I read an interview with Bill Gates in the New York Times this week that revealed that he reads about 50 books a year. He also has a blog where he reviews books that he has read, which was a surprise to me. I know he's a smart, interesting person, but I never thought of him as a book person. He reads pretty heavy-duty books and reviews mostly books that he likes rather than writing negative reviews.
That led me to think about my own reading. I do a lot of reading, too. Over the winter break, I caught a cold and laid around the house for a couple days mostly just reading. In spite of being sick, spending so much time reading was wonderful!
I read a lot of novels, some just for fun, some for a book club, and some because they sound intriguing. Mysteries are a favorite along with historical fiction. I also read a fair amount of nonfiction of various genres. I like biographies and history especially, but I also read books about education and music.
The book club selections are often the ones that cause me stress. Some of the club choices have been wonderful and I'm so happy that I discovered a particular book because I had to read it for book club. Wonder was one of those books. Also The Art of Hearing Heartbeats. Me Before You. The Year of Wonders. The Other Wes Moore. Other books I wished I hadn't wasted my time reading and still others I just couldn't finish. Following Mr Gates's lead, I won't name them, but there is a certain pleasure in rippiing them apart in a book club discussion. I'm currently reading The Nightingale and I'm finding it somewhat stressful since I know things are going to continue getting worse for the characters. It's World Way II after all.
I like historical fiction because it's a window into the past - a way of seeing what life was like at different times rather than just learning about the big events that shaped the time. On the other hand, when I choose a book to read, it's for me and I don't feel the need to make myself miserable reading a book I hate or that makes me lose sleep. I know I'm not the only one who has trouble sleeping when reading a disturbing book.
But mostly reading is a pleasure, the best kind of entertainment. I read every day no matter how busy I am. It's a way to relax, to recharge.
I'm on Goodreads, if anyone wants to join me there. What books do you recommend?
Showing posts with label book club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book club. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Monday, March 16, 2015
Book Club, fun even when the book is awful
A couple of years ago my neighbor asked me to join a book club that she was starting. I didn't think I was the book club type and I also told her I didn't really think I had time, but she was persistent. She told me she wanted to start this group because the book club that she belonged to didn't discuss the books. They just talked. She also told me she was inviting the smartest women she knew. Flattery will get you everywhere apparently. I joined.
I didn't know any of the other women in the group except for my friend, but now I look forward to seeing them once a month. They are a group of smart, interesting women, many teachers, but also an artist, a children's advocate, and a financial advisor. We spend most of the meeting time actually discussing the book, but we also laugh and share things about our lives. Since someone had the bright idea, about 6 months ago, to serve wine, we've had even more fun.
Being in this group has made me read books that I would never have read. We try to pick books that have gotten good reviews, but are not too new, since we all prefer to borrow from the library and of course the new books generally have wait lists. We read mostly fiction, but we have an occasional nonfiction selection. I realize now that there is a certain kind of book that works as a book club book. It has to have something in it that is discussable. For some reason this often means that the book is depressing.
We had a string of three months recently when I hated all the books. We start out our meetings by going around the circle and each person rates the book, 1 to 10, and offers some comments about it. In one case we had quite a split among the members, with some really loving it and others hating it. But the last two books, everyone disliked. And we had a lot of fun talking about how much and why we disliked them.
Left to my own reading devices, I read mysteries, history, especially about the American Revolution and 18th century Vienna, and books about music, especially Mozart. Being in the book club has truly broadened my reading, and introduced me to some books that have stayed with me.
I didn't know any of the other women in the group except for my friend, but now I look forward to seeing them once a month. They are a group of smart, interesting women, many teachers, but also an artist, a children's advocate, and a financial advisor. We spend most of the meeting time actually discussing the book, but we also laugh and share things about our lives. Since someone had the bright idea, about 6 months ago, to serve wine, we've had even more fun.
Being in this group has made me read books that I would never have read. We try to pick books that have gotten good reviews, but are not too new, since we all prefer to borrow from the library and of course the new books generally have wait lists. We read mostly fiction, but we have an occasional nonfiction selection. I realize now that there is a certain kind of book that works as a book club book. It has to have something in it that is discussable. For some reason this often means that the book is depressing.
We had a string of three months recently when I hated all the books. We start out our meetings by going around the circle and each person rates the book, 1 to 10, and offers some comments about it. In one case we had quite a split among the members, with some really loving it and others hating it. But the last two books, everyone disliked. And we had a lot of fun talking about how much and why we disliked them.
Left to my own reading devices, I read mysteries, history, especially about the American Revolution and 18th century Vienna, and books about music, especially Mozart. Being in the book club has truly broadened my reading, and introduced me to some books that have stayed with me.
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