So...I Joined a Book Club

I have never considered myself a big reader, until maybe about now. As I am currently reading 4 books at the moment. More like, 3, because I keep putting one down, whenever I can find something better to read or do.

I once heard at one time that the average person reads 3 books a year. I would say I used to be average, in that sense. This year, however, I would say I have broken my record.

I think partly, it might have been the influence of my friend, Brianne, that got me started on my consistent reading for books. She would always be reading a book during her lunchtime. She told me she would never read her books at home, just at work, during breaks, but she read every single day (I did too, but it was just the comics page, and if it wasn’t there - then, oh well.)

It got to the point, however, that I would have no comics to read (either because someone else was reading them, or they just happened to disappear when I wanted them). So I started taking books just in case the comics section did not show up. I started reading every day. Even if it was for only 15 minutes or less.

A few months ago, some ladies in my church decided to form a book club. It meets during the day once a month, so it works perfectly for my nighttime schedule. I was invited to come during their 2nd book since starting. The book was “Little Women.” By the time I was asked, it was too late to read the book, which I never read before. I had seen the movie years ago, however. I have forgotten much of it, so I was unable to add much to the conversation, if anything.

So, the first book I read for book club was “Plain and Simple” by Sue Bender. The book, features the Author/Psychologist/Artist who decides to live with the Amish for awhile to see what living as an Amish person is really like. Personally, I thought the author herself was a little strange, but it was interesting to see how the Amish believe and live.

The next book, is my one of my all time favorites, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. I had already read the book a couple of years ago for the first time after wanting to read it for years. I decided to borrow the movie, first, since I never watched it Then read the book a second time. Both the movie and the book were excellent.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is about prejudice. Not just against race, but against other types of people as well. It is done through a child’s eyes, who are untainted through innocence. If I could recommend any classic book, it would be this one. It has humor, it makes you think, it is very well written. The father, Atticus, is a very smart man and genuinely good person. People should be more like Atticus. Some people in my book club did not understand why the book was so critically acclaimed, but after a really good discussion, I think they understood. It is a good book. You should read it. Then rent/borrow the movie after.

The third book was “The Goose Girl” by Shannon Hale.

I have always liked fairy-tales. This one is a little different -- not one I have heard before. It had more violence than I expected, but it had suspense, and humor. It was hard for me to put the book down. I really enjoyed this book. I might not recommend it for children, since it appears that it is more geared towards young adults.

The last book I have read for my book club is “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas. Someone in our club started reading it before it was assigned, and seeing it, well… it overwhelmed me. It was so many pages! A month to read 1,276 pages, CXVII chapters (yes, they are in Roman numerals) during July. A very busy month for me, as I have many summer activities I like to do during that month. I really wasn’t sure I could do it.

I also had borrowed my mom’s third “Twilight” book for the summer, “Eclipse,” and a friend sent me a novel she is trying to publish for me to read and give feedback. Let alone, I just started “The Grapes of Wrath” which I had been planning to read forever, but just hadn’t.

I decided to dedicate most of my free time to “The Count of Monte Cristo” as much as I could. Yet, I would not sacrifice my fun summer activities for it. I also borrowed the movie, the one with James (Jim) Caviezel, to maybe help me out a little. It hardly resembled the book at all. You could read or watch either one first, just don’t expect either to be alike. There about as good as each other, if you can separate the two, I suppose. There were times in the book, however, that seemed long, and drawn out. I just wanted it to get to the point. At least, in about two hours time, the movie is over. I cannot say the same for the book.

One of my friends actually asked me, “Isn’t (reading that book) like putting a gun to your head?” Ha ha. No. I enjoyed it more than that. Some parts I found very interesting, to the point I did not want to put it down. The style definitely took some time to get used to, since there were many different stories going on in one book, with the same character being addressed different constantly (by their first name, their last name, or some other title). I am glad that I read it. It is possible I will read it again someday, but not right away, and not in one month, especially one that is extremely busy for me. It almost felt too much like a school assignment that way.

The next book we are supposed to read is “The Scarlet Pimpernel” by Emmuska Orczy. I have read this book before. Normally, I am open-minded when it comes to comparing books to movies, but when I read this particular book, after seeing the movie, I found it dreadfully dull.

The movie, the one with Jane Seymour in it, has a lot of humor in it, where the book does not. I really liked the movie, and perhaps because I had seen it first, it might have ruined the book. The reason why I wanted to read the book in the first place, was because I had seen the movie. Now, after several years, I have the opportunity to read this book again. I am trying to go in with an open mind. It has been a long time since I have seen the movie, but I still remember it quite well. However, I will not watch it again till I attempt to finish this book a second time. Wish me luck.

Since “The Scarlet Pimpernel” has not been available at the library yet, I am reading the next book, “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde I have heard about this book for years, and am a little curious about it. I am very relieved that it is much shorter than “The Count of Monte Cristo.” Almost every book now seems shorter than “The Count of Monte Cristo.” I think I might be a faster reader because of it… or maybe just a more patient one.