Book club

I have always loved to read. I learned when I was four over the Summer when my Dad read my brother and me 100 books as part of the local library challenge. By the end of the Summer, I could read. That wasn’t the goal, but I feel very grateful to the outcome since reading came naturally from the start. I never had to struggle with phonetics-based sounding out, which doesn’t even work for some English words (colonel, anyone?).

As a kid, I really, really loved to read. I would rather read than play on the playground. I loved books by Roald Dahl. Series I loved included The Babysitters Club, Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, The Boxcar Kids, and a few Sweet Valley High. My Dad would always encourage “the classics,” but I wasn’t as interested.

In high school, my English curriculum was outstanding. I mean, really, looking back, I can’t believe how progressive and classical the education was. It was a really solid foundation in literature, with a decent number of women authors and authors with different ethnic backgrounds.

Fast-forward to adulthood, I wanted to meet book loving friends. When I was stationed in Japan, the XO’s wife hosted a book club. She is an absolute jewel and was the best “friends matchmaker” I’ve ever met. This was the start of my adult, ladies-only book club life.

Then, I lived in Silicon Valley and through Meet-Up, went to a book club called Read Between the Wines. The organizer was not my biggest fan (a case of two strong personalities that were probably too similar), but the group was a great mix and my book club good times continued.

Next, I was off to Norfolk where I stole the book club name and the MeetUp organizing tool and had another great experience. There was a core group who were wonderful (and whom I’ve lost track of over time :(, but I still have memories from a few of the meetings- the MFA student who decided in the end that more reading outside of class was not bringing her leisurely joy, the young medical resident who was a breath of fresh air, my two co-organizing friends in the end. Just really great people!

After Virginia, I bopped around a few San Diego clubs but found it hard to find a good literary fiction niche. I went to one meeting of a co-ed book club and just could.not. with a mansplainer. He wasn’t even mansplaining me, but he was definitely not as smart as he thought he was and I decided, yes, book club (for me) is ladies time!

In San Diego, I ultimately ended up in a three-person book club which I would have thought would be too small, but the other two women were pretty introverted but had a lot to say so the small group was perfect for them.

Now, back in Silicon Valley, I met a good friend through a book club that sputtered along for a few months. The organizer was a little strange and they veered towards thrillers, which are not my genre of choice. But I got a good friend out of it and with her, in addition to a few people I met by commenting on their stellar choices in poolside reading, we formed a book club that now mostly consists of people who live in my apartment community.

Last night, we had our largest group ever (yay!) and it was really awesome. We discussed Heart the Lover by Lily King, which was widely liked. We had an academic in the group and she elevated the conversation in such a thoughtful, considered way. It was a really, really great meeting. Next up is Buckeye by Patrick Ryan. I think it will be another winner.