Books and Bars

Books and Bars is an open book club that meets to discuss their book choice at three locations across the Cities each month.  Moderated by Jeff Kamin and sponsored by Magers & Quinn (probably my favorite bookstore North of the Mason-Dixon), Books and Bars gives you ample opportunity to stretch those long dormant liberal arts major muscles at three different bars.

As Bryant Lake Bowl, the current site of the Minneapolis discussion, is walking distance from me, it was an easy election for which location I'd frequent for my first B&B experience. Beer in hand, I settled in and tried to keep my English-major self from appearing too eager to talk about a book I'd loved (The Dog Stars by Peter Heller). As with pretty much any book club, the crowd was a mix of people who liked, loved, loathed, and didn't finish the book.  Similar to any book club, too, there are those with strong opinions and those with quieter ones.  Jeff does a great job keeping the conversation moving and by the end of the just-over-an-hour discussion, everyone in the room had piped up.

If you're looking for a book club but can't find anyone cool enough to join you, don't sweat it.  I went solo and it was fine.  Yeah, everybody else in the group of 20 was part of a couple or a posse, but beer is a great equalizer and Jeff won't let you feel lonely, squired away in some corner. This is a great way to get out and about, get a conversation-starting book under your belt, and maybe check out a bar you haven't frequented in awhile. As the bar locations for Minneapolis are going through some changes, check out the Books and Bars website for next month's locale. I'll see you there...

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