Book Club Confession
I am in a book club. I love being in a book club because I love to read. Well, I love to read good books. Ok, I love to read good fiction books. I love to read good, fiction books that aren’t so intellectual that they make my brain hurt. See, for me, the purpose of reading a good book is to take a break from reality. An escape so to speak. When I am reading a good book, I lose track of everything else. I love getting lost in the story, getting to know the characters as if they are real. This is something that drives my husband crazy. I will start telling him about a book I am reading, describing in detail what is happening, or what someone is going through. He will be listening intently at first…and then, it will dawn on him. “Wait..Is this true?” He will ask. No, it’s in my book. “Then… why would I care?” He just doesn’t get it.
This brings me to book club. A group of women who get it. We read the same book. We get to know the same characters. We feel their pain, we laugh with them, cry with them, sometimes yell at them. Then we get together and spend several hours discussing how the book made us feel. Whether or not the author did a good job. Who relates to which character. And we eat. We always eat. Sometimes if we all agree that the book was a flop, we spend our time discussing life instead of the book. I really enjoy that too. We then pick a new book, and hope for the best.
My problem lately though is this. It is getting to the point where I have NOT read just as many book club books as I HAVE read. I’m not sure what my problem is. I use to always make our books my priority, even if I had to stay up until 2 am to get it done. Now, when I try to read in bed, I am sawing logs before the first page turn. It’s not like we have been on a flopping spree either, there have been some interesting selections. I have started several books that, in the beginning, I was really interested in, but for some reason or another, could not finish. Here is a list of our most recent book club books that I started and did not finish. It is embarrassing.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
How To Be An American Housewife
Gosh. As I was writing that list I got so frustrated with myself! There are a lot of really good books on that list. Books I was excited about reading. Books full of great characters waiting for me to get to know, plots waiting for me to fall into, stories for me to lose my self in.
WHAT HAPPENED TO ME? Hi, my name is Beki, and I’m a book club SLACKER!
Can I redeem myself? Each new book is a new opportunity, right? Well. We meet again on June 27th. That gives me 14 days to go from Slacker to Success. Our new book is The Fault in our Stars. 14 days. Plenty of time. Um…I better start reading.
I LOVE reading fiction! You are so right, it is a marvelous escape. Not sure if I could belong to a book club though. Just so picky about what books I read. And I don’t like the pressure! Ouch!
Tim, it has forced me to read things I never would have picked up before. I have been pleasantly surprised sometimes! Other times I have to force myself to keep reading (or I just don’t finish!).
You didn’t finish Gone Girl!?! I love that you come to book club, having finished the book or not!
*Busted* I know, I know! I was enjoying it too! My plan is to go back and finish all these books, but we keep starting new ones!
I feel your pain, Beki, and appreciate your candor;-) Boook club food is always the best!
I think u will love Fault in Our Stars. I couldnt put it
down, and went on to read his other books as a result. Fault is his best. Hope u find time to enjoy whether or not your deadline is met…