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Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club | J Ryan Stradal
From the New York Times bestselling author J. Ryan Stradal, a story of a couple from two very different restaurant families in rustic Minnesota, and the legacy of love and tragedy, of hardship and hope, that unites and divides them Mariel Prager needs a break. Her husband Ned is having an identity crisis, her spunky, beloved restaurant is bleeding money by the day, and her mother Florence is stubbornly refusing to leave the church where she's been holed up for more than a week. The Lakeside Supper Club has been in her family for decades, and while Mariel's grandmother embraced the business, seeing it as a saving grace, Florence never took to it. When Mariel inherited the restaurant, skipping Florence, it created a rift between mother and daughter that never quite healed. Ned is also an heir--to a chain of home-style diners--and while he doesn't have a head for business, he knows his family's chain could provide a better future than his wife's fading restaurant. In the aftermath of a devastating tragedy, Ned and Mariel lose almost everything they hold dear, and the hard-won victories of each family hang in the balance. With their dreams dashed, can one fractured family find a way to rebuild despite their losses, and will the Lakeside Supper Club be their salvation? In this colorful, vanishing world of relish trays and brandy Old Fashioneds, J. Ryan Stradal has once again given us a story full of his signature honest, lovable yet fallible Midwestern characters as they grapple with love, loss, and marriage; what we hold onto and what we leave behind; and what our legacy will be when we are gone.
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Jas16
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Pickpick

I have vacillated between pick and so-so for this book. This was a book I flew through but it didn‘t wholly work for me. I think if it were more of a collection of connected short stories I would have liked it more. As a novel it didn‘t come together for me and I found myself asking where Stradal was going with it all and the ending did not satisfy. StillI cannot ignore the writing and heart on these pages.
#fourfoursin24 #meatytreaty

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CoffeeNBooks
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Eggs Love the vintage look💛🧡💛 4mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I‘ve heard this is really good 💛 4mo
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SheilaChew
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Pickpick

I read this one on the plane to Hawaii. So good! I am such a fan of Stradal‘s books!

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quietjenn
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Pickpick

I am here for whatever Stradal shares with us. I love that his books are so very much identifiably his and the connections between them. I purposely didn't read this until the paperback came out, because I knew I'd want to own it. Seeing the pretty mixed reviews in the meantime perhaps better prepared me for the bits that seem to have knocked others for a loop? Or maybe I'm just, at heart, a soppy Midwestern girl. Probably both.

Leftcoastzen 😻👏 5mo
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 5mo
56 likes2 comments
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Writeme
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Mehso-so

I love stories by Minnesota authors, and I really enjoyed Stradal‘s first two novels, but this one was a slog. It covers 4 generations of the same family as they run a storied supper club in northern Minnesota. Somehow I could not keep the characters straight, likely because of the overlapping timelines, so it was hard to stick with it. Lovely writing, great characters, but lost the thru line.

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BkClubCare
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“ . . . as well-intentioned and charmless as a store-bought pie”

Happy March 2nd!
Happy Banana 🍌 Cream Pie 🥧 Day!!l
(THIS is home-made pie 🤣)

#PieinLit #LitPie #ILovePie #CaresPieShow

Ruthiella 🍌🍌🍌😃 8mo
33 likes1 stack add1 comment
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BkClubCare
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Current audiobook. Reading what I want to. I have ToB fatigue maybe. Not into it this year

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Bookwormjillk
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This book was sad, incredibly sad. But it had perfect end of summer vibes and that‘s why it was my favorite September read. #12booksof2023

Andrew65 This looks a good and poignant read. 10mo
64 likes1 comment
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Sharpeipup
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Hubby is making dinner while I try to read. His commentary has me a bit nervous 😂

Tamra 😂 11mo
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LeslieO
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Managed my 8 book average for the month even with the 850 page chunkster.
🍁Excellent true crime
🍁The Last One was a wild ride! I loved it, recommended by Meredith of Currently Reading podcast
🍁11/22/63 lived up to the hype. Now I want to get back in reading King.
🍁Always love Kate DiCamillo
🍁 Started out the seasonal reading. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🍁Cute cozy magical puzzle
🍁A true crime novel, very good
🍁Love the supper club.

