We had our first meeting of the Northwest Reading Round Table yesterday and the book suggestions were flying. We titled the meeting “Meet and Greet” and everyone was asked to bring a favorite book read over the summer. The books varied with all-time-favorites mingling amongst the latest in (mostly mystery) serials and hardscrabble memoirs. It was a fun afternoon and most left with a title to read next.Story swapping during a book club meeting is one of my favorite activities. One never knows where the lead to a fabulous book will come from. Reading friends are a great source, too. They usually know you and your tolerance levels for certain things like foul language and steamy love scenes.
As a librarian, I am constantly suggesting books to all kinds of people from close friends and relatives to acquaintances. I get into trouble sometimes with acquaintances because they are—the definition of the word—unfamiliar. I suggest a book with a great story regardless of shock content. Once asked for a good book – I give it warts and all.
In a book club, one should try to read things outside personal comfort zones. One reason is a genre book such as mystery or western does not have the meaty writing to sustain a discussion. Genre books tend to be plot driven, and there is only so much one can say about plot. It takes controversy in a book to make people choose a stance and become passionate.
Some of the books and authors mentioned were Church Folk and Second Sunday by Bowden, Mississippi writer Carolyn Haines, Confederacy of Dunces by Toole, Leaving Gee’s Bend by Latham, Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter by Patton, Same Kind of Different as Me and its companion book What Difference Do It Make? by Rash and Moore, and Grisham’s Ford Country.
Many more titles and authors were batted around, but I lost my list and thus my memory. I do remember the last book by Tony Hillerman titled The Wailing Wind Someone also mentioned author J.D. Robb. Oh, and a rousing book talk for The Glass Castle by Walls. Sorry ladies for my lack of brain power, but I think readers will get the picture.
Did you read a book or author you would like to try out of the list? Would you like for me to give you a good story regardless of content? Do you belong to a book club? What are you waiting for? Get to reading!
5 comments:
What a wonderful mission, Maggie. Reading is like breathing to me--can't do without it. I edited a collection of short stories this year, DELTA BLUES, with a foreword from Morgan Freeman and stories from 20 authors, including John Grisham, Charlaine Harris, and James Lee Burke. For each book sale, $1 will go to Rock River Foundation to support literacy efforts in the Mississippi Delta (the stories center around the Delta blues and a crime or noir element). For such a great country, our literacy rate is dismal. I applaud your efforts.
"Once asked for a good book – I give it warts and all."
I love this quote!
Wow! Thanks for stopping by Carolyn! I want to find out more about your job and how I can help!
Don't you know it Tiffany! Took me a long time to be able to do that. I know non-readers are wondering why I handed them "this"!?! Ask for a good book and I waste no time.
In my BBAW interview to be posted tomorrow I chose A Confederacy of Dunces as the book I'd most like to see made into a movie.
And I LOVED the Glass Castle when I read it recently.
I love that you thought of Confed of Dunces for a movie, Stacy! I want John C. Reilly to be Ignatius Reilly! What about you?!? ;D
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