And A Book Club Materializes...

Tonight was an extra special night in the now twice monthly routine.  I've finally pulled everything together and have participated in my first book club meeting!  It's a rather exciting affair, meeting people you don't really know, or at all, while settling in together and discussing the types of literature that really speaks to your soul.  I thought I'd be about a million times more nervous than I was, but it all seemed to fall neatly into place. 
I never imagined that organizing a group of people, or even getting interested participants, would be hard work, but I was completely wrong.  Half of the responses I received from several ads I placed on the Craigslist website were spam and promptly deleted. Others either found book clubs closer to their homes, or abandoned my inability to conclusively set a date.  I don't blame them.  However, I finally managed to retain one lady's attention... making it two!
From Craigslist, I moved on to Facebook, inviting anyone that I knew, or those who had joined an Urban Exploration group I had created in Atlanta, allowing me to find two more ladies willing to join.
So, the group comes to a grand total of four incredibly intelligent and fun ladies in the Atlanta area. And it's definitely off to a strong start!
Furthermore, the coffee shop chosen, typically packed, was experiencing a slow night and allowed us all the room we could want.
Everyone showed up, the atmosphere was nice and just like the little researching nerd that I am, I definitely printed notes and summaries from Litlovers.com to accompany some of the novels I felt could be incorporated into the group's reading decisions.

Can you even imagine what novel the group will start reading?  
Could it be The History of Love? 
You're certainly correct.  I discovered while retracing notes, that choosing a book you enjoy is an absolute no-no in the book club arena.  I made my suggestion, however, and there was no turning back.  I feel that I love the book immensely, regardless of what anyone tells me otherwise, and besides, there's a lot to learn when you're looking at things from another person's perspective. I'm really excited to be able to tackle that challenge and see one of my favorite novels in a new light.
Overall, I felt like everyone that attended was on the same page and possessed the same goals for the group, as a whole.
This experience was exhilarating, as exaggerated as that  may sound, but getting out and meeting like-minded individuals in your community, whom you will no doubt learn from, is definitely an experience to write home about.
I'm excited about the discussion and the great literature I'll be able to share.  I'm excited about the thought of meeting the week after next to discuss the first half of The History of Love. And you can certainly count on me blogging about it every step of the way!


A little side note:  Shortly before composing this blog entry, I finally finished Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson


My short, but sweet, Goodreads review:
Enjoyable, even if completely unbelievable at times.  Definitely more action that I had anticipated.


View all my reviews >>


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