GinaKButler Thank you for this post! I added 3 to my TBR 🫣 11mo
LeslieO @GinaKButler Happy to help! Haha! 11mo
36 likes2 comments
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Milena

Everyone knows that the worst invention in world history is the surprise. There‘s a reason they don‘t exist in the animal kingdom unless murder is involved.

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rebbyj
Pickpick

These books have some of the most eloquent words that define the thoughts that surround me. In my middle age.

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Lesliereadsalot
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Mehso-so

Can‘t say this book about four generations of women and a Minnesota supper club grabbed me. I didn‘t find the characters that interesting and I didn‘t like all the jumping around in time. I have been to a number of Wisconsin supper clubs, so I could relate to the picture of the one drawn by the author.

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Bookwormjillk
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Pickpick

I loved this book. It was so sad, but also so insightful. 5 stars. Perfect end of summer reading.

Prairiegirl_reading I was not prepared for how sad!! 14mo
74 likes2 comments
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Bookwormjillk
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I ❤️ 3 day weekends

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BittersweetBooks
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She‘d heard enough regrets in her lifetime to know that dreams don‘t always die because of something terrible, but more often because of something that‘s merely acceptable 🍽️🛶💛

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Bibliophile004
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Pickpick

The story of the Lakeside Supper Club through 4 generations of women

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ncsufoxes
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Pickpick

I listened to this one over audio. Overall I liked the book. It does have multiple storylines & characters to keep up with. But what I thought was a fun lighthearted story (also I grew up in New Jersey so I know nothing about supper clubs, although I‘m interested in learning more), took a dark turn. I wish there was a trigger warning since I‘d lived through the experience (I‘ll put below). I‘d become invested in the story & wanted to finish it.

ncsufoxes Trigger warning: drowning & death of child. One of my sister‘s friends growing up had a little brother that drowned & died one summer. It was a horrible experience. We grew up in a small town so it hit everyone really hard. So I just wish that it had been a warning ahead of time, so that‘s why I‘ll post the warning for others. 1y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 1y
BkClubCare Yes, I was shook listening to this part. I, too, was not expecting the sadness. 8mo
25 likes3 comments
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KLyn1
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Happy 4th!!

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KLyn1
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Happy 4th!!

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staci.reads
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this one for sure. The stories of multiple generations of restaurant owners had a cast of colorful an endearing characters and some really funny parts. I will say the last 2 chapters didn't do it for me, though. It felt like the author couldn't figure out how to end the story. I don't want to give any spoilers, so I'll just say, the last few chapters felt like an entirely different story condensed into a few pages.

Leftcoastzen Pretty space ! I could read there.😁 1y
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monalyisha
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Mehso-so

This isn‘t what I was expecting. There were moments in the text (more than one, and not even in the same character‘s storyline) where I was absolutely floored by grief. And I say this as someone who doesn‘t have a direct connection to the type of loss described. I see now that the blurb hints at “a devastating tragedy” but that comes *after* the illustration of a cherry pie and liberal use of the word “spunky.” 👇🏻

