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Reasons why I’m not in Book Club

1
Can we talk about book clubs?

I have never joined or attended one but I was recently asked if I wanted to join. A friend of mine was telling me she wanted to get into her book club. Another friend offered to get her in. As they both spoke to each other next to me, it was as if they were talking in code. Reading between the lines, it seemed as if she needed a secret password or something to get in. I was intrigued.

She kindly asked me if I might be interested and I didn’t give an official reply. I just asked a few questions about when and where. I

SelfishMother.com
2
was already put off when she told me they got home at 10:30pm on a Thursday. I know, on a Thursday. Quite honestly, I like to be bed by ten o’clock for the news with a peppermint tea, but I wasn’t sure whether I should confess to that. But, considering I am an award-winning writer, it suddenly dawned on me that I had no idea what happens at a book club.

Do they just sit quietly in the corner and read a chapter then drive home? Do they talk about the chapter, which I assume could be tricky if some people have read more than others? Or do they just

SelfishMother.com
3
sit around drinking wine and use the book as a coaster? I really had no clue. And my biggest fear…what if someone chooses a book from the 18th century which is 450 pages long? I assume that just means you need more wine. I started to wonder if books clubs weren’t about books at all.

To broaden my knowledge for book clubs, I found myself searching the world-wide web for answers. Some articles suggested that some book clubs have a reputation for being largely full of slightly unwilling participants who had neglected to read the book (that would

SelfishMother.com
4
probably be me) and secondly, only used the book club as an excuse to open a bottle of wine and eat nibbles (also me).

But despite my wandering thoughts, book clubs are taking the world by storm and there are now over 50,000 book clubs in the UK alone. I get it, we love to read and I imagine it could be quite nice to discuss a book with friends; to open a lively debate on the subject. To share what we loved and what we didn’t.

But can our love for books survive in a digital age? This fast-paced world around us is constantly telling us to speed

SelfishMother.com
5
up. However, sometimes it feels like it is the power of paperback books that kindly urges us to slow down. And, despite my busy schedule and constant ping of emails, I find sanctuary in the pages of paperbacks (never a digital version).

I love to have alone time with a book either in the bath or in bed. There is nothing quite like it. I have at least five books stacked next to my bed at any one time. There is always room for more stories to free our minds. In fact, research has shown that reading is by far the best way to relax and it only takes six

SelfishMother.com
6
minutes of reading to slow your heart rate and ease tension in your muscles. So, reading could be more beneficial than we had given it credit for.

So, back to the book club debate. The jury is out but I am still not convinced if a book club is suited to me. Not unless you want to recommend Jilly Cooper’s Riders, because, let’s be honest, that’s a good conversation starter with wine and nibbles.

My advice for joining a book club? The best way is to read is on your own. No matter how busy you are, try and find time for reading. It will always

SelfishMother.com
7
be more than just words. Reading a book is about the experience and the journey the story takes you on. And…if you are not already reading, Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming”, then goodness gracious me woman, what are you doing with your life?

The only book club I am in…is with myself.

SelfishMother.com

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- 5 Feb 19

Can we talk about book clubs?

I have never joined or attended one but I was recently asked if I wanted to join. A friend of mine was telling me she wanted to get into her book club. Another friend offered to get her in. As they both spoke to each other next to me, it was as if they were talking in code. Reading between the lines, it seemed as if she needed a secret password or something to get in. I was intrigued.

She kindly asked me if I might be interested and I didn’t give an official reply. I just asked a few questions about when and where. I was already put off when she told me they got home at 10:30pm on a Thursday. I know, on a Thursday. Quite honestly, I like to be bed by ten o’clock for the news with a peppermint tea, but I wasn’t sure whether I should confess to that. But, considering I am an award-winning writer, it suddenly dawned on me that I had no idea what happens at a book club.

Do they just sit quietly in the corner and read a chapter then drive home? Do they talk about the chapter, which I assume could be tricky if some people have read more than others? Or do they just sit around drinking wine and use the book as a coaster? I really had no clue. And my biggest fear…what if someone chooses a book from the 18th century which is 450 pages long? I assume that just means you need more wine. I started to wonder if books clubs weren’t about books at all.

To broaden my knowledge for book clubs, I found myself searching the world-wide web for answers. Some articles suggested that some book clubs have a reputation for being largely full of slightly unwilling participants who had neglected to read the book (that would probably be me) and secondly, only used the book club as an excuse to open a bottle of wine and eat nibbles (also me).

But despite my wandering thoughts, book clubs are taking the world by storm and there are now over 50,000 book clubs in the UK alone. I get it, we love to read and I imagine it could be quite nice to discuss a book with friends; to open a lively debate on the subject. To share what we loved and what we didn’t.

But can our love for books survive in a digital age? This fast-paced world around us is constantly telling us to speed up. However, sometimes it feels like it is the power of paperback books that kindly urges us to slow down. And, despite my busy schedule and constant ping of emails, I find sanctuary in the pages of paperbacks (never a digital version).

I love to have alone time with a book either in the bath or in bed. There is nothing quite like it. I have at least five books stacked next to my bed at any one time. There is always room for more stories to free our minds. In fact, research has shown that reading is by far the best way to relax and it only takes six minutes of reading to slow your heart rate and ease tension in your muscles. So, reading could be more beneficial than we had given it credit for.

So, back to the book club debate. The jury is out but I am still not convinced if a book club is suited to me. Not unless you want to recommend Jilly Cooper’s Riders, because, let’s be honest, that’s a good conversation starter with wine and nibbles.

My advice for joining a book club? The best way is to read is on your own. No matter how busy you are, try and find time for reading. It will always be more than just words. Reading a book is about the experience and the journey the story takes you on. And…if you are not already reading, Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming”, then goodness gracious me woman, what are you doing with your life?

The only book club I am in…is with myself.

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Guilty Mother is an honest and (sometimes funny) blog for mums who feel guilty about juggling work, kids and home-life. Here's to feeling less guilty!

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