My Book Club

I had my monthly meeting with my in-person Book Club tonight, and came home feeling grateful yet again for the company of these lovely women who enjoy reading good books as much as I do. We meet in members' homes once a month to discuss books, neighborhood gossip, and important events in our lives while we sip on wine and nibble on treats provided by the hostess. This group has introduced me to many books I would not have read otherwise, and has expanded my focus beyond the typical mysteries that I read otherwise. The books we choose each January run the gamut of fiction and nonfiction, literary, mainstream, romance, historical, women's fiction, and more. Often they address a meaty or controversial topic that lends itself to a lively discussion.

Tonight we discussed the nonfiction book, The Necklace by Cheryl Jarvis, about thirteen women in Ventura, California who decided to share an expensive diamond necklace, and how that decision changed their lives and those of people around them. Fascinating! Other books we've discussed this year that I have really enjoyed reading included: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond, The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne, I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Barrows and Shaffer, and The Mighty Queens of Freeville, by Amy Dickinson. Next month's book is Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. I recommend them all.

When it's available, the hostess will find and print out a list of discussion questions for that month's book, usually from Reading Group Guides, so we have a starting point, but we often come to the meeting bursting with opinions and ideas and just dive in. If you love reading, I hope you, too, have the privilege of participating in a book discussion group, either in-person or online. It will definitely broaden your horizons!

P.S. Tomorrow I head up to Denver for the Colorado Gold writing conference this weekend, and I hope to post a report to this blog after I return.