Quick, where’s the candles and cake?
Book club is now 20 years old.
Seriously, where did the time go? Everywhere I’ve lived, since I was 25, I’ve belonged to a book club. I was going to book club, before book clubs were cool. Before Oprah created her whoop de doo, before anyone even knew what books clubs were!
For years in Dallas every third Wednesday I was off. Babies were welcome as long as they were nursing. Otherwise it was a rare kid-free zone. Loved that I got a combo of activities, socializing, intellectual conversation, all around the topic of books. Sometimes we did field trips or extra projects.
I read widely but because of book club I often reach for something I wouldn’t otherwise.
Would I have picked up Cleopatra? Probably not.
Am I enjoying it? Yep.
When I did my first tour in Manhattan Beach, a book centric group was something I missed a great deal.
So, Melinda and I started one.
Our first meeting was at Melinda’s house. We read Backlash, by Susan Faludi. I moderated. Jill was there. Sigh. So was Kathy Campbell. Kathy and I are the only originals. But lots of folks have huge long tenures. MaryLou is about fifteen years and Pam, gees, I can’t imagine book club without Pam. Trissie was there, but has long since moved on.
And so did I.
I skeedaddled back to Texas, and then did a star turn in Switzerland. Ellie scooted from Dallas to Houston and started a book club there and recently read their 100th book. And imagine that, she gives me credit! I didn’t do anything, but warms my heart to know about it.
When I returned to Manhattan Beach, it meant that I was coming back home to book club.
I kind of think of Book Club as more like yoga for the mind rather than jumping jacks – more stretching and meditating. It IS to your credit that so many in Houston, Dallas and Manhattan Beach are reading, discussing and interpreting books. Bravo Karen. Well done.
Miss you and the book clubs! The next best thing… Im going to read Cleopatra and take advantage of your reading list!
wonderful!