Happy Friday, readers! I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead of you. Mine is unusual: I’m hopping a plane to come meet readers in Denver (sold out), Olympia, and the Bay area to talk I’d Rather Be Reading. Can’t wait to meet you there!
Related: I mentioned a Cincinnati event on the podcast this week without giving you details. Those details, plus info on additional fall events, are now available on my events page. (The short version: I’m doing a live podcast with Pantsuit Politics co-hosts Beth and Sarah and it’s going to be fun!)
My favorite finds from around the web:
• The 2018 National Book Awards longlist: Young people’s literature. I have not read any of these. YET.
• Chronically tardy people have these traits in common. Don’t make me say why, but I found this interesting and helpful.
• Landmark exhibition brings Victor Hugo’s forgotten drawings into focus. “For Hugo, drawing was a private endeavor; he didn’t want his artistic pursuits to distract from his writing. So he drew for family, friends and for himself—stormy, brooding works, rendered not only in dark ink, but also in more experimental materials like coffee grounds and soot.”
• ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ series, films in the works at Netflix. “The deal marks the first time that rights to the entire seven books of the Narnia universe have been held by the same company.”
Let’s read together:
Reading is a solitary act, but there’s so much to be gained by reading together. That’s why I love our Modern Mrs. Darcy book club and wanted to fill you on what’s going to be a very fun October.
How does an online book club work? Each month we read one core title together, plus an optional complimentary selection or two that creates a “book flight.” We discuss these books—and other titles and bookish topics—around the clock in our own private forums (Not Facebook. Although we do have a private Facebook group, it’s mostly for bookish memes.). At the end of the month, we meet online with video to discuss the month’s main selection. (Many times, we chat with the author, and that’s always a special treat!)
If you can’t make one of our events, don’t worry. All members have unlimited access to a video library full of all the classes, book chats, and author discussions we’ve ever done, including Jane Harper, Frederik Backman, Marisa de los Santos, Ayobami Adebayo, Chris Cleve, J.T. Ellison, Ariel Lawhon, Laurie Frankel, and more!
I recently asked our book club members what they love about book club and three things stuck out:
- A community that LOVES to read. Not everyone has the pleasure of knowing fellow readers or many readers who read with their level of enthusiasm.
- A kind community. The Internet is not always a kind place, but we expect all our members to be respectful of each other’s opinions.
- Flexible. You can participate as much or as little as you want, from desktop or mobile, at any time of day.
This October we’re reading Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan, and we’re looking forward to chatting with Kelly (!!!) at the end of the month. I adored this book, I wish I could download it into my brain, I want everyone I know to read it, and we’ll never exhaust the discussion topics it presents.
Our flight pick, You Learn by Living by Eleanor Roosevelt, comes at the same topics in a vastly different way, and reading the two in tandem provides so many excellent discussion opportunities and insights into the genre.
I’ve met several book club members while on book tour and loved what one of them said to me in Houston: The MMD Book Club is the best $10 she spends each month because it’s her guaranteed me-time for intelligent adult discussions.
Click here to learn more and I hope to see you in the forums soon!
Favorite Instagram:
I undervalued my home state when I was younger, but these past few years I’ve come to appreciate how beautiful and breathtaking she can be. I also can’t complain about her ability to give me a couple days without cell service. (Follow me on instagram @annebogel.)
On the blog:
One year ago: Our home library. “When we started planning the bookshelves, we were worried we wouldn’t have enough books to fill them. (And I mean truly fill them, none of this decorator’s rule-of-thumb one-third art objects, one-third empty space, one-third books for us.) We needn’t have worried.”
Two years ago: The perks of reading together. “When we read together, we both enjoy a richer, fuller experience, because I can borrow your personal experience, and you can borrow mine.”
Three years ago: 8 books recommended by readers with great taste. “I thought it would be fun to share some picks from a few of the readers I look to for help when I’m trying to decide what to read next.”
Four years ago: How to keep a great series from ruining your life. “I learned more about how authors create page-turners—and I’ve put that information to good use so that I can (albeit, I’ll admit, unwillingly) put down books that used to be un-put-down-able.”
Five years ago: It’s not a dirty little secret anymore. “It’s useful enough to earn a place on every home’s bookshelf, but little known enough that you can confidently gift it to a college grad without worrying she’ll get three more copies at her graduation party.”
Have a great weekend!
7 comments
I see The Poet X is the first book listed in The New Yorker article – and I can attest to the fact that it’s AMAZING! Definitely one of my favourite reads this year, and probably up there for all-time favourites as well.
A little off topic but…I get to meet you in person this weekend in Denver! YAY!
Woohoo!
My husband is usually late to everything… just by a few minutes, but I still find it exasperating, as I’m chronically early. By watching him, I’ve ascertained that it’s because he “dawdles”. He thinks he has plenty of time to shower and get dressed, so he gets on the computer and falls down the rabbit hole. When he or we have to be at a certain place on time, I can usually act as a “facilitator” to get him moving. (“Why don’t you get a shower and get dressed NOW, and then you can get on the computer if there is time afterwards?” Usually, he finds that he has little to no time to do so.) I think he just doesn’t realize that everything he does takes longer than he thinks. Then, when he loses a contact lens or nicks himself shaving, it throws him off even more. Whereas I plan for everything to take longer and to go wrong, so I am usually early and twiddle my thumbs (or read, if I had the foresight to bring a book along.)
Oh my gosh – I love this lateness article! I grew up with a father who was chronically late…by like an hour or more! We all hated it as a family. My mom set all the clocks in the house 10 min fast and that did nothing. I’ve grown up to be an adult who absolutely HATES chronically late people. I think it’s rude and completely disrespectful of others’ time. I understand things happen every now and then, but in my experience, it’s always the same people who are late to everything. We have certain friends who we always lie about the dinner reservation time to…we push it forward by at least 30 min. This was a big issue when we lived in NYC because restaurants there won’t seat you until your whole party has arrived. I’m sort of like, get your act together, people!
While I don’t recall the last time I commented on your blog, I do want to say I love, love reading your posts regularly. And when I saw you are visiting the Bay Area, I was all excited until I saw exactly where – just a little too far to stop by on a weekday evening 🙁
I love the article about Chronically Tardy People and it has some helpful tips.