Thank you for joining up with this group, founded to read and discuss virtually. Because I just bought it and wanted kinship in the reading, we are starting out with Eat, Pray, Love. Friends, I've never been in a book club before, so if any of you actually have, please feel free to take charge with format or discussion leads! I'm not the fastest reader, so I was thinking somewhere around 50 pages a week--does that sound good to everyone? It's 334 total pages. This is a no pressure, no judgment, no editing zone. It's for fun and to delve deeper into themes and relevance to our lives. Please don't worry about spelling, I'm the queen of typos.
I'm so happy that you all have decided to join, please introduce yourselves however you feel like doing so. I'll start: I'm Pamela, I'm approaching my 48th birthday, and I am not a mom. I bring this up because it takes me out of many opportunities to make friends, and it probably impacts my reading choices. Some of you know me very well, some of us haven't laid eyes on each other since we were kids (Carol!). But I'm very happy to have all of you back in my life!
I'm Randine - I met the wonderful Pamela about 21 years ago and I don't even know how many haircuts between us that equals out to - hmmmmm...but we've probably read more good books than had good cuts that's for certain!
ReplyDeleteI am currently unemployed so I have lots and lots of time to read! In fact, I've been to the library twice already this week and I am currently re-reading 'Horse Heaven' by Jane Smiley, 'Travels With Charley' by John Steinbeck and 'How To Rule The World From Your Couch' by Laura Day (it's about developing your intuition).
50 pages a week sounds good - unless 50 pages ends in the middle of a chapter, in which case we may have to break it up into chapters instead.
I was in a book group out of Pasadena Presbyterian (a billion years ago) but we met once a month (in the flesh)and read the entire book before we met. I don't remember how we attacked our choices - but it was fun! Thank you for starting this one, Pamela.
See, there's already something my novice status has revealed, one should end a section at the end of a chapter of course!! So for the first week let's read the introduction and up through Chapter 17 (in my edition that is bottom of page 52). How about we have that read by the end of next week, Friday 9/3, OK?
ReplyDeleteI'm Holly. I have never been in a book club before, but I loved reading and analyzing books in my literature classes in college. I am 41, married (to Pamela's brother Marco), and do not have children. Thank you Pamela, I am looking forward to spending virtual time with you, Randine, and whoever else decides to join! xo, Holly
ReplyDeleteYay! My fabulous sister-in-law, an avid and sophisticated reader is joining us. There should be a few more folks joining us still. When you guys get the book, let me know and we'll officially begin.
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ReplyDeleteI got mine.
ReplyDeleteRandine, Holly ... it may just be the three of us! My friend, Nancy Morales, said she's going out to buy the book--hopefully she'll be by soon and we'll be four. I'm afraid that maybe Sarah and Carol will not be joining us after all--although I haven't heard anything definitive. Randine, let us know when you've got the book. I'm going to officially start reading tomorrow because I'm knee deep in another book that I'm enjoying. Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful weekend.
ReplyDeleteGood Afternoon, I am Nancy Morales Sager and I first had the pleasure of meeting Pam at Walnut High School prior to graduation in 1980. I've always enjoyed Pam's intelligence mixed with her ability to have fun and enjoy life. We were fortunate to connect again with the help of Facebook, and I look forward to getting to know her and all that participate better. With that said that dates me at 48, mother of four and grandmother to two. I consider myself a "people person" and have friends that range in age, gender and interests. Since October of 1998 I have worked in the technology department at Arcadia Unified School District, and participated in our AUSD Book Club since 2002.
ReplyDeleteI love to read...It's a great stepping stone to learning about oneself and others. Got the book, ready to read, and I'm down for this weeks section : )
OK, ladies. This is a GREAT and diverse gathering of really great women. What I recall most about Nancy Morales was a very dry wit and warm personality--definately that people person she described. It's so funny, Nancy, that you remember how much the word "fun" used to factor into my existence.
ReplyDeleteIt turns our Sarah got engaged yesterday, and I'm thinking she just might be on a love and marriage high! ;-) We'll see if she jumps on board. Haven't heard from Carol, so let's the 4 of us get started.
Chapter 1 ends on pg 52. I say we shoot for Friday to start posting reader responses. I'm going to try to formulate a few discussion questions, but anyone else who would like to, PLEASE DO. I don't want to "lead" this group, but I do want us to explore themes, etc. Nancy and Randine, you are our experienced groupies, so give us direction if you feel something is lacking, etc.
Cool, I'm very excited. Wouldn't it be fun if after we read the book, we could all meet up around Pasadena/Arcadia (the natural centerpoint) and see the film? Thanks for joining!
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ReplyDeletePamela, et al,
ReplyDeleteI'd love to join your virtual book club! This is something I thought about starting a few years back and was sidetracked by one thing or another (more likely laziness!) and never got anything started.
Pamela and I were classmates at Marylhurst University and she never ceased to amaze me with her thoughtfulness, insights, creative energy, and lust for knowledge and discourse. And we were annoyed by many of the same things! I am terribly out of touch with the literature that I love so much and welcome this opportunity to exercise my brain and rekindle the literary fire.
I'm two weeks away from moving from Portland to Washington DC and begin a new job at Georgetown University on Sept 29. So I may be out of touch during the transition time, but I'm going to leave RIGHT NOW for the bookstore and buy the book!
Vikki McGuire
Portland Oregon (soon to be Washington DC!)
I'm so happy that Vikki is willing to join us even as she embarks on a huge transition (one coast to another). Vikki used to teach at Willamette University and was one of the editors of M Review Magazine, Marylhurst University's literary magazine. I took Literary Theory and a few other courses with Vikki, so I can vouch that she'll add a lot to the discussion. But she isn't as verbose as I am, so that should be a relief! :-)
ReplyDeleteVikki, it seems that Nancy and I are the only ones who have had a chance to read up to the allotted page, so please don't worry ... we're casual around here. I don't know if you saw above that Sarah Zeleny was going to join the group, but she got engaged the day after saying she would join and I suppose now she's all happy and in love and feeling she has other priorities! ;-)
P.S. Vikki, please promise us that you will NOT be one of those real housewives of DC!
I did read the first 17 chapters, but I lost my book while on vacation in Cambria last weekend. I will make sure to get another copy tomorrow. I invited my sister Lori Lindgren to join our club. She is currently reading our book.
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