A Meeting of the Suffering Bastards and A Famous Mai Tai - 3/6/2021

Getting together on Trader Vic’s patio with Nancy, Hilarie, Lonnie and Sydney was a rare treat where we ate yummy Polynesian food, side-eyed the waning (we hope) pandemic, while catching up, discussing books, and sipping cocktails with exotic (and naughty) names.

Beekeeper of Aleppo 2.5 – Here are two views:

Would not recommend: Story jumped around too much and lacked continuity. The writing was bland and the plot not very interesting. The topic was about human misery, dislocation, and PTSD and was presented without much alacrity, intrigue or special focus.

Would recommend despite predictable plot elements and the abject sadness of the topic and the miserable plight of the Syrian people brought on by unending war. A positive element was that instead of focusing on politics, the story was more about war's impact on the lives of everyday inhabitants of the country, and how enduring (though sometimes strained) love and friendship can carry one through to a better life. Also, the story shines a light on immigration travails and hardships, eliciting much needed empathy for immigrants’ plights.

Uncommon Type 3.5 – Can an actor really write?

The selection may have garnered higher praise from us than it would have otherwise, simply due to its short story format. By the time most of the stories hit their stride, they were just about done, with some sort of flair or unexpected finish, thus lessening the opportunity for too much criticism. Several of the stories were unique, others intriguing, though sometimes, the typewriter theme seemed stretched or forced to fit in with the title. The overall editing was done well enough, however, to make this book very readable.

Next meeting is scheduled for April 10.

Next book: Transcendent Kingdom, Yaa Gyasi