Introducing the Sazza Book Club and Library
By Michelle Harwood
On a cold night in March, 2012, a small group of women, from all over Denver came together for the first meeting of the Sazza Book Club. This book club was the brainchild of Jenni Hayes, co-owner of Sazza. Prior to meeting, we read the book Harvest for Hope by Jane Goodall, and then came together to discuss our thoughts about the selection. What would the main theme of a book club founded by a restaurateur? Food, of course! Since that first month, we meet (almost) every month to discuss a book, an article, or a movie about food–sustainable, organic, homegrown, seasonal, local and delicious food. We have read some amazing, life changing works and developed some wonderful relationships with one another along the way. We enjoy our monthly discussion, annual anniversary potlucks and kickball games with our families, and occasionally visiting one another’s houses for times of food, fellowship and discussion.
As our collection of books we read grew each month, Jenni started a Free Library at Sazza, made up of the books that we have enjoyed together. Because Jenni wants to share the ideas with the community of people who patronize Sazza, she has free copies available to be checked out from Sazza and enjoyed at home. Some of memorable picks include the following: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Cooked, Farm City, Full Moon Feast, Omnivore’s Dilemma, The Tenth Muse, Salt, The American Way of Eating, Gulp, The Town that Food Saved, and The Dirty Life. We have read and enjoyed so many others!
You will have to come in to Sazza and take a look at our shelves. Enjoy a pizza or salad made with local, organic and sustainably sourced ingredients, and then take a book home to enjoy and be inspired by the ideas contained within.
In the future, there will be a blog post shortly after each of our meetings. The purpose of these will be to share a bit about what we read, and the ideas that were discussed. In that way, you too can enjoy some of the books and ideas that are percolating around Sazza each month.