Book club tales

I’ve been thinking of joining a book club for ages. I love reading, I love that feeling when I need to share and discuss the book I’ve read because I’m bursting at the seams with emotions. Ok, not every book I read is this good, but when I do find something that touches me just so, there are very few people in my life I can talk to about it. I’m surrounded by non-readers.It’s frightening.

I joined a book club in Uni but never went to any meetings. I like to think I was too busy, but that was pure laziness. Fast-forward a few years. Book clubs in the libraries and bookshops around me have long waiting lists. Looooooong lists. Irish people do love to read, I’ve discovered. On that note, it warms my heart to see the impressive amount of men and women reading on public transport, in cafes and in parks. 

Back to the story. I finally did find a book club that lifted the membership restrictions. It was in a fancy bar in the hotel in the heart of the city. I walked into a small room, with a few tiny round tables and comfortable sofas, a thick dark carpet and a fire burning in the fireplace. I was a bit apprehensive because I found this book club online and didn’t know any of the members.  So what do I do? Fake it, of course. Pretend to be comfortable with introducing myself to a large group of strangers, who know each other for months, if not years. There were quite a few people there, but I think I must be at least 10 years younger than the other members. I wonder how that will affect the experience in the long run.

We discussed the Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan, a non-fiction story about Israeli - Palestinian conflict.  It really surprised me that I enjoyed reading this book. I guess the educational aspect alone was worth the time. Discovery of the day – it’s a pleasure to be around intelligent people. Big shocker, I know. I came to the meeting with one main impression from reading the book- I finally comprehend the causes and complexity of the conflict. The other members of the book club had much more to add to the discussion though. They were not only older, but also more educated in the world history and politics, therefore they were able to back up their opinions and enrich the discussion with the extensive knowledge on the subject from other sources. I have to admit I rather enjoyed it. It’s like a free lecture on history and politics, only louder, highly opinionated and with drinks involved. 

First book club meeting – WIN.