I’m a book club dropout. Over the years I’ve belonged to several, but after a few weeks or months I become disenchanted and gracefully, I hope, bow out.
On the surface, it would seem that I’d be a book club aficionado. My reading habit is nearly insatiable, and if I only had money enough for food and books, I’d grow very skinny, but I’d have plenty to read.
I have a couple of issues with book clubs, though. First, I like to read what I want to read when I want to read it. I think if I could belong to a club in which we all simultaneously read a book of our own choosing and then met to exchange information about our chosen books, I’d be all in.
The second issue is that often the book I didn’t want to read, but read anyway because someone in the book club chose it, isn’t really discussed at the meeting. The group might start off discussing the book, but within five minutes the meeting dissolves into a purely social occasion. Argh.
I’m certain there are clubs out there that I would enjoy. I just haven’t found one yet.
Today, though, I’m going to participate in an international book club meeting via Zoom with several people I know from my senior year at Dumas high school. The instigator of this group, M.E., recommended the book, Infield by Téa Obreht, after she’d read it and felt the need to discuss it with others. I’m one of the lucky others.
M.E. was particularly persuasive, leading me to hurriedly complete the Peter F. Hamilton book I’d been reading in order to read Infield. I was quite taken with the book. It reminds me in ways of some totally different kinds of tales: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, and John Steinbeck’s story, The Chrysanthemums. The book also includes a touch of the supernatural, and I’d almost say magical realism.
I cannot wait to discuss this book with M.E., et. al. The meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. my time—a time frame that will work for our friends in France and all over the U.S.
M.E., who lives on the west coast, has put a lot of thought and effort into making this happen today. And honestly, I won’t care if we end up socializing five minutes into the meeting. After all, many of those planning to take part today haven’t seen each other since 1975. We visit on Facebook, but nothing like we’ve got planned.
Here’s hoping technology doesn’t let us down.
Peace, people!
Praying for Eyebrowz 
Proof that it’s probably the makeup of the group more than anything. Sounds like fun, enjoy!
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This will be a great group!
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I like your idea, of a book club where everyone has different books and then does a report to everyone else. Then you are reading what you like, and you can recommend it or not. Excellent. I wonder are reading tangible books or digital?
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I read mostly on digital, but I find god book clubs it’s helpful to have a tangible book. One that I own, so I can make notes in the margins.
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So fun! But i hated that book…read it for book club…
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There were mixed feelings among our group. The four of us who grew up in the Southwest really liked it—the language, the hard life— really resonated.
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I had to go back and look at the book. I thought it was a little ponderous . It did not go over well in our book club
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It’s certainly different.
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Let’s say, difficult book for New Yorkers to grasp. Lots of DNF that week
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I read it halfway through, then went back to the beginning to see if I’d missed something. It reminded me so much of Heart of Darkness in that respect. Very dreamlike in places. I’ve been to Camp Verde, a place mentioned several times in the book. I was leading a group of female motorcycle riders on a day trip out of Kerrville, Texas, and we’d gone about 19 miles as I recall, when I topped a ridge and was greeted by the sight of several camels grazing beside the road. I made an executive decision and pulled into the parking lot of a general store/gift shop/cafe that was near the camels’ grazing land. Turns out we were at Camp Verde. We spent most of the day there, shopping and snacking and learning about the camel corps. It was pretty cool. No one expected to see camels in the Texas Hill Country.
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Oh geez I forgot about the camel….I didn’t like the main female character. (Which is funny because I just wrote about not liking women, but it’s a whole different thing)
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Nora was tough. She was so unhappy and unfulfilled. I could’ve easily gone that route.
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She was tough. I just didn’t like her as a parent, which is my own head thing
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She was SO mean to Josie! A bit of jealousy—maybe a lot of jealousy. I think her extreme thirst affected 98% of her behavior. She was always the last one to get any water to drink—that’s how she showed her love, I think.
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That’s a good point. But thirst is a metaphor for so many things
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Absolutely.
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Let us know how things go!
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I will!
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This could be good x
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It was awesome.
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I’ve always thought being part of a book club would be a lot of fun, but I have similar issues as you. I’m a huge mood reader and and having to read something I’m not really in the mood for or interested in is hard. Also, I read so fast that I’d have it finished and be ready to talk about it long before everyone else. Reading on someone else’s schedule would drive me up a wall.
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The speed is an issue for me, too; although, with most book club books I tend to drag my feet until a week before the meeting. I’m really an obstinate child!
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I’ve been in several book clubs but have bowed out for various reason (obnoxious, know-it-all’s, too much socializing, too much driving around to people’s homes, etc.) but I like the one I’m in now. Nice women, local meetings (until COVID), and interesting discussions. Although not every book is a winner, I’ve enjoyed reading a few selections that I would have never found on my own. I do like your idea of everyone reading their own selection and getting together to report on it. I bet you could start something like that on your own.
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I might have to.
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