Monday, July 9, 2018

190/365/Books

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.

15 comments:

  1. Ooh, I want to read Lali's daughter's book. I made my bookclub read Mrs. S's wife's book.

    I 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!

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  2. PS. 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.

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  3. Full dinner is ridiculous. I have to write about my book club now.

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  4. How did I not know about The Objects of Her Affection being Lali's daughter's book?

    My 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.

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  5. 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...

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  6. You 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.

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  7. The dinner thing has been discussed many times in my group, and the always opt to keep it.

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  8. Can you imagine the book conversations we could have in Tuscany on our bloggers' (re)union? And the food? And the wine?

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    Replies
    1. Sigh. I like imagining. Really happening would be even better!

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    2. We MUST make this happen. And I'm all in for Tuscany as the destination.

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  9. I didn't know about Lali's daughter either.
    I'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.

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  10. 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.

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