monalyisha 1/5: Having read (and adored!) Kitchens of the Great Midwest, I expected the writing to have a literary quality…but I wasn‘t expecting to be hit so hard. 1y
monalyisha 2/5: It‘s difficult to separate a work from its blurb once you feel a little hoodwinked. I don‘t know how much say authors have in this department but if they do have any semblance of control, I think it‘s important that they exercise it! 1y
monalyisha 3/5: Aside from my emotional response, I sometimes had trouble keeping the characters straight, especially in the beginning. I don‘t feel like I have a firm grasp, even now, on who they all were at their core. On a more laudatory note, I do think Stradal penned some killer sentences. 1y
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monalyisha 4/5: I‘m interested in the fact that this narrative, which focuses *so centrally* on mother-daughter relationships and women‘s bodies (pregnancy, miscarriage, loss of a child) is written by a man. This isn‘t a negative judgment against the text…but it‘s something I can‘t help thinking about. 1y
monalyisha 5/5: I know this has exclusively positive Litsy praise so far. I‘m honestly surprised by how overshadowed my other thoughts are by my sentimentality. I‘ve given a lot of “so-so” ratings out lately. Maybe I‘m in a funk. I‘m taking a handful of vacation days starting today; hopefully, the extra time will allow me to hit my stride anew with a relaxed, quiet focus. 1y
JamieArc I was planning on taking this to Lake Michigan on Friday for my first beach day but perhaps I better choose another. 1y
DogEaredBooks If you were wanting one more like Kitchens I think the authors second book: the Lager Queen of Minnesota was much more similar in tone to Kitchens than Supper Club (which I agree was so much more heart wrenching) 1y
DogEaredBooks Also for the women focused but man written. I think Stradal is one of the few male authors I don‘t get the ick from. I‘ve been to some of his author talks too and he‘s as genuine and nice in person as you‘d hope. His books generally feel like the exception that proves the rule 1y
monalyisha @JamieArc Maybe talk to @Chelsea.Poole first? I saw that she took it on vaca and loved it — and I‘ve gotten some stellar books recs from her. 💙 It definitely hurt my heart, though. 1y
Chelsea.Poole This is such a thoughtful review! I brought this up to my coworkers, how unexpectedly devastating that section was. I have to say, I agree totally with your sentiment about the misleading marketing of the book, but somehow even though I was TOTALLY taken off guard by the trauma you mentioned, it didn‘t diminish my overall appreciation for the novel. Though as a reader, I hate spoilers so maybe that‘s why I didn‘t feel the need to know. 1y
Chelsea.Poole I, too, considered the way this male author writes female characters that I so totally understand and appreciate, as a female reader. I agree @DogEaredBooks that he somehow gets it right when many do not. 1y
Chelsea.Poole One of my favorite recent book memories is reading the tagged and sobbing into the sand after completing it last year. So, I was happy to have a charming, lighthearted (at times!), though hugely sentimental and grief-filled novel to read at the shore that was so much like my experience with [tagged] a novel I found both light and dark, if that makes any sense at all 🤷🏼‍♀️ 1y
Chelsea.Poole I‘m so glad you posted this review so others can take a closer look at what is between the covers, and how it may affect them. I went back to read my review and it doesn‘t as accurately represent this title as well as yours does 💛 Though, I stand by my enthusiasm for it, with tears in my eyes 🥹 1y
jlhammar Great review. Hope you enjoy your vacation days. I was trying to put my finger on exactly why I didn't love this one quite as much as his other two. All of his books deal with heavy stuff, but I think this one had a bit less humor perhaps? The characters didn't seem quite as quirky/super-Minnesotan which I loved in the other two. This one had more of a generic upper midwest vibe to it (I live in MN, born and raised in northern WI). 1y
monalyisha @Chelsea.Poole I added your tagged read-alike! I‘ve never read anything by Emma Straub. 1y
Tamra @jlhammar did I know you were in MN and forgot?! 👋🏾 from Red Wing. @RebelReader is a fellow Minnesotan too. 1y
jlhammar @Tamra Hooray for MN littens! Hello from St. Paul! I moved here for college almost 23 years ago, met my husband (who grew up here) and, aside from spending our first year of marriage in Boston, have been here ever since. 1y
Tamra @jlhammar 👏🏾👏🏾 We were in Minneapolis yesterday to get daughter‘s hair braided and on Friday going to St. Paul trying to get into Fasika for lunch. We just heard it is closing on Saturday after 22 years. 😭 1y
jlhammar @Tamra Wow, so fun to know you‘re in the Cities sometimes! We might need to try to coordinate a meet-up one of these days. Sad news about Fasika closing. 1y
Tamra @jlhammar would be great fun! 1y
60 likes20 comments
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monalyisha
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“She was sure she‘d wake up one day and look forward to coming here as much as she looked forward to walking through a winter forest at the eggshell break of sunrise.”

