Books for the Betties

Are you a reader? Do you love to pick up new books, and turn each page, getting wrapped into the story?

I am an avid reader, and over the past few years, have been trying to return to my reading roots by dedicating a few minutes at bedtime to my latest novel pick. True, it's ridiculously hard to want to read once your head hits that pillow at the end of another long day, but I have found that it's both peaceful and stimulating, but ultimately it helps me sleep all that much better, even with just 15-minutes spent on that next chapter. Plus, if you join your local library, reading is a FREE option for how to spend a lazy rainy day.

Somewhere along the way, I joined Good Reads, an online community/social network dedicated to reading. At first, all I was able to add to my queue were the chick-lit pink-covered books, because they were just so gosh-darn easy to get through. More and more, though, I saw that friends and family were venturing on to bigger and bigger novels, so I upped my game, too. I added Edgar Sawtelle to the list, and absolutely loved the quietness of the tale of a mute-boy growing up in the extreme Northern US on a dog-breeding farm. The Memory Keeper's Daughter depressed me but made me think hard about how people interact with each other and how the choices they make can change lives. I devoured The Help and Water for Elephants before they were even being made into movies. And sure, I added a few more of those pink-covered books to the list; they were too much fun to ignore :)

My Good Reads queue. I slowed down a bit earlier this year, as you can see :)

My grandmother has belonged to a book club for many, many years. Only recently due to her health has she not been able to physically attend the meetings, but that doesn't mean she has stopped reading. Grandma goes through books at warp-speed, and I am often finding out about the latest bestsellers from her when we chat on the phone. I am inspired to think that even when I am her age, I will still be keeping my mind fresh and active through reading!

Our hostess put together an
amazing spread!

But I had never really considered joining a club until recently, when an extended group of PR girlfriends suggested that we formalize one. I immediately said yes. I knew that I already loved time with the gals (and wine...) and so why not try and combine that with my own goal of reading more (and reading more new things!) ?

This past week we had our first book club meeting to discuss The Red Tent, which was ironically the last book I had actively updated in my Good Reads queue. I finished it in early Spring and loved it, and loved even more discussing it with the ladies, each of whom brought her own unique perspective to the table. The book is largely looped into the stories of the Bible, and each of us talked about how we saw the fiction-based-on-fact book playing out in real life in today's society. All of that plus some lovely food and company, and it was a great first meeting!

The next book for our club is TBD, but I am reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo in the meantime, and am loving it. I can't wait to hear which book is next for the club!


What are you reading right now? Do you belong to a book club?