BOOKCLUBBING AT BOOKCLUB WITH BOOKCLUBBERS

Are book clubs cliche for mid lifers?  If so then I'm a double-clicher... I belong to TWO:

1. Book Club-V and  2. Book Club-P

V, Valley and P, Pasadena



This past week, I hosted Book Club-V, the fun-loving, foodie, chatty, loud, 2 nurse-2 teacher-1 interpreter-1 producer/activist-1 photographer-1 phone tech-2 friend-1 me book club.  That's who showed up this week, anyway.  And since my house is small, I was grateful that there were 4 conflicts, 1 flu and 2 no-shows! 

The book, or rather, books, chosen for this book club date were:


The books are the second and third books in a trilogy of three Swedish suspense/thrillers.  Because we read the first book,The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, for the prior book club, we decided to continue on with the next two.  It was fantastic to finally have some good suspense novels to read.  Because I've read so much historical fiction, I joined the book club in the hope that I would read less historical fiction and be introduced to new genres.  Irony worked its magic, and, as it turned out, the women I chose for book club wanted to read more historical fiction.  However, we have compromised and chosen different genres for different club dates.  So, thank you, this time for a little (well, a lotta) suspense!

Because we need order amongst these assertive, strong, opinionated, accomplished, and chatty ladies, we have rules:

1)  A book suggestion is chosen out of a hat (or gourd).
2)  Meet the 2nd Tuesday of every second month. 
3)  Host chooses and coordinates menu and manages RSVPs and food sign ups.
4)  The person who makes the book suggestion which was chosen is the moderator for the next discussion.



Not only do our members like to gobble up books, but they like to gobble up food...so, naturally, the book club is centered on FOOD!!!  The menu is usually based on a theme about the book.  However, since we had Swedish food last time, I chose a "smorgasbord" of salads.  Well...that turned out to be a "smorgasbord" of Mexican (with a little feta thrown on the side)!!!

7:30 was the meeting time.  2 came at 7:00; 3 at 7:30; 3 at 8:00; 1 at 8:30; and 1 at 9:00.

We drank wine, caught up on holiday stories, and stared at the food until 8:30.  We couldn't wait.  We ate!

We then settled on the coach/bar stools/chairs and got ready for book chat.  However, at every book club meeting, before any discussion starts, disclaimers are announced.  "I actually haven't finished the book yet,"  "I have 40 more pages to go,"  "I'm half way through the 3rd book," "I only read the 2nd book," and mine was..."I finished them two months ago...and I can't remember a damn thing!" 

Well, I couldn't!

 

All I could remember was the characters

drank coffee,

made coffee,

ground coffee,

met for coffee,

bathed in coffee...

...and probably bled coffee. 

As people discussed the book, I started to gain more recollection.  There was discussion about what the ladies thought of the books.  Could we understand the books?  (no they weren't in Swedish) Were there too many characters?  You know, general discussion, no order. 

Quiet.  The Moderator Speaks. Eyes on The Photographer.

The First Questionnaire Question:   Did you find Blomkvist and Lisbeth moral and ethical, just moral, just ethical or neither?  Yes...my hand shot up!  I stated my case!  Well...I, actually, stated...but without a case!  I thought I knew what I was talking about.  I mean, I recall how I felt about the characters but I couldn't come up with a case.  I was called to task by the book clubber gang coming at me with rapid fire..."Examples!" Examples!" "Give us examples!"  Page?  Chapter?  Book?  And me, being Ms. Logical, they sure did expect more of me.  All eyes were on me as I shrank very low into my very tall bar stool, which left me still 2 feet taller than everyone else...with thought...but without words.  I was de-memoried and de-moralized!  As I did my best to explain, one of the "friends" came to my rescue!     She knew what I was trying to say, she backed me up, and she gave her examples.  I agreed.  She grinned.  Everyone satisfied...and it was on to the next question.  She was new!  She's definitely invited back.

So...that was that!  The kitchen was a mess.  The Photographer helped me clean up...not without a little gossip.  And the night was about to become a lovely memory.

But I must say that was the first book club that I thought I had something to say and I was caught with nothing to say.  I learned one big, fat lesson!!!  Don't practice what I preach.  Procrastination IS where it's at.  And next time, I'll do just that. Then watch out for this 'lil show off when she, the next time, knows her stuff!!!

Next Book, Book Club-V:  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot

Next Book Club...Book Club-P! 

Ciao for now!
k