The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J Ryan Stradal

The Lager Queen of Minnesota is the official June Pick for the Peanut Blossom Book Club for Recovering Readers.

I'm always on the hunt for stories from different areas for our monthly book club picks. We've had lots of books take place in the South and New England, but I'm not sure we've ventured into the Midwest yet.

Married to a man from Minnesota, I couldn't resist this month's pick. While I'm not a beer lover myself, I can appreciate the family farm element of the story since I grew up in Wisconsin.

Whether you're reading the book on your own or with friends, I hope you'll take a peek at some of the midwestern treat recipes that would pair well with this book.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this month's pick!

P.S. Just joining us? Don't miss the full 2021 line-up for our book club picks.

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June's Official Book Club Pick: The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal

I’m pleased to announce that it is our official June Pick for this year.

Get your copy of this month’s book club pick:

Buy the book on Amazon.

Buy the book on Audible.

Money-saving tricks for reading this month’s book pick:

• You can get the book from your library.
• The Kindle version is cheaper than the paperback AND you can save money on the Audible version if you own the Kindle copy! I love to use the Amazon Whispersync feature to go back and forth between audio and digital reading.

What Is This Month's Book About?

"A novel of family, Midwestern values, hard work, fate and the secrets of making a world-class beer, from the bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest.

Two sisters, one farm. A family is split when their father leaves their shared inheritance entirely to Helen, his younger daughter. Despite baking award-winning pies at the local nursing home, her older sister, Edith, struggles to make what most people would call a living. So she can't help wondering what her life would have been like with even a portion of the farm money her sister kept for herself."

Read the full description of the book here.

Discussion Questions for The Lager Queen of Minnesota:

Want to discuss this month's book with your book club friends? Here are some great conversational questions to get the party started.

You can download the full discussion guide here and then print it to have handy.

1. Do you enjoy beer? Have you ever visited a local brewery? Did this book make you want to?
   
2. Which sister’s story did you most enjoy? Do you relate to one more than the other?
   
3. Have you ever worked in a male-dominated industry or workplace? Do you feel Helen’s storyline was accurate? How about Diana’s?
   
4. What advice would you give to Edith as a young woman?
   
5. The sisters don’t talk to each other for decades, can you imagine something similar with your family?
   
6. Have you ever visited Minnesota or know anyone from there? Do you feel the portrayal of Midwestern people is accurate?
   
7. If you were going to brew your own craft beer like the grandmas, what would be your flavor?

Fun Midwestern Recipes:

These classic Midwestern recipes are fun treats to enjoy while you're reading this month's pick or to serve at your book club party: