Book Discussion Group

After at least two years of trying to talk me into joining her book discussion group, my SIL Shannon finally convinced me to do so. Last night was the first meeting; its intent to select the books that will be read throughout the year.

Let me step back and explain why I'd resisted. First off, there was, what I thought to be, a practical reason and that was that the group meets the first Monday evening of the month. Generally, The Kid is here on Monday nights. So, since we barely see her as it is, I thought I should be around for her visits. 2nd, and, in all honesty, the biggest influence; I thought I would not want to be "told" what to read. Yeah, yeah, I knew I'd have a say in it, but, I really enjoying reading and, well, want to read what I want to read. Finally, and maybe THIS really was the reason, I've tended in my advancing years to become a bit of a recluse. Going out and getting to know new folks just didn't trip my trigger (cocktail parties and folks you may meet on vacation not-with-standing).

Anyway, Shannon asked me again a few days ago. It was at the tip of my fingers to type "Gee, thanks, but, no thanks" for all the same excuses..er...reasons.

But then I thought about it some more. Frankly, I found myself stepping out a bit more in 2008 and getting involved with other activities outside the home and my general family and friend comfort zone. I joined the Board of Director's for the Durham Symphony Orchestra in July and I started a small consulting business in August. Sitting around once a month with a group of nice ladies discussing books now sounded pretty interesting and fun. Not to mention, fairly soon, I will once again become a CPA Widow as Mr. B gears up for and jumps full steam ahead into tax season. I also thought that it could be a growth experience (never stay still too long or you'll get run over) and culturally enriching to read books that otherwise I might not have read.

So, last night I drove over to get Shannon and we went on to the host's house.

We were a smallish group of 7 (although I believe one or two more ladies come on occasion). Each one of us came prepared with some suggestions for the list. We had WAY MORE than 10 slots available, which is a good thing! Who knows, I might read some of the ones not selected on my own (BTW, I read/listened to 35 books in 2008, so, I'll still have plenty of free slots for my own personal picks).

The group typically keeps the book size to less than 350 pages, not a new release (so it's readily available at the library or in paperback) and does not meet in July. This means that the book for August can be a bit longer since there are two months to read it. The group likes to pick at least one classic, one children's and one holiday/seasonal. The remainder should be a close split between fiction and non-fiction.

It took us over two hours to go around the room, toss out our recommendations, discuss them, go back and forth, add in a few new ones that popped into someone's mind, and then, finally, to get down to brass tacks and select the "winners".

After the meeting, Shannon and commented to one another that we thought we had a very diverse slate of books to read this year.

Here is what we'll be reading!

February: The Zoo Keeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman. Non-Fiction. True story about Polish zoo keepers who hide Jews in the animal cages after Germany invades Poland.

March: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frantweiler and View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg. Children's Fiction. We're reading two because they are not very long. The author won the Newbury Award for the first book in 1968. The 2nd was written 30 years later and is getting great reviews.

April: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver. Non-Fiction. Kingsolver's memoir about her family moving from Arizona to rural Appalachia and eating nothing but organic/homegrown foods (frankly, this falls into the category of I seriously doubt I would have EVER read this one; we'll see how it goes!)

May: Digging to America by Anne Tyler. Fiction. This is one I recommended. I listened to it on CD in 2007 and was absolutely enthralled. It's the story of two families who each adopt a baby girl from Korea and how they strike up an improbable, lasting friendship.

June: A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson. Non-Fiction. Can you tell this group is into nature? This is a funny guide to walking the Appalachian Trail. This is another book I never would have picked up on my own.

August: The Count Of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Classic Fiction. The "ultimate" revenge novel. We decided us gals could read a boys, book, too! Seriously, I liked the movie, so, hopefully I'll be able to get into this one since it is 600 pages (hence why it is August's selection).

September, October, November (TBA):

Something for the Pain by Paul Austin. Non-Fiction. Allen, a local author, reveals how his high-stress career of helping others led to a struggle to save himself. This selection will correspond with the Durham Library's "Durham Reads" selection so the group might be able to go somewhere to hear the author speak on top of discussing his book.

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. Fiction. The journey of a rare illuminated prayer book through centuries of war, destruction, theft, loss, and love. Brooks is the Pulitzer-Prize winning author of "March" (an account of the father of "Little Women").

Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. Fiction. We decided we would be looking for something "light"by this time! Shannon recommended this tale known as "The Steel Magnolias of Manhattan".

December: The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits by Les Standiford. Non-Fiction. This also will serve as our holiday selection as we'll probably read "A Christmas Carol" as well.

So, there you have it! I'm excited! Oh, and each month one member is the location host and another leads the discussion. The location can be at your home or a local coffee shop/wine bar, etc.

I am hosting April's meeting and leading May's!

I'd best get on the stick and get my 2008 book review blog series written...and then...get reading!

Mrs. B