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monalyisha
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“Her father used to say that Julia wasn‘t raised by a village, she was raised by a supper club. As a small child, she sat at the bar, sneaking Maraschino cherries, colored and drew at the maître d' station, and looked for little things she could do to be useful.”

As someone who was raised for years by a single mom/bartender, I fully approve this message. ?

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Chelsea.Poole
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Pickpick

I love J. Ryan Stadal‘s books and this may be my favorite. Though sentimental (which is typically NOT my style), his novels are full of food, Midwestern quirky characters and fully charming to me. This was the most emotional (and personal, according to the author‘s notes). Following 4 generations of women and the men and restaurants (!) in their orbit, I was thoroughly invested and once again had tears streaming down my face. Loved it.

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monalyisha
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About to eat this delightful crepe in the buttery yellow sunshine. 💛

mabell Great photo! 1y
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Chelsea.Poole
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📖 +☕️ + 🍩 + 🌊

Clare-Dragonfly Oh, I want that donut. 🤤 1y
dabbe @Clare-Dragonfly #metoo! I want about 20 of them, though! 🤣🤣🤣 1y
75 likes2 comments
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Chelsea.Poole
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LOVING! THIS! BOOK! 📖 🐚
I‘m so glad I saved it for a beach read. It‘s perfection.
I‘m a big fan of his other two and this may be my favorite yet.

BarbaraBB Another author I haven‘t heard of! 1y
Crazeedi @BarbaraBB I haven't either, but it sounds intriguing! Stacked 1y
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MeganAnn
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Pickpick

Another food + family title I loved in May! This takes place in northern Minnesota where Mariel runs the Lakeside Supper Club, the restaurant passed down through her family. Her husband, Ned, also grew up with the family restaurant, now grown into a large franchise. The legacy of the Lakeside is told in various timelines following Mariel, her mother Florence, and her grandmother Betty, while modern day Mariel and Ned deal with their own issues. ⬇️

MeganAnn One thing I loved about this was the nostalgia. In high school, I worked as a waitress at our local restaurant which wasn‘t called a supper club, but felt exactly like the Lakeside down to the decor and food descriptions. Growing up in rural North Dakota, the rural MN community felt like a piece of my own past as they do have a lot of similarities. My husband‘s family is from small town MN as well. Stradal captures that life vividly. 1y
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IamIamIam
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Pickpick

I have no words... I read this book in A DAY AND A HALF!!!!! I don't think I've read anything that fast, maybe since Harry Potter. What an amazing story about families, secrets, the restaurant business, the legacies we build and the lives that are both lived and trapped in those legacies. I love Stradal's style and this was all I could ask for and more!!! ❤️

AmyG Oooo stacked! 1y
IamIamIam @AmyG I fell in love with his first book and have yet to start the 2nd but definitely check out 1y
AmyG Ahhhhhh…..I knew this author aounded familiar! I think I have that book somewhere. 1y
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britt_brooke
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Brandy Old Fashioneds, Cribbage, supper clubs?! Though this takes place in Minnesota, it made me nostalgic for the time we lived in Wisconsin. We had our first son there. Love the midwestern mixture of cultures! There was a lot going on in this multigenerational story; obvs several characters, but also shifting timelines, so pay attention! The atmosphere was at times heartbreaking, but overall, delightful.

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jlhammar
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Pickpick

Listening to this yesterday greatly improved my day of chores. Thank goodness for audiobooks!

