The Secret Lives of the Sushi Club - Christy Yorke

As book clubs become more and more popular, it's only natural that more books about book clubs should emerge (I really enjoyed The Jane Austen Book Club). My mom lent me this one, which she described as a "fast, entertaining" read, which in our book review code means, "basically mindless." The Sushi Club consists of four middle-aged women: a writer (Alice), a former soap-opera star (Irene), a single mom who lost the love of her life in a river rafting accident (Jina), and a female 40-year old virgin (Mary). When Alice uses the secrets revealed in the book club as the basis for the only bestseller of her life, the others feel betrayed and are forced to reexamine their lives. Jina's son convinces them all to go back to the river that claimed his father - to face their demons and find the strength to forgive. This book is chick-lit for middle-aged women, but it was a fast read, and it was decently entertaining. Yorke tries to do a little too much with some of her characters, to make profound political statements where none really exist, but a couple of the side stories are entertaining, and it was a good mindless distraction.