Host An Unforgettable Book Club Party

When I saw this book cover and then read the title I knew this book was for me.  How to Bake a Perfect Life by Barbara O’Neal is about the power of baking to get you through the rough times.  Ramona owns a bakery and when absorbed in her craft she is able to forget about the rough times in her life, such as having a baby as a teenager, bitter relationships in her family, and her son-in-law in Afghanistan.  When her son-in-law is injured her pregnant daughter must head overseas to care for him and leaves her 13 year old stepdaughter, Katie, with Ramona.  Katie has had a rough life. She was raised by a troubled mom and with her father being injured in Afghanistan she is in no mood to make nice with Ramona.  But through the art of baking, Ramona and Katie develop a friendship.

Book Club Ideas

Through Ramona, Katie gains an appreciation of baking and through Ramona’s mom, she also falls in love with gardening, and especially with dahlias.   This is a beautiful peppermint dahlia floral arrangement that can be purchased at Amazon.com

On her birthday, Ramona received an apron with Boulanger across the chest.  You can find similar aprons at CafePress. Your guests can also wear their favorite aprons.

Party Favors

Ramona took notes on her baking experiments in a book she titled RAMONA’S BOOK OF BREADS.   As a party favor, make a notebook for each guest with their name on it and have each book club member bring copies of their favorite bread recipes so everyone can take a recipe book home.

Another party favor could be a jar of your very own sourdough starter.

Book Club Menu

Bread, bread and more bread.  A potluck where each guest brings their favorite bread recipe would be perfect for a book club party for How to Bake a Perfect Life.  I tried several of the recipes that were published in the novel and each one of them were delicious!  I baked the Easy Pain Au Chocolat and the Hearty Berry Streusel Muffins and I have my sourdough starter brewing.   Wash these delectable treats down with Instant Chai Tea.

If you want to serve a meal, the penne pasta dish prepared by Jonah sounds delectable.  Make sure it has the flavors of tomato and cream, prosciutto, cracked pepper and asparagus.

Book Club Resources

Ratings at the time this post was published

1. There are so many great baking tips throughout this novel.  Did you learn anything new about baking?
2. When talking about their sourdough starters, Ramona says “Poppy has been happier than I, so hers is sweeter.”   In another part of the novel it is mentioned that “in some villages…bakers were required to go to confession before they baked each day, in order to avoid polluting those who would eat the bread with their desires and failing.”   How much do you think the outcome of baking is based on the characteristics of the person who is doing the baking?
3. Do you think Katie’s rebellious attitude was justified?  What was it about living with Ramona that helped Katie open up?
4. This book is also about mothers.  Did any of the mother-daughter relationships in the book remind you of your relationship with your mother?
5. The younger Ramona and Katie had figures in their lives that served as surrogate mothers during some of the hardest times in their lives.  Do you recall a time when an older woman helped you get through a tough time in your life?  Is it easier to take advice from someone who is not your mom?

Purchase How to Bake a Perfect Life at your favorite bookseller

The Author

Barbara O’Neal fell in love with restaurants at age 8 when her grandfather bought a diner.  She sold her first novel in her 20s and went on to win two Colorado Book Awards and six prestigious RITAs.  To learn more about Barbara O’Neal, visit her website.

Book Club Party Ideas  This post is filed under : 2010-2012, general fiction  

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