Book club

I'll admit it. I like to read. I read just about anything. Like my mom says, she reads anything including the back of the cereal box. When I was little, we'd go to the Carnegie Library on the South Side. I can still smell the scent of the old books and the wooden bookcases.

When I started going to book club a few years ago, I had mixed emotions about it. Often the books that were selected weren't really books I'd read. I was 10-15 years younger than most of the other women. But now I find that I look forward to book club.

We have read all kinds of books- top sellers, classics, misc books that someone had read and enjoyed. We have various types of conversations. We generally start with talking about the book but end up talking about our personal lives. What is intriguing is that because of the age differences, the older women will talked about when they were younger. Recently, we've read several books about life during WWI and WWII. I'm not a history bluff but these books have opened discussion about, not the politics behind the wars, but the human aspect. The book "The Corner of Bitter and Sweet" deals with the influence of the war on the Japanese-American citizens. It was an interesting viewpoint from a Chinese-American boy and how he saw the unfair treatment of not just Japanese-American citizens but of all Asian citizens.  Another book we've read was based on a little town in WV, where another woman was born and raised.  Another took place in Italy, where yet another woman spoke about her visits and taking Italian cooking classes from an Italian chef.

What is the influence of E-readers and the internet on reading? On Amazon, there are always new e-books available.  New free e-books also become available daily.  You can now link to the library and download books from their website, without having to leave your house.  I find that I am reading more because of my Kindle. Some people still prefer the feel of a real book in their hands.

I think with the availability of books, either ebooks or hard copies, hopefully, people will continue to enjoy  reading.

Until next time, when I continue the rantings and ravings of a mom of an

American Dream Family.....