Jane Austen, Oiser Boudreaux, and a Book Club.

I have always been a lover of books. As far as my memory serves me, I have some fond memories of my nose inside a book. My favorite outings with my mother were to the public library. I read every book in the American Girls series by the time I was 10. During the summertime, my mom would give my brothers and me a reading list and book report assignments (so as not to fry our brains with t.v.!). These were my favorite summers... I remember quite a bit of grumbling from the bros, though!

As I read, I was enamored by the art of story telling, the structuring of sentences, new adjectives that entered into my vocabulary. I know I am not alone here- books are wonderful escapes!

In the last year, I moved to a Pensacola, where familiar faces are scarce. Spending lots of time at Panera Bread and Barnes and Noble, I realized what a great bond books could be. I wanted to join a book club! But how does one find one, start one, or weed out the bad ones? This is scary territory- a book club is no Southern Lit class (although, I will be eternally in love with Flannery O'Conner because of that English Minor I have in my back pocket.)

A good friend of mine was telling me recently about the great book club she belonged to in Colorado. All the members became so close, and their husbands and boyfriends even started a club of their own during book club meeting time! This sounded so lovely to me, I just had to have one of my own. We would start one! Yes! How excited I was.

That is, until I got a text from her a few weeks later. She had talked to some girls she knew. None of them were interested. Instead of a book club, they wanted to have a wine-and-dine club.

Now, as much as I love wining and dining... how could they not love the idea of a book club!? These girls didn't like to read! Preposterous! They didn't get enthralled by the vacation a good book can bring... they didn't feel the closeness to a group of characters as if they were your real friends. How could this be!?

I realize with t.v and the internet, people don't read as much as they used to. But this is a very sad epidemic. What happened to "Sexy Girls Read"??

I have found that I can describe or reference most anything in life with a quote from Steel Magnolias. (Perfect example...)

This time is no exception. When wealthy and oh-so cultured Clairee invites Ouiser to see a local play, Ousier's response is this:

I do not see plays, because I can nap at home for free. And I don't see movies 'cause they're trash, and they got nothin' but naked people in 'em! And I don't read books, 'cause if they're any good, they're gonna make 'em into a miniseries.

Oh Ouiser, how I do love your charm! But, is this how most people really feel?

 

I suppose, for now, I will go another day without belonging to a book club. If anyone has any ideas on how to start a great one- please let me know!

And, since my blog is in reference to Jane Austen and I have yet to even mention her- I will leave you with these wise words from good ol' Janie:

The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.