It’s been awhile since my last book post, and I’ve been reading pretty often. I churn through things so quickly I don’t always have time to absorb them, and it makes me want discussion & absorption. Which made me have an idea — let’s start a summer blog book club!
How it works!
1. I’ll start. I’ll pick a book, today! If you’re interested, pick it up and finish it in within 2 weeks.
2. The 1st seven bloggers who want to be hosts & who comment here to tell me you’re interested will be blog hosts for the summer. (One person every 2 weeks.)
3. Anyone can follow along — infinite book club! Way better than packing into a tiny parlour, right? 2 weeks from today, I’ll start a book discussion on the book I’ve chosen in this blog. Everyone’s who’s read can join the discussion in comments.
4. The next host will choose a book – preferably something reasonably new and literary. In 2 weeks, we’ll head over to their blog, where they will start a discussion, and so on, and so forth, until the end of summer.
Sound fun?? I’m going to start with a book I’ve wanted to read for awhile:
Wide Eyed (Little House on the Bowery) by Trinie Dalton
So! Let me know if you’re interested and want to be a host! I think we can get 7 people willing to start a book discussion in their blogs, right?
In other bookness, I’ve also been plowing through non-fiction, for some reason. These are recent reads that are worth picking up:
The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science
The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire
Chrysalis: Maria Sibylla Merian and the Secrets of Metamorphosis
this looks great! i wish i cld participate but i have to read a book every day this summer for my exams; no reading for fun. but thanks for pointing out the trinie dalton book – it sounds amazing!
So. Weird. Psychic witch twin!!!
This afternoon my thought was this:
“Must buy that Trinie Dalton book I’ve been wanting to read..”
but instead I bought books by Bill Plotkin and Henning Mankell.
What the heck? I will gladly join the summer book club!
Do you want to be a host? You can do the next one!!
Book club? Count me in! I’ve been reading so much lately and finally feel like I can be a member of a book club.
I’d love to join – this is exactly what I’ve been needing is some good summer reading and discussion! Also delurking here to say hallo!
I’m not sure I’ll be able to participate (I read for a living so I have trouble finding time to read for me only) but I’ll try. Anyway, I will pick the book you’ve chosen!
You read for a living?! What do you do? Sounds like my dream job.
Hehe yes it’s a childhood dream come true
I read English and Dutch young adult novels to see if they’d be interesting for the French publishing house I work for to translate. It’s not paying well but I love it (plus, I get to work at home and organize my day as I want).
I am OFFICIALLY JEALOUS!! So awesome. However, I can only read in English & a little French, so I would be terrible at this job.
Besides, US publishers translate a lot less than European ones if I’m not mistaken ! The thing with this job however is that it completly wrecked my reading habits: I used to read lots of thick novels but I can’t do that now, since it’s pretty much guaranteed that my read will be interupted by a “professional read” at least twice. So I’ve almost entirely turned to non-fiction, comics (quick read) and magazines…
Just checked – it’s available at my local library, so I’m in. I can’t promise blog hosting at my end (2 weeks is tough for me, I’m a month-a-book girl myself) but I’m excited to join in the conversation. Great idea.
I would love to do this, but I may need more than 2 weeks as I would probably have to order the books online. I live in Kentucky. There’s not too much around ;]
I think I might need more time too! I ordered it crazy cheap and now it’s going to take ages. Anyway, that gives more people time to sign on.
just ordered it for cheapo! your blog is one of the most happy-making things for me these days.
Oh sounds great count me in! I am open to hosting as well, now to finish all the non fiction I borrowed last week!
sounds like fun! i read a girl of the limberlost because of one of your posts a while back and really liked it a whole lot. how had i never heard of it? more magical reading suggestions please!
Ok, book ordered! Count me in, ladies :]
oh this book club sounds so wonderful, and so does your first selection. I would totally volunteer to host a book over at my livejournal, but I would be terribly unreliable this summer, as according to my calculations earlier this day, I will be at home for less than 10 days this summer, spending the rest of the time in 7 countries on 3 continents, with probably sketchy internet for much of it. I am ordering this book to read it, though, because the Amazon description reminded me a bit of Kelly Link.
This sounds so wonderfully delightful. It will be a pleasure to get back to fun reading, rather than stuff for grad school this summer. Even better with cool folks to discuss books with.
I am with you in that I go through books so quickly that I don’t feel like I’ve really absorbed what was there.
I lead a real life book discussion once a month and that’s usually my only fiction for the month, and then I go through a number of non fiction books in that time.
But I really want to do this with you! I will have to jump in on the next one though (but I will put this selection on my “to read” list).
Thanks for starting this Tamera!
Tamera,
This idea is fantastic. Do you have 7 yet? I would be honored to join as a host.
Regardless, I am in for the reading – your recommendations are always fantastic; “Wide Eyed” looks brilliant.
Cyn~
Yes please host!! I’m not even sure how to begin a discussion, but it’ll be a good brain exercise. Wide Eyed is SO GOOD so far.
I guess the best way to do it would be to post an entry on our review, and then we all comment on it, or link to our own reviews?
I went to 2 different book stores, and no sign of “Wide Eyed.” Amazon has ordered it for me, though!
My book has been in transit for 2 days. Kind of worries me, but hopefully it arrives soon :] Weeeee!
loving it so far… will you tweet our meeting date??
Ok, I’ve started the book just today. Keep me updated :]
Just finished Wide Eyed. Fast reading, almost like a good friend talking about her thoughts on life. I’m passing it onto a friend who believes in the mystical presence of unicorns. While reading I thought of so many of my girlfriends who would also love it. Thanks for the recommendation.
So good! I’m headed to Vermont and will make notes / attempt to draft a decent discussion (now I’m a little worried!) & post on June 5th!