October 6, 2011

I Get By with a Little Help from my Friends

Mom came up to visit for a day and a half. So sweet, but too short. Her mission: accompany me to my neighborhood book club featuring our novel, Depression Cookies. We had a lovely time. Everyone was so supportive!

Women shared childhood memories, family traditions, raising children, and how the book affected them. Some of their insight was truly inspiring.

We had some fun dissecting the meaning behind our title. I love when readers see more depth than we intended but are now thrilled to include in our interpretation. I joked with them: if Shakespeare were alive today and sitting in a book club, would he hear the generations of interpretation and simply sit back and say, "Sure, I meant all of that."

As authors, we build our story and want readers to embrace it. It's a whole other gift when the readers add value and make it even better. Thank you!

When my family and I moved to Maryland last year, I was sad. I loved my Colorado community, especially the lovely ladies in my book club (I still miss you!). Within weeks of the move, I opened up our new neighborhood newsletter to see a picture with the headline, "Goshen Oaks Book Club Celebrates 10 Years." I was beside myself with anticipation.


The Beatles summed it up perfectly for me. I truly get by with a little (lot) help from my friends. I am so grateful to this wonderful group of ladies for letting the new kid in and making me feel so special. A special thank you to Suzy for hosting.

Next on our list: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. I've heard wonderful things about the book, and it's been sitting in my to-read pile since it came out in paperback.

As a reader, does the book club experience add to a book?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes - our friends are always there when we need them. Lovely bog
Sylvia
htp://www.TransformationYourGift.com

Nana said...

What a fun group! It was a joy to discuss the book and hear the ladies reaction to different characters and scenes. Book clubs are a wonderful way to share books and stretch one another in the reading experience. I've read books I would have never picked up on my own. And I've garnered new insight from listening to others commentary. It helps me to be a better reader.

Tia Bach said...

Thanks, Sylvia.

Nana, Thanks for coming and sharing the moment with me!

Julie Glover said...

I have been in a book club for several years now and enjoy it. I like discussing the books, and I end up reading in genres that I wouldn't normally pick up on my own. We also digress into other topics about our lives, and these women are genuinely close friends as well. Thanks for sharing.

Tia Bach said...

I totally agree, Julie. I think the reason I love all genres is thanks to book clubs. I've been attending since college and all over the country.

Thanks for your support and friendship in the blog/online world!

Anonymous said...

That is awesome, Tia!

Tia Bach said...

Thanks, Nicky!