When Dick and I came back to the States from Cairo, I was really sad to leave the perks of being a University teacher’s wife. In Cairo I took classes each semester, and Dick was home a lot; grading papers and grumbling, sure, but home.
In Florida Dick took a job as a copywriter for a minuscule amount of money (let’s just say it made a teacher’s salary look good and that he now, 5 years later, gets paid more than twice as much). And when he found work as a technical writer and started blogging, he felt he’d found his vocational calling.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of supporting your spouse in finding work that they enjoy. Especially if you don’t enjoy listening to a bunch of whining (which is why Dick works so hard to support me in my sometimes-unsatisfying job, not that I would ever whine per se).
But I still envy the university lifestyle. Big time. When I’m not reading my trashy romance novels and generally being too lazy to attend a class anyway.
That’s where Great Books: By Writers Who Aren’t Dead Yet comes in. My friend Josh (who taught with Dick in Cairo and who for longer than I care to remember I used as an example to Dick, as in “Why can’t you be more like your friend Josh and get a job at a university and I can swan around the campus taking classes like “Gardening For The Most Delicious Tomatoes Ever” and people can all call me Mrs. Professor Dick in respectful tones) started a blog book club.
There are many great book reviewing sites (like Book Nook and Bloggin’BoutBooks and 5MinutesforBooks), but often when I read a review, especially if it’s of some critically-aclaimed book that everyone’s talking about, I’ll read the review and call it good. No need to actually read the book myself. Not when there are so many fun books to escape with. (I used to think that I overdosed on “real” books in college, but after 11 years of recovering from that overdose, I’m starting to think that maybe I’m just a literary peasant at heart).
So at first I hoped to sort of skim by on this, supporting Josh but maybe never getting around to reading the books, which look good but serious. Then I found myself staying up late on Saturday night because eHarlequin released the March books at midnight on February first. I read three fluffy books between midnight and some hour that I’d rather not talk about. (One of the books was great; Jessica Hart is a fun fluffy writer. Don’t let anyone tell you differently).
But I think it’s time for a real book. One I can read in public and without worrying if Sally is reading over my shoulder (some of those fluffy books, you have to watch out for; at least if it’s a “classic” I can plead artistic license if a questionable scene pops up). (I should add that Josh is conservative enough that I’m not concerned about this, and curious enough that I’m not worried I’ll be bored.)
February’s book is So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger, who wrote that Peace Like a River book that I read a few reviews of but never read myself (see above). And here I’d like to invite you all to read it with me (especially Marcy, since she has Peace Like a River on her reading list, but it would be funner to read this one at the same time, right?).
If you already have an IRL book club and such, great. Despite the many wonders of my church lady peeps out here in Seagull Fountain, I haven’t yet heard of a book club (which certainly isn’t to say that there isn’t one), so I am going to do what any sensible person does when one of her emotional/psychological/mental needs isn’t being met by the people around her: turn to the internet.*
Jane
*Just kidding. It would probably be faster to turn to beer.
**JUST KIDDING. What I really like about the internet is that it has made staying friends with some truly fantastic people a lot easier. And my family too. (haha. I’m just killing myself today). I like the premise of the not dead writers book club — that art is alive today. That the work people are creating today is just as worthy of our attention as the great classics are. I don’t know if he meant to include eHarlequin in that statement, but I’m willing to take a chance on Mr. Enger.
I hope you’ll join me!
(Online book club is what works for me.)
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I liked So Brave, Young, and Handsome a lot, but not as much as I liked Peace Like A River. You should read the latter first. There are reviews of both on my book blog – thanks for the recent shout outs, by the way. I’m still formulating a response to your adoption posts
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Nothing quite like a good book! Have fun!
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i hope your books suggestion is better than peace like a river, which was not only boring and dull, but it didnt even make a good point. i’m still trying to figure out why people swoon every time they talk about that book.
hopefully his other book makes a bit more sense and is a bit more riveting, hopefully, a lot more riveting…
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I’m excited you’ll be reading along with me this month. I’m about 40 pages into So Brave, Young, and Handsome, and it’s good so far. It’s not yet as gripping as Peach Like a River (no cool miracles yet), but I still think it’s worthy reading.
Mostly, thanks for endorsing my blog in your post. An online book club really only works if people read the book and visit the site, so I’m genuinely indebted to you. I only hope my writing ends up being equal to the idea.
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Hey, awesome idea–book put on hold with the library. I definitely need an online “literary” book club. I’m just proud of myself for reading classic “trash” these days. (Where do we class Daphne du Maurier? It’s genre fiction, but it’s endured 50 years.)
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Hi Jane! Can I be your book friend? I need a new book *immediately,* because although Stephanie Meyer’s 3rd is quite interesting, it’s going to make me feel intellectually inferior as I’m going away this weekend with FOUR lawyer…. ahem, I mean attorney friends. I have to make it look like I’m smart!
Off to the library!
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Oh, and your haiku:
Reading with Jane, yay!
It’s her recommendation
(big word for haiku)
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Jordan — Speaking of classic trash, my favorite in the genre are the MMKaye Death in . . . books. There’s one in Berlin and Kashmir and the Andamans, etc. Lovely British colonialism among the natives stuff. I almost feel like Elizabeth Peters belongs in this group too. Emphasis on the “genre” and the “classic.” (I’ve mentioned Barbara Michaels a few times lately, and that’s just one of EP’s pseudonyms).
Kikibibi — YES! Be my book friend. How fun. (And darn. I’m gonna have to go buy the book today, now. Isn’t at our library yet, and can I just mention that the Seagull Fountain Library is a bit of an embarrassment. Think So Brave, Young, and Handsome will be at Costco?)
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I read Peace Like a River a few years back – beautifully written. I’ve forgotten enough to make it a good read-again book.
I’ll follow the linky and check it out – I’d love to have a book club again and I can’t seem to find one in real life. Not that aren’t any around here, just that no one has readily invited me to join one. I’d crash their meetings if I knew where they met but that might not be the best plan!
Time to rely on the interwebz!
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I love reading. Unfortunately, I tend to enjoy almost all heavy books. Luckily, I have to keep up on what my children are reading so I get a big dose of Young Adult. Peace Like A River was wonderful, I would totally read the author again.
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What a good idea. I just ordered the book from our local library.
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What a very cool idea!! I am always looking for different and new books to read. I will have to check it out (if I ever get through the books I got for Christmas)
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I am totally with you on this one! If I can find it. I read like a crazy lady and have been wanting to read more than just the easy and entertaining reading I usually pick.
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[...] romance novels.” But I’m trying, with my friend’s online book club, to put some class back in my diet. I tried so hard in February that I ordered about $40 worth of used books from Half.com (including [...]
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