I met my friend Nettie not long after I came to Canberra when I joined her long established bookgroup. It was wonderful at the time and I made some great friends. Knitting also became a passion-in-common. Recently she posted about a bloggy bookclub and I love the idea. I am in my second year of part time uni and working part time and I would love a place to discuss what I am reading and see what others are reading since I no longer have the space or time to commit to a regular bookgroup meeting.
My biggest problem with my past bookgroups was I often had to read books I didn't want to read. I admit that every once in a while I didn't fancy reading a book and it turned out to be something I enjoyed. But not very often. I'm afraid that I also was too vocal in the group and felt like I dominated the conversation sometimes. It is a flaw that I have tried to work on. And it used to actually piss me off when half of the members had not read the book. There were plenty of reasons - good and bad - for the lack of reading but it really upset me. Silly on my part, now that I think about it.
Sadly, after I left the book group I never found another that I wanted to join and now there just isn't time. If I take a lit class at school then I do not have time to read a book group book as well.
But never-the-less I love reading, I love learning, and I love listening to what other people have to say about life and books. I have read a lot of books in my life and could never decide on just the 5 I would take with me on the deserted Island. Shakespeare's complete works would have to be one. Tristram Shandy is a close second. But the last three would take so long to decide upon that I would miss the boat completely. I now have an ebook reader (don't worry - I still love the sound of turning pages in my bed at night) and if I could count that as one book I would be a happy girl - there are already 100 classics on it.
So I have signed up for the bloggy bookclub at Krafty Kula.
This month I am reading Great Expectations. I have never read Dickens. Shame! It was never on the list of classics at my school, having grown up in the states. I have not taken any classic lit classes yet and it was never suggested during my bookgroup - probably because you all read it at school. I am in chapter 3 and finding it incredibly clever and witty. Dickens is a wordsmith and a very good one. I love the images of place that are already filling my mind. I love the character development that is already established. And I love his sense of humour. I am starting to understand his place in the canon of classics. Can't wait to read more.
I am also reading the last of the millennium books - the girl who kicked the hornets nest but feeling a little bogged down by it. Will keep reading tho!
Can't wait to hear what you all are reading. Cheers.
2 comments:
Hahahaha the ghost of Bookclub past (on a Dickens roll here). I loved your comments especially when you disagreed with everyone, much more fun and illuminating. You were never too vocal, you are passionate about reading and I was also peeved that so few had read the book at so many of the sessions. So I now use Goodreads to track what you and Nettie are reading and follow your blogs. So cheers to the solidarity of "Bookclub in Blogland"
Hi Rhonda
I have just finished Still Alice by Lisa Genova. It is a work of fiction. the main character has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. A sad story but brilliantly written.
Barbara
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