Book Club Tribute

Today marks my Book Club's 15th Anniversary.

Fifteen years? Wow, multiple wows can't do it justice. The charter members were Claire O'Keefe, Mary Carstensen, Lynn Brunell, and myself. Mary and I had talked about starting one for two or three years before we finally sat down and said this is it, now is the time, this is the date. Claire's only request as we discussed book, after book, after book for our inaugural selection was she wanted to pick a book that neither Mary nor I had read; Ordinary People was a great first read. Kathleen Hults missed the first meeting but was there for the second with the book read and ready to participate. I read up on book clubs before we actually started ours and discovered reams of written material about the do's and don't's of book clubbing. So so many rules was mind numbing, we elected to keep it simple: our list of rules/rule.

 You don't have to read the book. It has worked for us. 

We have had as many as fifteen and as few as one attend, but mostly it's the core folks month after month after month, with Jerry sort of an honorary long distance member kind of thing. He has slotted a few books in here and there, I don't think ever intentionally so. Sandy MacCarthy started coming when most of us worked for Eddie Bauer, then she moved to Texas for many years, then she moved back and started coming again when some of us worked for Washington Mutual after Eddie Bauer closed it's doors. Eleanor Orth started coming with her charm, elegance and immigrant perspective. Carol Brown started coming with her fascinating roots to the area, a born and bred Seattleite. Now Kathleen is starting a new phase of her life and is moving to Wisconsin to be of service to her aging parents. What will we do without her grace, wit, sharp observations, love of all things Celtic, and her quiet calm demeanor? She will be deeply missed. Mary is going to try to start up a Facebook page to help with those universal connections that are now universally possible.

Speaking of connections, we started off with paper books and now it's mostly electronic apparatus for those smart enough to master them. Not necessarily me, but most of the others. We are so au curant. I think every brand and device has been dabbled with. Sometimes we discussed the devices instead of the book.

We have always chosen a book that was in paperback and therefore less expensive -- except for one time. One time we pooled our money and bought a hard cover book straight off the best seller shelf that everyone read and shared and passed to the next person; Sea Biscuit. That was easier to do when we all worked at Eddie Bauer. Then we all went to see the movie, Jean was visiting and went with us. 

We have read fiction, non-fiction, and science fiction. We have read biography's and autobiographies. We've read about angels and demons and madman working on the Oxford Dictionary from an insane asylum. We've read about Comanche uprisings and scalping and wild children taking over a Christmas pageant.

We have read local; Seattle or Pacific Northwest authors, and in honor of some of our roots; Montana or Oklahoma connections, sentimental: Norman Rockwell's Greatest Painting, heavy; Blindness, lighthearted, frivolous, ethnic, immigrant. We have borrowed ideas for books from everywhere. Kurt Vonnegut died so we read one of his books. We had Kathleen's niece pick a book when she was living with Kathleen one summer, good book, great discussion. Jasmine -- I think. 

Sometimes we picked a theme and everyone chose their own book about the theme and shared; Shackleton and The Dead Sea Scrolls come to mind. I remember one time we watched a movie along with reading a book; Stranger than Fiction, there was a connection. We have tacked on children's books for no specific reason, just because we have no rules.

We have read Noble prize winners, Pulitzer prize winners, Booker prize winners, classical, a smattering of international books and some really mediocre stuff. Not much romance. A book we disagreed on, with divided beliefs, led to fierce discussion like A Curve in Time. A book that everybody loved led to no discussion at all, so at book club we merely caught up on family, events, kids, work, life.

It is always fun, entertaining, educational, and how can I put this? Bonding. 

Our intent was to create a book club. We became so much more. Carol gives knitting lessons, Lynn brings food, Kathleen brings clippings, Claire brings the latest NPR discussion, Eleanor brings herself as often as possible. We are a loving, encouraging, listening, supporting group who loves to read. We have had kid trouble, car trouble, weather trouble, broken bones, shifting jobs, careers, and homes. Life has happened; death, sickness, grandchildren, son going off to war. Fifteen years covers a lot of life. This is a group of smart, smart ladies with deep, intuitive, gifted insights into books -- and life. We will keep reading, chatting, experiencing, and living for many many years.

Actually we are unremarkable; unremarkable women, unremarkable years, unremarkable books, unremarkable lives that has led to something pretty remarkable.

We are Ordinary People.

For years we tried to name our book club and it just never happened, no name ever inspired or stuck until Connor was old enough to observe that book club was always by The Brown Bear Bakery with it's big brown bear carving. He knew the name of the book club was The Bear Book Club and so we are.

Sandy MacCarthy has kept a book club reading list on her blog for years. How can we ever thank Sandy enough for this gift. She is special in our hearts.

http://sandy-lifeisbeautifullifeiscrazy.blogspot.com/

Oh, by the way Sandy, you are a few months behind.  What are you doing? Dragon boat racing, working, knitting, walking, reading, visiting, vacationing, hiking, gardening, volunteering, busy being a wife and living your life?

Tonight marks the 15th Anniversary of book club. Ian was fifteen years old and Mary had no grandchildren instead of six.