This is quick post but I thought I would let you all know where the book list was at for my book club. We are currently on book 35 which is a miracle in the world of book clubs. The members have changed over the years and I’m the only one who has read all 35 books but I don’t have any problems with that. Its been a pleasure to have a reason to read all of these books and I look forward to more books to come!
Most of the books I have read before and I don’t mind that at all. Rereading books is like visiting an old friend and I love sharing them with new friends. The reason I started with books I’ve read is because I was in a book club years ago where we went off a supposed ‘contemporary classics’ list and almost every book I hated. Like not just disliked. Truly hated. (I always tried to be postive and find something I liked but some months it was hard- Catch 22 I know has its fans but I thought it was cynical and depressing).
It just wasn’t worth my time to read these terrible books so when I started my club I decided someone in the club has to have read the book. Most of the time that person ends up being me but not always. I’m always up for suggestions as long as the group is up for it. Aside from the having read rule, I also try to keep the books pretty squeaky clean (I tried to venture a little outside that box once and it didn’t go over super well, so we stay PG in general).
Also, I usually pick a book that is around 200 pages or we give more time to read a longer book (for example, when we read Rebecca early this year we had 2 months because it took us all longer. The benefit of having a small group is you can communicate and make changes when needed).
And I’m always looking for new members.
If you haven’t come out please do. Our next choice is to read any Jane Austen book. I read Pride and Prejudice and thoroughly enjoyed it. We will meet July 13th 10 am at Kneaders in Draper. I know it will be worth your time if you come.
What books have you enjoyed in your book club? Have any of you lasted longer than 35 books for a club? My aunt has a club that has been going for a decade. That is an amazing accomplishment because people move and get busy. I’ve found I have to be in near constant recruitment but to me it is worth it. I really love it.
So here’s what we’ve read in 35 books
| Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns |
| The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd |
| Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy |
| My Life in France by Julia Child |
| The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom |
| The River Between Us by Richard Peck |
| Charms for the Easy Life by Kaye Gibbons |
| Marriage and the Choice Made in Eden by Beverely Campbell |
| A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith |
| Hunger Games vol. 1 by Suzanne Collins |
| Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte |
| True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi |
| The Help by Kathryn Stockett |
| A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel |
| Life as we knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer |
| All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot |
| Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery |
| Book Theif by Markus Zusak |
| Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts |
| Little Women by Louisa May Alcott |
| Call of the Wild by Jack London |
| The Chosen by Chiam Potok |
| No 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith |
| Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis |
| Prizewinner of Defiance Ohio by Terry Ryan |
| Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson |
| Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella |
| Macbeth by William Shakespeare |
| Mama’s Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes |
| The Gift by Lois Lowry |
| Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier |
| Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle |
| Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows |
| Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh |
| Jane Austen book (I read Pride and Prejudice) |
Rachel's Musings 
For the August book we are reading A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle.
That’s an awesome list of books! Sounds to me like you are doing a perfect job with your book club. It ends up that I’ve usually read most of the books my book club reads too, but the members have fun trying to find ones that I haven’t already read! Often I’ll re-read the book for book club discussion, but not always. Most of the time I love the book so much that re-reading is fun for me. Next year in May it will be my book club’s tenth anniversary! Yay! I think that we have lasted so long because we have a good core of steady members. Also, we use the library’s book club sets, which everyone loves. And we always meet at my house at the same time and place every month, so everyone always knows what’s going on. Anyway, I love book club. One of the best parts of being a book lover!
Thanks. 10 years is quite an accomplishment. I’ve had a hard time getting a core group. It is basically me and 2 friends that have stuck with it for the last years. I’m the only one who has read all 35 books. I agree with you though. I love re-reading books and it is fun to introduce people to books you love. I wish Salt Lake County libraries did the book club sets. You can request multiple copies but are out of luck if they have been checked out. That would be a nice feature. Does your book club have a theme or has it gone all over the place like ours? Some books have really surprised me like Call of the Wild last year. I hadn’t read that in so long that it was like reading it anew. Same thing with Wrinkle in Time. Any suggestions for our little club? We are doing A Year in Provence for the August book. We usually meet the first Saturday of the month 10 am. The only exceptions to this are in the summer because of July 4th and Conference Saturdays in April and October. I’ve found that over the years the group has morphed and members have come and gone. I feel like I’m constantly recruiting but I’m ok with that. As long as it keeps my friends and I reading. Who cares!
Any favorites you’all have read recently?