why i need to give up my book group

[ewein2412]

this is the pile of books on my coffee table that I am ACTIVELY "In the Middle Of." It is not my "to read" queue. It does not include the dozens of books piled around my desk and bed that I'm ALSO in the middle of but haven't picked up for 6 months.



It is beginning to depress me, because every time I start to read something I LIKE I have to put it down and slog thru 50-pages-a-night of some pretentious second rate popular (or Scottish) novel for the next book group meeting. I just KNOW that The Devil's Footprints won't be as good as I Capture the Castle, but I am now going to have to stop in the middle of a book I'm really enjoying to read one I don't particularly want to read.

I love my book group. Maybe I will just go to the meetings without reading the books from now on.

I didn't mean to imply that all Scottish novels are pretentious and/or second rate. I really liked The Yellow on the Broom.

The implication that all second rate novels are pretentious stands, however.

ETA: tigertrapped, see that 2-inch pile of innocuous-looking newsprint near the bottom? that is a stack of Bunty from 1985 containing various episodes of "Catch the Cat." (and it cost me 45 p on eBay!)

Comments

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

What about first-rate pretentious novels - an oxomoron? Yes, James Joyce, I'm looking at you!

[ewein2412]

i confess I enjoy those, as my own pretensions are toward being first rate... i'll just shut up now, shall I?

[ewein2412]

oh now wait, I totally recant re that last comment. I just remembered that two books back we read The Satanic Verses and I UTTERLY DETESTED IT.

[tiboribi.livejournal.com]

I so totally feel your pain. I never want to read my book club books, I read so much better books on my own.

[ewein2412]

the book group has read quite a few that I wouldn't have read otherwise and am glad I read. And occasionally we read something really GOOD that I've been wanting to read but haven't got around to. But the problem is that you're always on a DEADLINE and mostly it is DRIVEL.

[tiboribi.livejournal.com]

No, only half of my books are pretentious drivel. Some of them are quite good, but the good books seem to happen in the middle of the Olympics or other fantastic things that I'd rather be reading. One of the books I'm in the middle of is one I blew off months ago.

[ewein2412]

One of the books I'm in the middle of is one I blew off months ago.

i hear you. heh.

[tiboribi.livejournal.com]

I am also plotting a renegade book club with the other recovering Johnnie in my group. We are sick to death of pretentious Pulitzer nonesense, and have been discussing doing Newberies instead. Which I imagine might rapidly evolve into favorite young teen books.

[ewein2412]

i think a book club that reads nothing but newbery award books would be FAB.

I am in an on-line group on LJ called reading_wimsey--supposedly we are reading all the Peter Wimsey books in chronological order of publication but we sort of stalled a couple of years ago

tanita says :)

[(Anonymous)]

Ooh, I see you're getting to Flygirl!

I Capture the Castle has to be the most fun book! I should reread...

Re: tanita says :)

[ewein2412]

I had to laugh and laugh when she faked her license because she has the same name as her daddy. it reminded me so much of Theo faking her RAF application because she had the same name as her brother! God, the lengths these girls have to go to in order to fly!

I'm not very far through it but i'm enjoying it!

[tigertrapped.livejournal.com]

Oh GOD! Life is too short to read crap books. I decided that when I was battling my way through some drivel off the bestseller list in Waterstone's. Now I'm reading William Trevor's latest and feeling far better for it.

(I like the look of Flygirl)

[ewein2412]

it's about a black woman (really a late teen) who joins the WASPs by faking both whiteness and her license. kind of cool!

[tigertrapped.livejournal.com]

see that 2-inch pile of innocuous-looking newsprint near the bottom? that is a stack of Bunty from 1985 containing various episodes of "Catch the Cat." (and it cost me 45 p on eBay!)

Agh! Can I buy them off you when you're done? I'll double your investment...

[ewein2412]

i was actually thinking of sending them to you anyway. or at least copies of 'em... sara is getting stuck in.

[tigertrapped.livejournal.com]

Ah! If Sara gets stuck in that's best of all - keep them all for her. Passing the mantel!

[tigertrapped.livejournal.com]

Or, you know, mantle?

[ewein2412]

i never know how to spell that even when I look it up.

Yes, manifesto of the reader ftw!

[estara.livejournal.com]

After years of reading I have come to the conclusion that we do not have enough reading time allotted to us in life to waste it reading things we don't enjoy, unless we are forced by circumstance (e.g. for professional purposes).

You can always try and organise a monthly cake meeting at a nice cafè with members of your book club, if they take objection to you not reading the books.

Re: Yes, manifesto of the reader ftw!

[estara.livejournal.com]

... or is it 'take offense'...

Re: Yes, manifesto of the reader ftw!

[ewein2412]

it IS actually "take offense" but makes enough sense that I didn't notice till you pointed it out. your english is so fluent that the little blips show up as individual style rather than mistakes.

the irony of the book group that I am the only founding member left and at the last meeting they all told me I was their leader!

THANK YOU!!

[estara.livejournal.com]

your english is so fluent that the little blips show up as individual style rather than mistakes.

I'm going to print this out and frame it and point to it as having been said by a person who speaks American English and has in-depth knowledge of British English and is an author who has a way with words into the bargain!!!!!

Re: THANK YOU!!

[ewein2412]

flattery will get you everywhere! I aim to please.

Re: THANK YOU!!

[estara.livejournal.com]

Well you certainly reached your aim there ^^.

Re: Yes, manifesto of the reader ftw!

[estara.livejournal.com]

*grins* now that I've recovered from the bit about my English - how about as a leader make it a read-whatever-you-like club, with the only provision that one whole new book has to be read in time for each meeting (in case you're meeting monthly) and the impressions have to be shared (so you don't run out of things to say).

Re: Yes, manifesto of the reader ftw!

[mhari.livejournal.com]

If you're the leader I think it's only fair that you get to pick the books. :P

(this is my only directly book-related icon anymore. what is my life.)

Re: Yes, manifesto of the reader ftw!

[ewein2412]

If you're the leader I think it's only fair that you get to pick the books. :P

what a good point.

I love your book-related icon. i don't really have any directly "reading" related icons myself (i don't think)--they're all to do with writing. but in fact they're really all to do with Harriet Vane, which isn't exactly the same thing.

sometimes I wonder if it isn't patience, but a certain resemblance to cows

[rosaleeluann.livejournal.com]

I've never been part of a book group, but I'd like to, because it would be so great to discuss things I read IN PERSON (I usually just make due with the internet), and to read books I wouldn't otherwise. On the other hand, there are some books that I really wouldn't want to force myself through.

I'm sorry you're being taken away from I Capture the Castle--I love that one (even the ending, which many who love the rest of the book don't like much.)

Re: sometimes I wonder if it isn't patience, but a certain resemblance to cows

[ewein2412]

it is one of those books I just can't believe I haven't read before.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Can you put I Capture the Castle on your book group list?

[ewein2412]

i would if I'd known about it. it's not my turn for a while. maybe i'll suggest it next time--they will ALL love it, and I will have an excuse to re-read it.

[mhari.livejournal.com]

I was pleasantly gobsmacked to discover that ICTC was written by the same person who wrote The Hundred and One Dalmatians, to which I was devoted as a tween (and I still think it's about sixty times better than the movie). It is now on my list too!

[ewein2412]

I was amazed to discover, as an adult, what a fabulous book 101 Dalmatians is. I also HIGHLY recommend National Velvet, another lovely and eerily quirky slice of life in 1930s Britain.