I really enjoy Stradal‘s books. I find them warm and comforting as well as funny and touching. This might be my least favorite of the three, but still good. I‘ll definitely be reading whatever he writes next!

monalyisha Where‘s Lager Queen fall on your list? Because I loved Kitchens but this one didn‘t hit the same way. 1y
jlhammar @monalyisha I loved both Lager Queen and Kitchens. Hard to choose a favorite. 1y
monalyisha I must‘ve accidentally hit something and unfollowed you at some point! Refollowing. 😬🙈 1y
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Christine
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Pickpick

Another Stradal novel, another beloved reading experience! I know I love the food and drink and recognizable characters, but I‘d like to reread all of his books one day with attention to the deeper themes and values that are probably also speaking to me as someone born and raised in the Upper Midwest. I *had* to have my own Betty‘s Lemonade while reading. (Having no Bubble Up, I substituted Blake Lively‘s Meyer lemon club soda, the brand ⬇️

Christine of which is “Betty Buzz,” so it was a double Betty - and delicious!)
Image is from a fun “Listen & Cook” post from the Penguin Random House Audio blog. https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/blog/listen-cook-bettys-lemonade-from-sa...
(edited) 1y
Reggie I still think about The Lager Queen of Minnesota. About the granddaughter Diana and her grandma that was working two jobs. And how they just persevered. And the guy Diana stole from but who showed her grace. Lots of good stuff in that book. Just got this one the other day. Can‘t wait to read it. 1y
Christine @Reggie Aww, you are making me want to reread that immediately! ❤️ Hope you fully enjoy this one, too. 1y
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peaKnit I‘m interested in making this asap, starting the book tonight! 1y
Christine @peaknit I hope you love the drink and the book!! 💛 1y
peaKnit I am enjoying the book and found some Bubble Up today! I‘m trying this soon! 1y
Christine @peaknit Yay, and that‘s awesome re: the Bubble Up!! 1y
45 likes7 comments
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BookishShelly
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Pickpick

Another good book by J. Ryan Stradal. I‘m originally from Wisconsin, so it‘s nice to be able to read books set near there. And I really like his writing. I think this one may be my favorite of his.

jlhammar I just got the audiobook. Can‘t wait to get started! 2y
peaKnit Hi from WI! Starting the book tonight! 1y
35 likes2 comments
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DogEaredBooks
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Pickpick

Beware Spoilers! These are my notes while I was reading Saturday Night Supper Club. It‘s a beautifully written book but I was not really in the right headspace for a book that would rip my heart out multiple times so I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved the general theme that choosing your own path will make you the happiest and the characters are all so well written but I cried - so many times.

tpixie I have to make these Family trees 🌳 sometimes also! 2y
DogEaredBooks @tpixie there are just so many people and then they crossover or have different timelines. I‘m storing that knowledge outside my head! (edited) 2y
tpixie @DogEaredBooks I just thought: it would be cool if Books would provide family trees. But to prevent spoilers, they would have a flip down family tree that would add people as you read on. Or family trees throughout the book that would include people as their relationship is revealed. Hmm 🤔 (edited) 2y
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DogEaredBooks @tpixie I do love a family tree in a book. More than a map (but mostly bc I am directionally challenged). I wish they‘d have more relationships on it like ex-friend or childhood enemies etc. (edited) 2y
tpixie @DogEaredBooks yes!! Great idea 💡 2y
monalyisha @DogEaredBooks Wow, every single thing you‘ve said in this post & in the comments make me think we might be long-lost soul twins. 😅 Also not a fan of maps because I‘m directionally-challenged. If I flip open a book to find one gracing the end pages, it definitely makes me reconsider whether I *really* want to read it or not. 🙈 1y
DogEaredBooks @monalyisha ❤️❤️ 1y
25 likes7 comments
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JenReadsAlot
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Visited my favorite bookstore with @KLyn1 for #independentbookstoreday

41 likes1 stack add
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

This story follows multiple generations of family in small town Minnesota as they rotate around the Lakeside Supper Club. It‘s a nice look at community, but I found I struggled to keep the storylines separated since so many of the plot points were the same. I enjoyed it overall, but it was just a touch too sentimental for me, so low pick.

