I’ve been in a book club for 19 years. What’s amazing is that of our current members we have four original members. I’m not sure what your book club does if you’re in a book club but we have very few rules. We expect the host to provide appetizers, dinner and coffee with dessert. We don’t necessarily expect the host to cook, but there are some outstanding chefs in my book club. If you don’t read the book, we’d prefer you come just because we want to see you because that’s more important than the book. Our members range in age from 82 to 32 and we all have a connection to teaching somehow. Of our 19 years together I’ve only not finished two books and I’ve only missed one meeting. I can keep count because my daughter was born the year we started the book club. In the fall we will be we will starting our 20th year. What’s great about this book club is the fact that it’s just not a bunch of English teachers, so we read all over the shelves.
We met last night and it was a rare circumstance where I did not actually finish the book. If you’re wondering, the book was Spencer Quinn‘s Miss Plansky’s Revenge. (The other book I failed to finish, was Uncle Tungsten.) I didn’t find the writing great and the story was a little too close to home for me. Last month we read Elizabeth’s Acevedo’s Family Lore. I loved it. Next month we are reading The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore. Other books we’ve read this year are Remarkably Bright Creatures, the psychological thriller, The Silent Patient, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hill, and my personal favorite this year, The Dictionary of Lost Words. What I do love about book club is it does force me to stop and read something outside of my comfort zone, but I do make time to read every single day and this month I’ll be writing each day.
Are you in a book club? If so, what are the rules if any? Also, what titles are you enjoying?
I just took a screenshot of the books you’ve read and I hope to try a few! When I had kids I lost a bit of “me” and part of that loss was reading. This year I set a goal to read 24 books in 2024. So far I’m on #5, so my 2/month is going strong. I would love to hear about other recommendations and really enjoyed hearing about your nearly 20 year book club! What an amazing thing to have.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am in a book club and the connection I have with those three other ladies is incredibly unique. How lovely that you all prioritize time together. Connection is absolutely everything.
ReplyDeleteHow incredible that your book club has been meeting for so long! And what a variety of books you all read together!
ReplyDeleteYour book club sounds amazing. Congrats on almost 20 years. I love that you range in age from 82 to 32! Wow. I hope to write about my book group one of these days. They are so great to have!
ReplyDeleteWhat a community of women! Grateful to be included and gracefully accepted as a returner. I, too, did not finish the Plansky's Revenge.
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