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

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.