Join my Book Club!!

Have you ever been part of a book club? For the past thirteen years I’ve been the member of at least one club and sometimes two. When I’m reading, I underline phrases I find well worded or facts I think are fascinating. I scribble my own examples and questions in the margins. When I’m excited about a book or learning new things, I always want to share that news. Many times my patient husband is the recipient of my newfound insights or knowledge. I know that sometimes his patience wears thin and he must grit his teeth as I read him “just one more” passage from my current book crush.

Books are a passion for me and luckily, most of my family, as evidenced by the many, many, many crammed book shelves in our house (including two in bathrooms!). In a rush to get out the door this morning, I scrambled to find a paper I needed and knocked over the current stack of I’ve-got-to-read-these books that teetered nearly two feet high on the corner of my desk. They tumbled over the side, a few landing in the trash can. I re-stacked them and sighed. Some from the bottom of the stack have been there since last fall. When was I going to read these books?? I’m busy right now hurtling through the book for my women’s Book club that meets next Friday. And then I’ve got to finish the book for the book discussion I’m helping to lead at my church.

Book Club books always take precedence over the hundreds of other books haunting me from my shelves in nearly every room of my house. The ones on my desk are piled there so I’ll get to them sooner rather than later, although that phrase has become very relative in my life. I need another book club to force me to get to them. And then I thought – Ah! I have a perfect audience for a book club – my blog. You people are trapped there and have no choice but to listen to my ramblings (yes, I know you could simply click away from this post, but I trust that you won’t and choose to live in the blissful belief that you hang on my every word).

So KFOL Book Club begins this month! I’m going to do one book a month from the stack. Although Marion Nestle’s book What to Eat is so dense it’ll need two months. I’ll devote at least one post, possibly more if I get excited. You have several options for participating.

-          Read the book along with me and comment on the post (bonus points if you write a guest post and send it to me. I’ll post it right alongside my own.)

-          Wait until you read my review and then decide whether the book is worth your time.

-          Consider my review the cliff notes and skip the book altogether.

-          Ignore my book club posts and continue your life of ignorance.

How fun! The server for this blog (Blogger or Blogspot I’m never sure which they prefer) is not very user-friendly when it comes to comments. I’ve heard this frustration time and again, so feel free to e-mail me directly at cara.achterberg@rocketmail.com. I can post your comment for everyone to see and I’m also completely serious about guest posts. The book club post will be the last one each month (at least that’s the plan).

 

Here’s the tentative schedule starting from the bottom of the stack:

May: Organic Manifesto by Maria Rodale 

This one’s short so it’s good for the crazybusytoomanyevents of May. When I picked up this book (it was one that landed in the trash), I realized that I did start it. There were tons of scribbles and underlinings in the first few chapters. I don't know what made me put it back down. Probably life. It often gets in my way.

June: Cleaning House: A Mom’s 12-month Experiment to Rid her Home of Youth Entitlement by Kay Wills Wyma  

This book is appropriate for summer when you’re stuck home with kids, although I'm certain that your kids will prefer that you not read it because if the author's premise works out then they'll be doing a lot less sitting around on their butts waiting to be served. I confess that I've had this book almost a year ever since a Mama Load blog reader suggested it after one of my rants about my free-loading children. I've been afraid to tackle it because I know that motivating my brood to do more around the house will be exhausting. Open mind. We shall see.

July: YOU Staying Young by Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz 

My mom gave me this for Christmas two years ago and while it looks fascinating and crammed with helpful healthy ideas, I still haven’t gotten to it. I've occasionally looked up information on whatever health subject I'm presently obsessing about, but I've yet to actually sit down and read it. No time like the present. Thanks for making me do this.

August: Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin 

Gretchen Rubin wrote The Happiness Project which has been on the best seller list for several years. I'm currently co-teaching a class on The Happiness Project and hope to teach another class on it this fall. The book has changed my perspective and I'd even wager it's made my life happier. It's time to read her sequel and see if offers more insights, ideas, and inspiration to get Fall off to an inspired start.

I’m open to suggestions and have lots of other books, but for now I’ll set the goal of reading these four in the next four months. I hope you’ll join me!