Throughout their youth, two girls write to each other about the mundane details of their lives. During this correspondence they decide to create a recipe club, and they exchange recipes. These recipes are named after the events or emotions of their lives. At some point in college they get into a fight and don't speak again until one of their mothers dies decades later. This lasts for only a few letters. And then they catch up again after the other one's father dies. Of course, in the end they all live happily ever after...
You're welcome. I just saved you the purchase price of The Recipe Club, and the few hours of your life it takes to read it. I know I'm a quick reader, but it only took me 6 hours to finish the novel. Not a good sign. A book should inspire you. It should make you want to savor every last word, perhaps even make you want to come back for seconds. The Recipe Club made me want to run away screaming, and I suggest you do the same.
No seriously, run the other way if someone suggests reading this book. It's craptacular. That is the *professional* opinion of this individual. I imagine the recipes that were created for Club weren't very original either. The necessary ingredients were missing to make this book rise to the occasion.
I picked the book because it's kitch lit. On the same level as chick lit- not much brain function required to enjoy a book. (Others call it beach reading.) I like kitch lit because it brings in cooking, love of food, and sometimes recipes into the fabric of the story. The way it's done in Club is extremely forced. It was as though the editors saw the original concept and thought a 75 page book wasn't going to be enough. 30 recipes and bigger font later, and you have a bad book.
About 2 pages in, I realized what tragedy was yet to come. Calling Club predictable is putting it mildly. The book is separated into 3 sections: Mom dies, their youth, and Dad dies. When they're fighting in the 1st section you can tell they'll end their friendship again to keep the plot going. It's not until you're nearing page 200 that you find out what their fight was about. It left me thinking "seriously, is that it???" The motives and thoughts of each character were more transparent than Casper the friendly ghost. One best friend is more dedicated than the other and wonders why the other is not as available as she is. Again, seriously, is that it?
The authors didn't have the ingredients necessary to make this book a success. Yes, that's plural. The first sign of a bumpy ride. I'm pretty sure my puppy has more game than these authors. Save yourself.
