Club Read

I spent some time yesterday researching local bookclubs to see if I could fill this gap left by the move. While there were over a dozen reading groups, most of the these met at the LIBRARY (dramatic pause) MID-DAY. These were crossed off my list as quickly as yellow or lime summer dresses (not my color). Library + mid-day meet-up time = no reading water. I am not saying that reading water is a necessity for a good book group; well, actually, yes, yes I am. As I have mentioned here before, the GBC was not just about the books. The gatherings celebrated life and the crazy, odd, funny, crazy (worth mentioning again) things that we all had done in the month since last meet in search of living life to its true potential.

This bias against most of the aforementioned bookclubs was confirmed in a social gathering last night where several of the local (cool, interesting and would make quality GBC member) ladies had shared their stories about participating in the local bookclubs. Some excerpts: annual syllabus; assigned readings; attitude received from not completing the book and thus not carrying their own club "weight"; written synopsis; and requirements to bring questions. In addition, the book discussion seemed to frequently end on religious notes which has a slightly different tone than the usual GBC discussion [where slightly = ginormous].

Needless to say, the local book club members probably didn't spend their Sunday morning finishing My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler. The book did make me laugh aloud in more than a few occasions, but I would not place this on my "Stop the Presses: read this immediately" list. I would place it on your "Whoa, I totally forgot that I did that too list" for summer reading or any other time when you are feeling like perhaps you did not quite "live" your twenties (or thirties - not judging).