top of page

BOOK CLUB






Bobbie and I are avid readers. Though we seldom read the same books, we enjoy discussing the plots and new ideas every book engenders. Well, most of the time.


We were on the patio a few nights after the rattlesnake episode discussing ‘Sarus’ a book we’d both read. It wasn’t really a discussion, and I was losing. Bobbie closed her copy, tucked her notes between the pages, and said, “You know, it would be fun to get together with OTHER readers and —-“


Which meant more folks who thought like her and less like me. We’ve been married a while. I am not stupid. I simply nodded. A casual, husbandry, nod.


“We could start a book club,” Bobbie tapped the cover of her copy of Sarus.


“That we could,” I nodded.






“I know lots of people who would join.”


“So do I.”


“We’d need a name.”


“Of course. We need a name.” I nodded.


“We could google bookclub names.”


“But wine first?” I suggested.


“But of course,” Barb smiled. “Googling is hard work.”


Our planet is rich in book clubs. For some inexplicable reason, Goggle search took us to the book clubs of Great Britain first. The two most popular being the Ladies Lit Club and Salon of London. The latter conjured up a bizarre mental picture. My mind is an art gallery of bizarre images. I pictured a ritzy beauty parlor near Buckingham Palace. Dozens of women under hair driers, heads bent backward sinks, arms extended for manicures, feet on little pedestals for pedicures while at the same time a cacophony of loud, animated conversations about Queen’s, well now King’s, latest book of the month.


The Salon of London Book Club was immediately trumped by the Shanghai Dolls Woman’s Book Club which was obviously sexist and ageist.


We had better luck on our part of the planet. The good old U.S. of A. is rampant in book clubs. But Bobbie and I had to abandon the patio. It was mosquitoes 7 humans 0. If it’s ever mosquitoes vs rattlesnakes I’ll take the snakes, at least they give you a warning.

On the couch, IPads at the ready, we had a second glass of wine and took notes of clever book club names.


Stuck Between the Covers - a little risqué

Book Worms and Wormies - too nerdy

Sisterhood - too exclusive


“We want our book club to be fun, intellectual, and interesting. Don’t we,” Bobbie said.


I sipped wine and pointed to a list of boozy book club names.


Rusty Books with Wine - sounded like a group older