Birth of a Book Club

One year, at my annual Christmas gathering, which gets loud and crowded and could be another story unto itself, a somewhat new friend approached me and said she'd been thinking about getting a few women together to start a small book discussion group because she wanted to read more regularly, and would I be interested?  I hugged her on the spot.

And so was born Books, Brains, and Babes. OK, it wasn't really that easy, but we began in January of 2012, and have never looked back.  We began the first year with a rather complicated process of elimination of each reader's 3-5 book suggestions, but then moved to the "everyone gets to choose one book, no whining allowed" policy, which we've stayed with.  Host homes are chosen as schedules permit.  We usually meet monthly on a Sunday afternoon, and it has become one of the most coveted days of the month for most of us.  We set aside all other obligations and prepare a fantastic dish to share.  Someone may bring a personal item that enhances some aspect of the story, or incorporate the book theme into their attire.  The wine flows freely, as do our thoughts and words. We have great discussions, always about the book, and often veer into some other aspect of current events. Sometimes we just listen quietly when the book touched a painful spot for someone.

Although reading is the main focus, we have also incorporated other activities and everyone seems to have found a place to use their talents or amenities.  We have a "secretary" who keeps track of us and our book selections, host homes, and dates.  One book each year earns the "book and a movie" designation, so our host that month is the one with a home theater.  In December, the selected book is usually something short, and spouses are invited to join the discussion.  Then we all sit down to a very special Christmas feast in the beautifully decorated historic home of our host/chef.  And in 2013, we threw our creative and philanthropic hearts into decorating a Christmas tree for a local charity auction.  The decor theme?  Books and reading, of course!  We hand-made almost every ornament, and the tree sold for a lovely amount of money that both shocked and pleased us. 

All the books we've read have been dearly loved by at least a couple of us, enjoyed by most, and rarely despised by anyone.   I will not attempt here to go back and compile a detailed history of our opinions, discussions, recipes, or how many bottles of wine were consumed.  I will, however, list all the books we've read through June of 2014, just so you can see where we've been.  And maybe it will entice you to check back with us once in a while.  Happy reading!

State of Wonder--Ann Patchett
Shanghai Girls--Lisa See
Caleb's Crossing--Geraldine Brooks
Doc--Mary Doria Russell
The Tiger's Wife--Tea Obreht
The Help--Kathryn Stockett (book and a movie)
Water For Elephants--Sara Gruen

The Winter Of Our Discontent--John Steinbeck
Sarah's Key-- Tatiana de Rosnay
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons--Lora Landvik
Bring Up The Bodies--Hilary Mantel
The Sense Of An Ending--Julian Barnes
The Glass Castle--Jeannette Walls
Daughters Of The Witching Hill--Mary Sharratt
Cutting For Stone--Abraham Verghese
And the Mountains Echoed--Khaled Hosseini
The Power Of Habit--Charles Duhigg
The Hunger Games--Suzanne Collins
Bel Canto--Ann Patchett
Flight Behavior--Barbara Kingsolver
What's The Matter With Kansas--Thomas Frank
Pity The Billionaire--Thomas Frank
Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls--David Sedaris
Unbroken--Laura Hillebrand
The Secret Life Of Bees--Sue Monk Kidd (book and a movie)
Monday Mornings--Sanjay Gupta
People Of The Book--Geraldine Brooks