Last summer I decided I wanted to try and read more. In order to help me achieve that goal I knew that having friends join me would be helpful. So, I emailed a group of friends and asked who might be interested. Turns out that quite a few ladies could be talked into doing monthly appetizers and wine/cocktails with a little bit of reading thrown in. Starting off we followed Ann Bogel’s blog,
Modern Mrs Darcy, where she gives book clubs recommendations. We were three months into our monthly gatherings when we decided to go rogue and choose our own books. Crossing to Safety, by Wallace Stegner, is a story of two couples who met during the Great Depression and formed a life long friendship that spanned many decades, getting to know those couples and seeing how their lives intertwined was endearing. Then there was Lucy Maude Mongomery’s classic, Emily of New Moon the story of an orphan child (I didn't enjoy this one like I did her Anne of Green Gables book). From there we moved onto a more trendy yet ancient subject matter called the Enneagram. I highly recommend The Road Back To You-An Enneagram Journey to Self Discovery. It's an ancient tool that this books authors wrote from a biblical perspective that helps determine why you do what you do and helps identify when you may be sliding into the unhealthy parts of your personality as it helps to point out each personalities "rumble strip" or areas that we regularly fall short. After our Dec/Jan self reflection, which was interesting but very mind consuming, we moved onto more modern books such as What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty, which was a cute and easy read. Book clubs often help us to get outside our comfort zones, pushing us to pickup books we never would have chosen on our own. Dark Matter, by Blake Crouch, is just that kind of book. I would have never been drawn to this one on my own, it's a tale that is "mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human--a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken and how far we'll go to claim the lives we dream of." I am just not a Sci-Fi gal so this one was a stretch for me. Then there was the historically accurate book that was set in the horrific era of WWI and WWII called The Alice Network by Kate Quinn—-it was an extremely graphic book as far as language and content but was an accurate portrayal of life during that time period, so I share this book with great caution. We concluded our time together with two light-hearted, relatable and “fluffy” books one by Melanie Shankle, Nobody’s Cuter Then You, a memoir about friendship that was so delightful to read. Some of us also made our way through Why I Hate Green Beans by Lincee Ray, a memoir of her life story which was funny yet heart wrenching at points, with epic stories thrown in for good measure that were sure to make you gasp and or laugh out loud. So that's our list of books from the past eight months. Some were good, some I would be fine to never see or read again, but no matter, I did so very much enjoy the time with these ladies.
Below is a picture of most of the book club but believe it or not there were still 6 ladies missing from the shot. I enjoyed our monthly gatherings with our lively discussions, delicious food and tasty drinks to share! I'll miss this gathering each month but hope to continue my reading even without the accountability of friends over the summer.
I do feel the need to put a caveat in here that says I DO NOT read with my eyes but rather with my ears. If I can't get the audio version from the library or off Audible then I can't "read" the book. I do a lot of listening while accomplishing daily tasks and don't have time to sit and actually read.🙈 So, if its been a minute or two since you last enjoyed a good book, I highly recommend starting and if time constraint is an issue, might I suggest you try the audio versions too? You could try one we read or maybe choose an encouraging book like Love Does by Bob Goff or Ben Sasse's recent writing that speaks of the coming of age crisis that is happening in America, called The Vanishing American Adult, where he diagnoses the causes of a generation that can't grow up while offering a path for raising children to become active and engaged citizens. This book was extremely eye opening as I mulled it over and analyzed my own parenting. Getting back into a reading rhythm has been fun for me, it could be for you too!
