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Thursday, July 3, 2008

Making Plans

--by Abby

Having settled into my new job, new apartment, new hometown, new home state and new time zone, I'm ready for a project.

I know we've discussed the difference between a book club (where all the members read the same book then come together to discuss it) and an online forum for book discussion (this blog) and the shortcomings of each. For starters, by my count our bloggers now span at least 4 states, not really conducive to scheduling a meeting. But on the other hand, without common purpose we are lacking a real glue to hold the thing together.

So I'm opening the floor up to suggestions. I like the idea of everyone reading the same book at the same time, but I don't know if we should split up the entries, or each do our own, or do a chat or something. The real appeal of online is that everyone can go at their own pace, just check in on certain bits when they get to them.

Let me know what you think, and if anyone has suggestions on material, I'd take those too. I thought maybe a collection of essays or short stories might be a nice baby step, so if you miss one, its not so tragic.

Bring on the creativity.

1 comment:

miranda. said...

For some reason this reminded me of a blog post from a while ago on Tegan and Sara's myspace about a book club that Tegan was a part of. I went back through their blog until I found the link: http://www.spin.com/blog/months-book-club-sacks-anthropologist-mars
I haven't read any of the other book club articles (and, honestly, I only read Tegan's review), but I guess they just read the book and submit a short review?

Also, after I read your post the first time Ab, I found this book's review in an old issue of Entertainment Weekly I had lying around:

"Rosie Little's Cautionary Tales for Girls" by Danielle Wood (short story collection)

Rosie, a Little Red Riding Hood type with lace-up Doc Martens instead of scones, narrates this story collection for the smart, strong female who can't help getting into trouble. Despite the fantastical elements-- a woman turns into a mannequin, an imaginary salesman reads minds-- Wood's prose reads as powerful, funny, and very real. Amid the abortions and domestic abuse, the best tales cover the lighter fare, like the woman who can't ask loved ones to stop buying her decorative elephants. Rosie may have "a difficult relationship with the word 'eclectic,'" but that's what this book is, in a good way.

They gave the book an A-, so maybe it's something worth checking out?