Cinfhen #borrownotbuy - thanks 😊 2y
Megabooks I‘m just not a fan of his after three books, but the blurbs always sound so good!! Idk why he never works for me. 1y
Hooked_on_books @Megabooks This is my first read from him and I‘m not inclined to try another. His books do have fun covers, though. 1y
monalyisha Same! But not the same as @Megabooks. I loved Kitchens of the Great Midwest. 1y
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Aims42
Pickpick

Moods: Multi-gen. Family Drama, Restaurant Drama, Midwestern kitsch, Summer read
This is my favorite book yet by J. Ryan Stradal. His characters felt real to me as both loving and frustrating and all the other things families are and make us feel - both the good and the bad. As much as I didn‘t like the ending, I do feel like it was for the best. I‘d recommend making a Brandy Old Fashioned and have some Merkt‘s Port Wine Cheese spread & crackers!

jlhammar Love your food and drink pairing 😂 Now I‘m even more excited for this! 2y
Aims42 @jlhammar Lol, some books just scream the necessity of having coordinated drinks and snacks and this is one of them 😋🥃🧀 I hope you enjoy it when you read it!! 2y
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Aims42
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I would be greatly remiss if I read another chapter of “Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club” without sipping on an Old Fashioned while doing so 😋 Extra cherry juice and Squirt since it‘s a weeknight, but now all I need is a relish tray and a cheese ball and I‘ll be set!

LoverOfLearning I just love this cover so much. 2y
Aims42 @LoverOfLearning Me too! 😍 His cover designs have all been eye-catching and clever, but this might be my favorite 2y
jlhammar Perfect! 2y
Chelsea.Poole I love his books! I can‘t wait to get to this one!! 2y
47 likes4 comments
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BookBosomed1
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Pickpick

I recommend this book for fans of stories that include a host of small-town characters. I found the book to be engaging, and it would make for a good book club choice or beach read. The length time space on some chapters compromised the flow of the chapters, especially with multiple narrators. So, there are parts that feel underdeveloped. Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61653268

Aims42 I just started this last night and am keeping a notepad handy 👍 2y
BookBosomed1 @Aims42 Yes! That‘s what I ended up doing, which helped a lot. Hope you enjoy it. 2y
30 likes2 comments
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Aims42
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Library runs during lunch are THE BEST! Picked up J. Ryan Stradal‘s newest “Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club” and “Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller” by Oliver Darkshire. Both sound so good!!

jlhammar So excited for both! I‘m in line for the Stradal on audio so hopefully won‘t have too long of a wait. 2y
Aims42 @jlhammar I hope your turn comes up quick!! 🤞 2y
JoyBlue Did we already know that we both live in the Chicago metro area and I just forgot, or is it news to you, too? [I'm in Palatine.] 2y
Aims42 @JoyBlue That‘s so fun!! If we did know I forgot too 🤣 I have an aunt who‘s in Buffalo Grove! 2y
51 likes5 comments
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BookBosomed1
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Happy Publication Day! 🧀 🍺

jlhammar So excited for this! 2y
BookBosomed1 @jlhammar Started reading it tonight, and I enjoying it. 2y
33 likes2 comments
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kyraleseberg
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Finally starting this #NetGalley #ARC
Stradal's previous two novels were quirky, endearing, and compulsively readable - I'm so ready to dive in to this one!

jlhammar Yay! So excited for this! 2y
32 likes1 comment
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DogEaredBooks
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I am beyond excited for this book 🤩
I loved both of his other books (Kitchens of the Great Midwest and Lager Queens of Minnesota).
Pub date April 18, 23
My fingers are crossed I get approved on #netgalley🤞

EvieBee Yay!! 2y
jlhammar Yay! I hadn't heard about this yet. I love his books! 2y
DogEaredBooks @jlhammar I love his books too! Glad to share some good book news! 2y
27 likes3 comments