[One day, I will catch up to the day. Until then, I will continue to add that plus, to remind myself).
So, yesterday's post talked about a book I read, that I normally wouldn't pick on my own. That's because, I'm in a book club!
It's kind of big for a club (about 30 people), but not everyone shows up every time. Usually about 10 people. Anyway, this post is going to talk about how I found The Cville Page Turners, joined up, and took a hold of my sanity back. And it might be gif-heavy. Because...
Alright, flash back to last April. I was in a slump of a mood, not feeling stimulated intellectually. So I did what any person would do:
I Googled it :P
Came across Meetup.com, a site I had perused before but never really did anything with. If you've never been to the site, you can find groups in your area based on a specific interest, ranging from the norm (nature hikes and such) to the very specific (like vegan women that married foreign men). Okay, that one's not actually a thing, but you get my point.
Anyway, I decided to go with my interest in reading. It would stimulate my mind in a way working in retail wasn't, make me read more, and I could meet fellow readers and gush/scorn with them. I had been in two book clubs before (one as part of a dissertation group, and one that never actually got around to meeting), so I knew the basics of what to expect. Finally found one that
When I pulled into the restaurant that night, I was nervous. Part of me wanted to turn around and leave. Would they like me? (Maybe) Would I be the only one that showed up? (Probably not) Would I be comfortable? (Not entirely, but that's to be expected)
It happened to be a month with only a few of us, so I got to talk extensively with four other people. And I had fun, so I returned the next month. Got to meet a majority of the group that meeting, and reconnect with the others. And I kept coming back.
I really enjoy my book club. We meet at restaurants, so there's no awkward factor of going to someone's house or frazzle factor of hosting it. A large number of us are not Charlottesvillians by birth, so it's nice to be able to connect with someone on that "I didn't grow up here either" level. And while I may not have all the experiences as the other members have (that's the nice way of saying that I'm the youngest in the group by a sizable amount), I get to pick their brains for advice, which is nice. In turn, I let them make fun of how young I am.
I have really liked how it's made me read so many different things. I'd always avoided Dan Brown on lit snob principle--if it sells super duper well, it must not be good. But June's selection was Inferno, the newest in the Robert Langdon series. It gave me as good of an excuse as any to read all the previous ones, which were on my list anyway (if very, very low priority). And there were parts I liked, and parts I didn't, in his works. But I was able to say to myself, Hey! Look! You're learning to look past a book's popularity and actually try it! Good for you for not being as pretentious!
And next month, we're reading A Time to Kill. I've always enjoyed the movie, but never got around to reading the book. So, yay for knocking another one off my list! (It's also the only movie where I like Matthew McConaughey.)
I also like how we talk about the book, but we definitely don't allow that to limit our conversation. We've connected with other things.
Basically, the book club has given me a way to make friends, which has helped me regain some of my sanity back :)
[Side note: yesterday's post was under 500, as I was typing it on my phone and couldn't check my word count, so I made sure this one was long enough to make up for it :P ]
So, yesterday's post talked about a book I read, that I normally wouldn't pick on my own. That's because, I'm in a book club!
Alright, flash back to last April. I was in a slump of a mood, not feeling stimulated intellectually. So I did what any person would do:
Came across Meetup.com, a site I had perused before but never really did anything with. If you've never been to the site, you can find groups in your area based on a specific interest, ranging from the norm (nature hikes and such) to the very specific (like vegan women that married foreign men). Okay, that one's not actually a thing, but you get my point.
Anyway, I decided to go with my interest in reading. It would stimulate my mind in a way working in retail wasn't, make me read more, and I could meet fellow readers and gush/scorn with them. I had been in two book clubs before (one as part of a dissertation group, and one that never actually got around to meeting), so I knew the basics of what to expect. Finally found one that
- read books that I might like and read a variety
- wasn't ridiculously large. There's one book club here that has multiple meetings for each month, and you pick the one that fits with your schedule. Though once those very limited meeting spots are filled, you're screwed. And it had 100+ members according to the site, so more than likely I would never have seen someone even two months in a row.
- would meet at night. At the time, I didn't have a set schedule, but I knew that eventually I would want a normal work schedule.
When I pulled into the restaurant that night, I was nervous. Part of me wanted to turn around and leave. Would they like me? (Maybe) Would I be the only one that showed up? (Probably not) Would I be comfortable? (Not entirely, but that's to be expected)
It happened to be a month with only a few of us, so I got to talk extensively with four other people. And I had fun, so I returned the next month. Got to meet a majority of the group that meeting, and reconnect with the others. And I kept coming back.
I really enjoy my book club. We meet at restaurants, so there's no awkward factor of going to someone's house or frazzle factor of hosting it. A large number of us are not Charlottesvillians by birth, so it's nice to be able to connect with someone on that "I didn't grow up here either" level. And while I may not have all the experiences as the other members have (that's the nice way of saying that I'm the youngest in the group by a sizable amount), I get to pick their brains for advice, which is nice. In turn, I let them make fun of how young I am.
I have really liked how it's made me read so many different things. I'd always avoided Dan Brown on lit snob principle--if it sells super duper well, it must not be good. But June's selection was Inferno, the newest in the Robert Langdon series. It gave me as good of an excuse as any to read all the previous ones, which were on my list anyway (if very, very low priority). And there were parts I liked, and parts I didn't, in his works. But I was able to say to myself, Hey! Look! You're learning to look past a book's popularity and actually try it! Good for you for not being as pretentious!
I also like how we talk about the book, but we definitely don't allow that to limit our conversation. We've connected with other things.
Basically, the book club has given me a way to make friends, which has helped me regain some of my sanity back :)
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| Group hug! |