Well, I don't really know if I can say I am "officially part of" a book club since:
1. I have missed three meetings so far because I have not gotten, liked or read the books in time
2. I just created one, and we haven't met yet
3. My sister just created one and we haven't met yet either.
(We do have our books
picked
out, that's a good start, right?) I know what you're thinking, how could I be part of a book club, if I haven't even attended one meeting and I haven't even read one book? Some could even say that I'm ungrateful. But this first book club that I have unintentionally snubbed is kind of a big deal. My friend, N from work invited me to be part of it. She and her friends meet at her apartment every month. I have tried three times to be ready in time, but something always stops me. It's like that shy nerd inside me is too much of a chickenshit to just go to a new place to meet new friends and talk about new books, without worrying: Will they like me? Will I say insightful things? Will I just sit there like an idiot saying nothing, eating cheese cubes?
Don't get me wrong. I was so close to going to the one that just passed. But I got the book on Friday and had to read it before Monday...and that just did. not. happen. Maybe once I get my own book club going and I go to my sister's first meeting, I will have more confidence? I am in desperate need of some intellectual stimulation. I miss heated discussions about character development and plot lines. But can I be honest?
I am a little nervous. You may be shocked to hear this, but I have never belonged to a book club before. I've been so romanced by the idea of joining/creating a book club, I haven't stopped to think about what it entails. I was blindsided by the idea of friends coming together from all over for a girl-talk-meeting-of-the-minds. That need for scheduled "girl time" may be residual from all those weekly Girl Scout meetings when I was younger, who knows?
Not the point.
What do you do at a book club? Do you use the guide in the back of the book? Should you take notes while reading? Is there going to be a test in the beginning? It's kind of exciting, like the night before the first day of school. You've got your new outfit picked out, and your backpack ready to go at the door full of freshly sharpened pencils and crisp clean notebooks. I would even go as far as to say this is better. It's like the first day of school and a slumber party all rolled into one.
Getting together with good friends, talking about good books, drinking good wine and eating good food? Sounds like a pretty kick-ass, adult version of a slumber party to me.
