a splash of red wine. Simmer a few minutes and serve over meatloaf.