Reading and Eating

Today in Slate, Nathan Heller deftly explores the enduring vitality of the book club as we know it, tracing its evolution from plush, exclusive 18th century parlor rooms to today’s more casual, content-specific manifestations. “Clubbers are no longer reaching for a level of education and society they cannot touch, but they are also, like all of us, fleeing the future of daytime TV and Internet-cat porn that looms before all mortal flesh,” Heller explains. “We can appreciate the effort.”

Another explanation offered for the appeal of the book club is the food that commonly accompanies the discussion—Heller cites The Book Club Cookbook’s suggested pairing of babka with Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.

So, in the spirit of reading and eating—or eating and reading, if you prefer—we invite you to submit in the comments food pairings for Nextbook Press books. For Joseph Telushkin’s Hillel, perhaps some fast food that can be eaten on one foot, while with Esther Schor’s Emma Lazarus, what could be more patriotic than a slice of apple pie? David Mamet’s The Wicked Son might call for some devil’s food cake, and a power breakfast is surely in order for Ruth Wisse’s Jews and Power. Get creative: the most interesting suggestion gets a copy of the literary half of their pairing.