Book Club- The Vorrh
This month we read The Vorrh by Brian Catling. I would classify this book as somewhere between the Fantasy and Magical Realism genres. The Vorrh is a mystical forest in the heart of Africa with the Garden of Eden at its core. 
The book tells the stories of several people (and creatures) impacted by this forest in some way or another. There were some elements of this book I really enjoyed like how the forest had a life of its own. However, I did find the book fairly confusing and dense, which made it seem even longer than the 500 pages it was. I was glad to hear I wasn’t alone in my confusion. We all discussed various elements we each found confusing and were able to suss most of it out. This is definitely a book that requires some work and focused concentration (a “beach read” it is not). However, if that doesn’t deter you and you enjoy magical realism and/or fantasy you might enjoy it. There were several characters with interesting story lines and also some intriguing lore. One of the book club ladies also pointed out the power dynamics between characters was always changing, which kept story lines from getting stale.
As a group, the book club was mixed in its reactions. One person outright disliked the book, two of use enjoyed elements, and the lady that chose it enjoyed it so much she is going to read the other two books in the trilogy.
Book rating: Would consider reading again when I’m in another head space but would be selective in who I recommended it to (6/10).
We met for book club on Pi Day (3/14) so I knew I’d be making at least one pie. Here’s what we had:
- Wild mushroom and leek saute- I wanted something that felt foraged, to be in line with the forest theme and mushrooms and leeks fit the bill.
- Zucchini and Goat Cheese Quiche with Parmesan Crust
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie
I wanted to serve a white wine with the meal and also wanted one that had a forest-themed label or name. I came across the 2015 Apothic White Winemakers Blend with a lovely vine label at Target. It was only $9. It was the perfect accompaniment to the meal since it was nice and light (our instructor from the wine tasting class might call it a “porch pounder”, he he). It was perfectly in between dry and fruity with hints of stone fruit and apple. I am kicking myself for not getting another bottle, but I will certainly pick one up the next time I’m at Target (which seems like all the time these days!).
Wine rating: Will drink again myself and/or serve again to guests (9/10).
The next book we’ll be reading is The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorna. As always, you can follow along with our club on my Book Club Pinterest board. Some of you may have also seen my post on Instagram last week with our 2017 bookmark! Every year Betsy makes us each a bookmark commemorating all of the books we’ve read and we all look forward to it a lot!
What are you guys reading?
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