Book Club

Sap. I'm full of sap this week thinking about my eight year anniversary with book club. E-I-G-H-T frickin years! It is absolutely astounding to me that it's stayed alive so long. There have been several moments when I thought it was going to die a slow painful death. However, we've been lucky enough to have several infusions of new members to keep the group alive.

I remember the first time I attended book club. I was extremely nervous about meeting new people. My hands were damp and I am sure I was shaking. I had never joined a group with strangers and I was worried about all the unknown factors. What if they didn't think I was smart enough to be in their club, what if they didn't like me, what if the members were crazy serial killers? My list of unwarranted fears was endless.

I joined the group because, up until that point, I hadn't been able to make any new friends in Indianapolis. I had lived in the city for four years and I wasn't finding friends. I kept trying to meet people at work but it wasn't working for me because most of my co-workers were very different than me. They had husbands and children and were not interested in books or musicals or museums or hiking or adventures. I couldn't find a kindred spirit.

During that time I had a good friend, Andie, but she lived in Florida and we never saw each other. We talked on the phone several times a week but it wasn't enough to fulfill my socialization needs. I was lonely and tired of staying at home by myself every night and weekend. I decided to take action on my loneliness and I found the "Progressive Book Club" group on meetup.com. Those were the days when meetup was free, new and relatively unknown. I took the giant leap from my comfort zone, joined the group and purchased the book. I was prepared and terrified for the first meeting.

I don't remember the book we discussed but I do remember meeting Moorewrites that warm spring night. She was very friendly and made it easy to bond. After the first meeting we stood outside and talked for a while and she asked me if I was interested in going to a club to dance. I said yes even thought I really dislike dancing as a way to initiate our friendship. In the end we never did go dancing but we started meeting for brunch every few weeks with Carrie. Carrie was the second person I remember meeting. I liked the insightful things she had to say about the books and her personal story fascinated me. I accomplished my goal and was in the beginning stages of making new and interesting friends.

Moorewrites, Carrie and I quickly became friends. I remember feeling so happy that I found people with whom I could have an interesting conversation. Plus, no one appeared to be a serial killer. It was the beginning of a new life for me in Indianapolis. I felt that I finally found a place where I belonged. Over time I became friends with many of the other members of the group and enjoyed a varied social life.

The book club started out as a social outlet for me but it has evolved over time. In the beginning I was in the group for the socialization. However, as time passed I discovered that I really wanted to discuss the books as much as I wanted to talk to my friends. That is the part that I love about book club today, talking about and analyzing books. I feel energized and inspired being around other people who love the same thing I do and enjoy discussing every aspect of a book.

We've read so many books in the last eight years I thought I would list some of the more memorable reads.

05/2005 The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin - This was the second book I read for bc and I still think about this book and it’s story. More importantly I remember after we read the book and were discussing it how happy I felt to be in a group of women who were intelligent and insightful. It was nice to be around people who could say more about the book than it was good or it was bad. This book also reignited my love of science fiction.

07/2008 The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory – Until I had read this story my only exposure to historical fiction was the clichéd formulaic historical romance. It was nice to find something that was well written, engaging and had the “never wanted to put it down” quality.

06/2009 Gehenna by Paul Thigpen – I talked about this book for weeks after I finished reading it and I asked all my friends what level of hell they thought they might settle in. What was more interesting was that many people would not disclose where they thought they would end up. I guess most people don’t want to confront their darker side.

02/2011 One Second After by William Forstchen – This book was very memorable. I had daydreams for weeks after I finished reading the story on what I would do if life changed so drastically in an instant. I believe my final conclusion was that I would die. I probably don’t have the fight instincts to live in such a chaotic society.

08/2012 Wool: Omnibus Edition Hugh Howey – I enjoyed the various Wool books but I really like Hugh Howey’s success as a self published author. I love that he worked in a book store and was able to self-publish his novels and make a living off of his work. He is an inspiration to me and many hopeful writers.

I believe that going to the first book club meeting was a pivotal moment in my life. It pointed me in a new direction and allowed me to exercise parts of my brain that were lying dormant as I sat at home alone watching bad TV every night.

I'm so grateful that I found the progressive book club and I've had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people as a result of the group. There are four of us that have been around since 2005 and several who have been members for a long time.

Live Long and Prosper Book Club!