Well this is a record! I am actually announcing this month's drawing before half the month is over. Maybe one month I will announce it at the beginning of the month! In honor of my book club which just celebrated its anniversary, this month's drawing prize is a $10 gift card to Barnes and Noble.
Anyone who talks to me for very long knows that I love my book club. I am the poster child for the "everyone should be in a book club" movement. I think book club are our generation's version of the bridge club. A time to get together, have an adult conversation and eat good food that we don't have to share with little people. Last Friday night, my book club got together to discuss Gilead, celebrate Jinny's birthday and the two year anniversary of our little group. In the past two years I have been mightily blessed by these four women. They challenge me to read things I would never consider such as Anna Karenina, reminding me that I haven't completely succumb to mommy-brain. They encourage me in becoming a better writer, healthier woman and happier mom. And once a month, they open their homes and give me yummy food and nice wine. J I love them!
If you want to be part of a book club, but don't know how to go about starting one, here is what I did. A few years ago, I was in a very large book club that was part of a local mom's club. The group was ever changing, infrequently talked about the book and met during the day with kids in tow. I knew this was not what I wanted in a book club. There was one woman in the group who seemed to be looking for something different as well. I didn't know Jinny well, but I wanted to get to know her. I called her and she immediately signed up. She knew her friend Lisa would also want to take part. The three of us met for coffee and laid out what we wanted – no kids, evening meetings, books that would make us think, and a small group of women (6 max) who would come every month. We each decided to invite one person so that we could broaden our circle of friends. Two years later, we have five in our group and I have made four amazing friends.
About once a year, our group sits down and picks our books for the coming year. We are just about to do that. So I wanted to share some of our favorites and hear about your personal/book club's favorites.
Snowflake and Secret Fan by Lisa See
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Ten Thousand White Women: The journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus
8 comments:
Hi Wendy...
I really would love to join a book club. I've considered it for several years, but I'm afraid to commit! If I know I "have" to read a book, it's intimidating to me...
Okay, I've tried twice to read Gilead, and I CANNOT get into it. It's so slow. Did you like it?
I loved Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Right now I'm reading The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan (liking it so far) and I just finished reading The Beautiful Ache by Leigh McLeroy. The latter is non-fiction, but it is beautifully written, and I enjoyed it very much.
I'll re-consider the book club. I actually have a couple of friends that talk/joke about starting one. Maybe we should give it a go.
Oh, have you read A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains by Isabella Bird? I'd highly recommend that for your group to read sometime! It's one of my faves! As is Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. I'll stop there, but we really should get together sometime and talk books!
ha! i know i'm the last person you think would contribute about books! but i'm reading Identical Strangers, now it's not your typical book club book but it provides facinating information on the nature v nurture argument and could spawn a fabulous conversation! it's identical twins who were separated at birth and found each other at 35 and how they grapple with first learning they were a twin and how to intertwine this replica of themselves into their complicated lives. maybe even just for a personal read!
Good for you!!
I love reading and would love to have time to read more. I keep a running list of books I have heard about and want to read. So, I LOVED LOVED LOVED "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" That was my favorite book of 2006 and "A Thousand Splendid Suns" was my favorite of 2007. I am currently reading "Three Cups of Tea" which Caroline recommended about 8 months ago. It's a great non-fiction. Here are some of my upcoming readings that you may enjoy (I haven't read them yet, but they were recommendations from friends)
1. A Long Way Gone
2. The Namesake
3. Escape (Carolyn Jessop)
4. The Bookseller of Kabul
I'll let you know how they are when I get down to them on the list. Thanks again Wendy for such a great blog!
I feel so honored to be a part of your bookclub, which is, in fact, the most fabulous book club in the world! This is going to sound really terrible, but I look forward to book club every month almost more than say, a date night with my husband. Now I am officially a terrible wife :) I did say almost.
The friendships I have made in this group are some of the most important ones in my life, so far. I completely agree that this is the modern-day bridge club, because it is so much more than just talking about a book. This stage of our lives, as moms with small children, can be so isolating and lonely. I really wish that every woman had a group like this, to discuss literature, child rearing, marriage, politics, pretty much no topic is taboo in our group! And, hopefully all of us will be completing our first book club triathlon this summer!
Thank you Wendy, for starting up our little group, for keeping us on track and actually discussing the book, and for being an awesome blogger. Go Wendy!
Book of the year:
There is no me without you
I will be rereading Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth for my coed book club. The addition of boys to the club was quite the change but has been enjoyable! One couple brings the kids and keeps saying i should bring mine but for now i think i am needing that to be my alone time:)
Wendy,
I am so honored to be a part of your blog and that you "courted" me! It is for me too the best part of my month. I love using my cobewebby brain, at least for the first 20 minutes.
My best friends and life changing partners, thanks for 2 great years!
You know I have to chime in on this post! Recent Boone Book Diva (my book club) favorite reads are The Painted Drum; Mister Pip; and A Thousand Splendid Suns. All got rave reviews by my group. We just picked Water for Elephants for this month. Eat, Pray, Love is also a favorite of mine. Lisa See (author of Snowflower and the Secret Fan) has new book out. I haven't read it yet but plan to.
So many Books and so little time! If only I could take a year off from life and just read...
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