My
book group should kick me out.
Back
when I was a full participant in my book group, back when I went all the time
and read every book, back when it bugged me when people didn’t talk enough
about the book, back when I finally accepted that it was really a supper club,
back before I told everyone that I would no longer be hosting book group
because I wasn’t going to make dinner for 18 or 20 people anymore because I
really just can’t face that (and really, that’s why they should kick me out,
for not hosting, but so far they haven’t, possibly because I haven’t shown up
even once this year so they haven’t had opportunity), I did, over the course of
its first fourteen years, host (or co-host) eight times, and these are the
books that I made the group read:
—Ernst
Jünger/The Glass Bees
—Virginia
Woolf/Mrs. Dalloway
—Barbara
Ehrenreich/Nickel and Dimed: On Not
Getting by in America
—Dorothy
Baker/Cassandra at the Wedding
—A.
J. Jacobs/The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become
the Smartest Person in the World
—Marjane Satrapi/The Complete Persepolis
—Kathryn Stockett/The Help
—Sonya Cobb/The Objects of Her Affection*
*Written
by Lali’s daughter, for those of you who know Lali.
Ooh, I want to read Lali's daughter's book. I made my bookclub read Mrs. S's wife's book.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any of those except The Help. I am loving this month because I'll never run out of recommended books to read!
Aww Mrs. S. :)
DeletePS. 18-20 people for dinner is a lot. We would meet later - 7.30-8 pm, and just provide nibbles and wine. Much easier than a full dinner.
ReplyDeleteFull dinner is ridiculous. I have to write about my book club now.
ReplyDeleteHow did I not know about The Objects of Her Affection being Lali's daughter's book?
ReplyDeleteMy book group meets late and only a few of us serve enough food to make a meal. I also theme my food to the book every time I host.
I agree that feeding 18-20 people supper is over-the-top.
I am the only one here that hasn't ever been in a book club? Further proof that I don't play well in groups...
ReplyDeleteMine was a disaster.
DeleteI didn't enjoy mine.
DeleteYou are not alone, Kim: I haven't been in a book club either. Although now that I know some include dinner, I'm going to try and become a member of one.
ReplyDeleteThe dinner thing has been discussed many times in my group, and the always opt to keep it.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine the book conversations we could have in Tuscany on our bloggers' (re)union? And the food? And the wine?
ReplyDeleteSigh. I like imagining. Really happening would be even better!
DeleteWe MUST make this happen. And I'm all in for Tuscany as the destination.
DeleteI didn't know about Lali's daughter either.
ReplyDeleteI've never been in a book club.
I've been in a lot of writer's groups, but all we read were each other's writing.
Dinner for 18 to 20 people????
I read the title of book #4 as Casserole at the Wedding
I'm very tired.
Dinner for 18? There better be a Christmas Tree and hostess gifts involved. My brief time with a book club involved snacks, 10 minutes talking about the books then a lot of eating. Half of the people didn't read the book, so there was never really much to talk about.
ReplyDelete