There's Nothing Like a Good Book

There’s nothing like a good book.  Lying in bed when you should be asleep, trying to be quiet so the page turning doesn’t wake your spouse (for those of you who still read actual books anyway, otherwise I guess hoping the light coming off your iPad or Kindle doesn’t wake them), sneaking in a few pages before you have to pick up your kids, curled up by the fire on a warm winter’s night.  There’s nothing like a good book.

Except for book club.  I love my book club.  It’s an ever-changing group of friends, some old, some new, but all who come together under the guise of our love of reading.  Most of us do love to read, it’s just that circumstances sometimes prevent some of us from actually reading.  That’s another thing I love about my book club… you don’t even have to read the book.  We still let you come.  We have one member who usually chooses to listen to the books.  She can do that and work at the same time.

We don’t read the most “literary” of books usually.  We favor “chick lit,” but it’s not all we read.  We sometimes discuss the books, but often we drift toward discussing our lives instead.  Since we never have the same group of people at any given gathering, it’s always a diverse, interesting conversation.  I would imagine if there were just five of us, it might be easy to fall into different “roles.”  Some are more talkative, some are more impassioned, etc.; however, with an always changing group of people… you never know what direction the conversation might head and boy have they headed in a bunch of directions!

If our book gets made into a movie, we morph into a movie club.  We’re going to tackle our first non-fiction book next (The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn) and morph into a dinner club in December for our first ever book club Christmas Party.  I love that about book club too.  Everyone is open to new ideas and to trying new things. 

We plan to donate some of our gently used books (and some of our kid’s gently used books) to the Ronald McDonald house or some other worthy charity.  I remember when several of us cooked a meal there last year, seeing a mom curled up on a couch reading while our children entertained her toddler.  That was a much needed moment of escape for a young mom who spent most of her time at the hospital worrying about her critically ill baby.  To be able to relax for a few minutes with a good book is such a small thing, but it was huge to her.

So my favorite things about book club are many; laughter, shared stories, support, enlightened minds, open hearts, good food, good wine, good movies, and that feeling that you belong.  Knowing that you’re always welcome and that your perspective enhances the whole group are things I treasure.  I really feel blessed to be a part of this amazing group of friends. I can’t wait for our Christmas party, I better go get the book!