Meeting #4: Beyond Book Club Phoenix
December 15, 2016 – December 18, 2016

“Go West young man, and grow up with the country.” – Horace Greeley, New York Tribune, 1865.

For the fourth book club gathering, the scholars and gentlemen of BBC selected the jewel of the southwest, Phoenix, Arizona. Because of the distance to Phoenix as well as the unique wonders of the Southwest, the book club took this as an opportunity to expand their respective trips.

Half of the book club, consisting of Holden, James, William, and Nick, took the book club locale of Phoenix as an opportunity to explore that mighty rift in the earth, the Grand Canyon. Over the course of 3 days, this bold group journeyed from the mouth of the canyon into its deepest depths. They saw the flora, saw the fauna, appreciated the true majesty of nature, and took some great selfies. They also found out how hard it is to explore the nightlife of the Sun Valley region while sore from extreme hiking. (You can’t do the Cupid Shuffle when you’re less than 100%).

The other half of the book club took somewhat of a different approach for their pre book club activities. Max, Steven, Chris B. and Chris V., and Eric decided the chance to rest, relax, and #TreatYoSelf was too good to pass up. And so, the 5 equally intrepid brave young men decided to have themselves a merry little Spa Day. Matching hotel robes, room service, they had it all. After a night and day of being pampered, they were also ready for their biannual meeting of the minds.

On Friday, December 16th, both contingents of book club reunited at their home for the weekend, in scenic Paradise Valley, AZ, nestled comfortable and conveniently in the heart of Sun Valley. The book club got down to their first order of business, which usually entails an exchange of gifts, revealing of book club themed surprises (the human imagination is the limit when it comes to thinking up themed accessories for the home and office), and catching up with everyone. With that out of the way, the book club had their first in depth discussion (Yes, for the last time, we discuss the books, h8rs). The first book was A Visit from the Goon Squad.

On the first night, the book club explored the vibrant college town of Tempe, AZ, home to Arizona State University. It’s a nice town. They were hosted by Friend of the Book Club and local resident, Alex Caprariello. On the next day of book club, the group took in both the culture as well as the geography of the region. A visit to Pueblo grande Museum was interesting and edifying. The group then got to explore the wonders of the West with a group horse ride (books included). They saw coyotes, learned about the territory, and bonded with their new horse friends. This was followed by the second discussion, concerning the Narrow Road to the Deep North, by Richard Flanagan. The group closed out the day and night with a barbecue followed by a sampling of the Scottsdale nightlife.

On the last day, having enjoyed all that the desert had to offer, and having once again reconnected and celebrated intellectual pursuits as well as the bonds of friendship, the book club handled their last item of business – voting for MVP. Finally, after countless trials and tribulations, longtime book club stalwart Max Goodman (That’s me, I won!) took home the trophy. And thus, the book club departed, to see each other once again in 6 months.