Fortunately Book Club isn’t as cut-throat as Fight Club, and I can talk about it.
It was about two hours long, with 30 minutes on the front and back that contained just gabbing and wine drinking. The middle hour was book discussion.
I’ve never been to a book club meeting before. I have heard that some book clubs are just excuses to drink and gossip about the neighbors. I have heard that some book clubs arduously pick through every chapter in the book and analyze it to death. The book club in my neighborhood was a happy medium.
There were eight bottles of wine on the counter when I arrived. I added one more. By the time I left, four bottles were empty and another two or three were halfway there – including the bottle I brought. I didn’t not drink any wine myself. All the other women soaked it up.
The book discussion was interesting (the book was Memory Keeper’s Daughter which I reviewed a couple weeks ago). Although the ladies tended to talk over one another – and quite loudly at that (remind me to take a Motrin before attending the next one) – they all made good points and we had lively banter about the characters and the plot.
The book club meets every two months, and I have to get the next one – which looks like a LONG read. I’ve also been tapped to host the December book club meeting and pick the book. It has to be a shorter book since it’ll be during the holidays, and the organizer said that if it had a holiday theme it would be so much the better.
So does anyone have any book recommendations on a book that has a bit of a holiday theme that is about 200 pages?
Are they a pretty subversive group? Cause I loved the Story Lamb by Christopher Moore. Its a quirky look at Jesus’s life from his best friend Biff. It was funny, thoughtful, and a pretty quick read even at 400some pages. Wortha look even if not for your club. (And FYI – I enjoyed it as non church goer and don’t think church goers would dislike it).
Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris! Even better because it is short vignettes.
Claire – I don’t know how subversive they are but we do live in the Bible Belt South.
Beth – The book club has been meeting for five years, so I’ll see if they’ve done that one already. The good news about that recommendation is that Denis owns that book so I wouldn’t have to buy a copy!
I think I may have that book on audio cassette. Does the book have to be a novel?
I honestly don’t know, Denis. The coordinator emailed me the list of all December books and they were all novels. Last night’s was a novel. April’s is a novel. I don’t know if they do short stories.
My suggestion (since I’m often “volunteered” as our discussion leader) is to find the READERS GUIDE first, and then announce the book! #1 – it usually means there’s some substance #2 – you not preparing discussion topics the night before book club. http://www.readinggroupguides.com and many publishers have guides on their sites, as well.
Thanks for that website link, Cristan! That isn’t one that I had seen. I’ll definitely check it out.