Meeting #9: Beyond Book Club DC
April 25, 2019 – April 28, 2019

For the 9th ever book club gathering and its fifth anniversary (the wood anniversary!) the book club gathered in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. Hosted by local resident Eric Hoffman, the book club had what could be one of its greatest gatherings. On the first day of the weekend, the club traveled around the city by bicycle, taking in the finest monuments they could find. From one end of the National Mall to the other, the book club circled from the Lincoln memorial to the U.S. Capitol, and stopped to take in the Jefferson, MLK, and FDR memorials along the way.

After a well deserved lunch, the club reconvened for the first book discussion of the weekend, Naomi Alderman’s “The Power,” a thrilling work of fiction documenting a world of inverted gender and power dynamics. After a hearty and introspective discussion, the book club celebrated with an Italian dinner at local famed eatery in Georgetown, Filomena’s. The night was capped off with some competitive bowling.

For the second day, the boys hit the terrain of Sugarloaf Mountain, taking in the sights and pristine nature, including the most regal wild creature ever witnessed, while preparing to discuss the second book of the weekend – “Educated” by Tara Westover. After ascending to the peak of the mountain, the club traversed back to Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, for some great wine in great weather with great company. Each book discussion was led by Master of Ceremonies, Nick Hughes, with a bevy of prepared questions and discussion points. After another involved discussion, the club got some much needed relaxation. The second day of the weekend was capped off with some classic Karaoke ballads and good times had by all. 

All in all, the club rounded off 9 meetings and 5 years of getting together in style, with a flurry of activities interspersed with thought provoking discussions. The book club is beyond excited for their 10th ever book club gathering, in Nashville!