Book Party

If you have access to a courtyard, patio, or garden, host your book party there. The book is the focus of the occasion so a clean, polished, elegant look is ideal (unless your book is tough and gritty). For Pride & Prejudice I used a sunset for color inspiration with a gold, pale blue, and white palate. Set up big, comfortable chairs with gold satin throw pillows. Away from the book discussion area, arrange the tea sandwiches and cookies on white platters garnished with fresh berries. Roll up linen napkins, tie with gold cord, and stack neatly near the snacks. Fill vases with blooming hyacinth bouquets and serve the Pimms cocktail in old-school crystal goblets. For a stunning tablescape line a bunch of rustic, bronze candle holders with tapered cream colored candles along the food table. Give the movie Pride & Prejudice as a party favor, and have the soundtrack playing quietly in the background during the talk.

Although Pimms wasn't created until 1840, I'm planning on serving the classic, quintessentially British Pimms No. 1 Cup Cocktail for my Pride & Prejudice — which is set in the 1812 — book party. Pimms Cup was originally a tonic of gin and a mixture of secret herbs developed to aid digestion. Its popularity grew and now it is the perfect English garden party drink. A refreshing mix of lemonade and soda and fresh fruit, this old fashioned drink will pair nicely with my menu of tea sandwiches. For the ladies who prefer wine over cocktails, offer one type of champagne. For the non-drinkers among the guests, serve classic lemonade and sparkling water flavored with cucumbers. To take a look at the recipe for the Pimms Cup cocktail, read more

Gorgeous cookies decorated to look like little packages are perfect for my Pride & Prejudice themed party. Elegantly placed on a variety of plates at different heights, these cookies will enhance the look of the party. I'll pair them with a decadent box of store bought chocolate truffles to round out a light snack menu of grissini with prosscuito and tea sandwiches. These cookies take a while to prepare, so if you are short on time make a quick, tried and trusted cookie recipe or simply buy pretty cookies from your favorite local baker. However if you're like me and couldn't imagine not having a homemade dessert at any party, get the recipe for these delicious treats, just read more

The book party that I'm planning begins in the late afternoon - between lunch and dinner - so a light, afternoon snack will be great for guests. Choose dishes that fit the theme, time, and tone of your book. If certain foods play a prominent role in the book, make variations of those dishes. Pride & Prejudice will be the topic of discussion, and since it's a book about the fabulous frivolity of girls, the menu will consist of appropriately girlie dishes. Wrap long, skinny breadsticks with paper thin slices of proscuitto. An assortment of homemade tea sandwiches are dainty, bite sized, and perfect to munch on while chatting about the delicious Mr. Darcy. You can find the all vegetarian recipes for radish, apple and cheddar, and goat cheese chive tea sandwiches if you read more

In honor of this month being Summer Reading month here on YumSugar, I'm planning a book party! Planning an event with your favorite book as the theme, allows you to get super creative. My party is based around the classic Jane Austen novel, Pride & Prejudice. However, take the basic ideas and suit them to your favorite book - a meeting with friends that follows Oprah's book club, a child's birthday party based around the Madeline books, or even a Harry Potter party to discuss the final book in the series.

A party that promotes reading is good for the soul and the mind, so let's get started by making the invitation! To see how I made the aged Pride & Prejudice invite, read more