AuThursday: Reports (and a recipe) from our Book Clubs

In April the FM Area Book Club discussed Holly Goldberg Sloan's character driven novel, Counting by 7s. Our group loved Willow Chance's story and see it as a great middle grade read. We spent the majority of our time together talking about books we plan to read and discuss as a group in August. If you are interested in joining us for this event or getting the book list, please e-mail Dan Dooher at <ddooher[at]moorheadschools[dot]org>.

For May, the Grand Forks Book Club read Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater and enjoyed some black bean and cheese enchiladas while discussing the book. (See recipe below.)  

Book trailer: There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve. Either you are his true love, or you killed him. For Blue Sargent, that could be one in the same. As long as Blue can remember, she has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. But the boy she sees on the Corpse Road on St. Mark’s Eve isn’t anyone she knows. How can she be both his true love and his murderer?

We had mixed reviews on Raven Boys. While Stiefvater had interesting ideas and set-ups, she didn’t fully flesh them out. Pam and Kristine felt that the young men weren’t differentiated enough and there wasn’t enough foreshadowing to predict or preface some of the novel’s more radical twists. Katie and Andrea had read Raven Boys and the two other books in the series, Dream Thieves and Blue Lily, Lily Blue, before they were chosen for book club and enjoyed them, perhaps, more than everyone else. Aimee pointed out that the book isn’t a quick read like you would normally think for a YA novel. 

For June, we’ll be reading The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy and meeting at Andrea’s house to partake in some red food. Other upcoming titles include: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and El Deafo by CeCe Bell.

Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas from Pillsbury's cookbook The Best of Italian, Mexican, & Chinese Cooking with modifications by Sam and Kristine Gruenberg.

--1 tsp oil

--1 medium onion, chopped

--2 tsp cumin

--1 tsp oregano

--1/2 tsp cayenne

--1 tsp chili powder

--3 cloves garlic, chopped

--1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed

--1 can Mexicorn

--2 cans chopped chillies 

--8 (8 inch) flour tortillas

--8 oz shredded Monterey jack cheese

--1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce

Heat oven to 350.  Lightly spray 12x8 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Heat oil in medium skillet.  Add onion and spices.  Cook until onion is tender.  Add garlic.  Stir in beans, Mexicorn and chillies.

Place about 3 Tbsp of bean mixture in center of tortilla.  Top each with 1/4 cup of cheese.  Roll up tightly.  Place seam side down in baking dish.  Spoon enchilada sauce over tortillas.  Cover tightly with sprayed foil.

Back at 350 for 30--35 minutes.