#14 - Join A Book Club

My friend Tamsen politely took my v-card yesterday as she introduced me to a whole new level of bookworm and as a result, I am now a "Friend of the Library" with all-access to local book sale preview nights. It is as intense as you think. After signing up for this exclusive membership, I was greeted by someone at the door who asked if I needed a box. I kindly declined sharing that I had a satchel that would be just fine. Little did I know the adventure I was about to begin and in no time I would need a box. The library lobby was filled with stacks On STACKS of books in boxes. Hardcover, softcover, romances, young adult, biographies, audios... I mean name it... it was there. OoooOWEeee! Not to mention, this sea of books that surrounded me would only cost me $3 or LESS for each paged adventure I wanted to purchase. Where has this world been all my life?

As you can imagine, I was overwhelmed. People filled the narrow rows of each aisle and saying excuse-me was a waste of breath. No one heard another person in the room because of each person's intense focus on finding their gold.We hurdled over people who were being protective of their crates of books and venturing off under tables to find the books they needed. Thankfully, Tamsen showed me where to start and in no time I was the one people were hurdling over. I got so focused and excited that I must have forgotten to breathe because in no time I got hiccups and couldn't get through a conversation with a fellow bookworm without an embarrassing interruption of my body squandering for more oxygen. It was a gold mine of books and I walked away with 8 bestsellers for $16. Less than the price of my hard cover copy of Gone Girl. Amidst my selection, I had ROOM, Hornet's Nest, Little Bee, In The Woods, Secret Life of Bees, the new Jenni Weiner - Then Came You, and so much more! Whew. What at adventure. I've got to say the best highlight was overhearing a woman whisper to the librarian... "Where are the copies of 50 Shades of Grey?" The librarian sadly confirmed that the box of Fifty was the first to empty. Needless to say, the woman denied absolutely needing to read the book - she just wanted to buy it for her friend. These people... You ain't gots to lie gurl - you are among friends!   

So where did this new level begin? I share...

I've always wanted to join a book club. I'm not sure why but I loved the idea of having accountability partners for reading and being able to rely on others for great book recommendations. It didn't take long for me to ask my new co-workers if anyone knew of any book clubs... aside from the Synergy Committee that chooses our Common Reading book every year. I wasn't above that at all. I just wanted to be able to read a book for social reasons with some my new found "life" time on my hands.

It didn't take long until I was connected to Tamsen who shares my love for the book world and probably takes it a whole other level that I could see me reaching one day. Tamsen started the Wilmington Book Club a year or so ago with a group of girls who... I'm honestly not sure where she met them... but they love reading! The group is such a mixture of people I wouldn't normally get to hang out with and I absolutely love it. There's a girl who is new to Wilmington and lives with her boyfriend - friends with another woman she works with at a local eye doctor who I think may be married, no kids. Another girl works at UNCW and fosters dogs. I hear such great stories about her foster dogs spiking my desire to own one... faster than having a baby right now. Just saying. The foster care girl lives close to another girl who just called herself a "soccer mom" yesterday because her under 5-year old just started soccer practice at the Y! How adorable. She is pretty good friends with another girl in the group who seems recently married whose husband works at a nuclear plant. Then there's Tamsen, me and a non-traditional student at UNCW who I think found out about the book club through someone else there. She took a year off and moved to Hawaii for a year because she realized she wasn't ready to take on college when she got here as a freshman. Awesome story. As you can see, we're a great mix... and yes it probably looks a lot like this...except we are more laid back less bougie..

We meet every other Thursday at a restaurant chosen by the host and we have the rest of the semester planned out to a t - the host, the book, the book exchange holiday party, everything! I'm hosting my first book club in two weeks and we are reading "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn. It's a top choice at book clubs around the world! Ok... so maybe around the world was written for emphasis. The best part is that no one is overly intense about making sure you've read the book on time. They are so understanding that life happens. If we haven't finished a book, it's okay because there is so much more to talk about! I never realized that women who share the same book interests naturally have so many other things in common. We love the same TV shows, enjoy the same kinds of adventures, laugh at the same jokes and all agree that we feel comfortable exposing our closet dork only during book club. The comfort-level didn't take long to get there for me and I couldn't be more thankful for such a great experience. 

Take that 30 before 30. 29 more to go... :)