Thursday 6 October 2011

Book Club - So much more than just Books!

This year, some friends and I started a "Book Club".  With a few readers amongst us Mums, we thought it would be nice to be able to actually discuss the books we read and the characters within them.  It would seem though, for me at least, that "Book Club" had taken the joy out of reading.  Does that sound strange?

Well, you see, some of the books we read are quite "heavy" and with all the rigours of everyday life, I, personally, was finding it hard to fit in reading at the end of the day.  But, like most things, it turns out that  book club is about way more than books.

What Book Club provides us with is an opportunity or excuse to get together with a "valid" reason.

Let me state up front that all of us in the Book Club are lucky enough to have fantastic partners/husbands who do not be-grudge us going out - it's just if you have a "real reason"  - somehow it is easier to walk out the door at the kids bedtime and leave Dad to deal with.  You know what I mean! 

There is always ironing (everyone irons right?), cleaning, folding, tidying etc etc to be done, and as with all guilt, the guilt of leaving this stuff for another time seems too much sometimes.  So you do the chores and jobs and then sit down in front of some mind-numbing TV, not really watching, or log-in to Facebook to see what you might be missing out on (it's not just me right?) and suddenly it is 10.30pm and you head off to bed thinking about all the things you "need" to get done tomorrow.

Reading and engaging your brain just seems too hard.  Sound familiar? Well....... what to do?

Go out to Book Club!  The rules of book club?  There are no rules to book club! 

What I mean to say is, if you haven't finished the book - come anyway.  If you didn't like the book - come anyway.  If you just need to get out of the house and are not a "reader" come anyway.  You get the idea?  Book club (which we try to hold approximately once a month) is about us Mums getting together.

Yes we DO talk about the book (if only for 20 mins out of 3 hours) and decide on another one, but we also gossip (not in a mean way), catch up, vent, cry, laugh, share stories and re-connect with each other without someone tugging at our skirt for attention (metaphorically or actually). All while enjoying an uninterrupted cup of coffee.

This months Book Club has been postponed because our members were finding it hard to make it, due to other commitments (and funny how our darling partners/husbands commitments always get priority over ours - but that is probably another post) so we are holding it at a members house instead of a coffee shop.  Where there is a will there is a way.  The venue is not important!

The point?  As always seems to be the point in my blogs, make time for YOU!  I love "Book Club".  Even though I find it hard sometimes to read the book, or get infuriated by the book, I love the fact that there is a common thread that joins us all together. It is vitally important that we all hang on to us!

Our next book is taking us all on a "virtual holiday" through France.  Having been there before kids, I am really looking forward to the escape.   Thank you fellow "Book Club" members for being so great.  I really look forward to our meetings, even if walking out the door or reading the damn book is sometimes hard.

Happy reading everyone and see you at the next "meetng"!

1 comment:

  1. I never join any book clubs, because I like to read what I feel like reading, not what I'm meant to read for Book Club. But yours - come even if you haven't read the book - sounds great!

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