I haven't belonged to a book club - I think ever? I've tried out going to one a few years ago, and it was OK but I didn't love it.
I really like reading. I like talking about books. And yet...
I would love to join a book club where, instead of everyone reading the same book (what if you don't like it? what if you are not in the mood for that specific book at this specific junction of life?), you can read whatever you want. People can share their thoughts on books, what they liked, what they would recommend.
There was something I saw about the Silent Book Club - where people get together and read in companionable silence. It doesn't have to be a specific book - just whatever you are reading at the moment. The reading time can be followed by the schmoozing time, if so desired. That sounds kind of perfect...
Also, about books... Do you ever get anxiety about starting a new book? I noticed that now-a-day, I feel an odd sense of discomfort when I'm about to start reading something new. I am not a "finisher" - I don't feel compelled to finish every book I start. I know I can stop reading at any time and look for a new book. And yet, there is this whiny trepidation inside my head: "what if I don't like it?" I guess once you read something, you can't "un-read" it, and the words will be forever stuck in your head - so there's that and one must be somewhat careful about what to put in front of one's eyeballs. There was at least one short story that I read as a teenager that made me want to pull my brain out and scrub it clean. (No, it wasn't that kind of a story... it was science fiction and it was desperate and depressing and without hope... I probably would have loved it as a 20-year old but it destroyed me as a 14-year old).
Do you belong to a book club?
I do not belong to a book club since in this season of my life it'll add pressure and I already have a lot of pressure. Lately, my reading is laughable and before bed. But - it's consistent, so that's good. I am in a short story book now and it's fiction paired with fantasy/horror. I am enjoying it.
ReplyDeleteDo you ever do audio books? When our kids were little, I sometimes would listen to an audiobook before going to bed, but then would fall asleep and miss half the book, lol.
DeleteI belonged to a silent book club for years, though it became inconsistent and fell apart a year or two into the pandemic. We had moved online and the set-up worked as well online as it did in person. I liked that it was whatever I was already reading but I often was inspired by something someone else was reading and picked it up, too. I would love to find another silent book club, especially an online one because I liked it so much more in some ways.
ReplyDeleteYes - I do love the concept of reading whatever it is I'm already reading, but getting ideas about other books that I might not normally try. I looked it up, and there is indeed a silent reading club in our area, but the location and times are not going to currently work for me. Ah well. Some day...
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