I'm looking forward to seeing all the madwomen in person this weekend! It'll be the first time we've all been together since the idea for the book club was conceived. And how fitting, considering the current book selection, that we'll meet up for a food festival! All-you-can-eat Maryland blue crab - would Frank approve?
I'm also looking forward to setting some parameters for how this blog should proceed. I was considering posting my initial impressions of the book but, like Miss Havisham, I'm afraid to spoil the ending for the other club members. That was an unanticipated kink in the system that we neglected to negotiate.
In the meantime, since I'm abstaining from discussing Born Round, here's what else is going on in my reading life. To be honest, I haven't been reading anything longer than the occasional NY Times article. I'm trying to muster up the courage to begin Jeffrey Shaara's The Steel Wave. I love Jeff, I love historical fiction, and I especially love historical fiction about World War II (or WWI or Henry VIII, but I'll save those for another post). I've been anticipating this book since June, and those of you who know me well know that I rarely hold on to a book for such a long period of time without cracking the spine. The problem is that I find Shaara's books to be extremely labor-intensive reading. I call them "historical fiction, heavy on the history," because they are so thoroughly researched and so chock-full of historical detail. I read Killer Angels (by his father) two summers ago, and last summer I read To The Last Man. It took me a solid two weeks...much slower going than my usual pace. I loved it, and learned so much about General Pershing and trench warfare, but I felt like I needed to follow up with Danielle Steele...my brain was too exhausted to comprehend anything heavier than fluff.
With the advent of summer, I felt it was time to hunker down and try another Shaara selection. The problem is that the book has been sitting in a crate in the basement since I moved, and I haven't been motivated enough to fetch it. I think the laziness stems not so much from dreading the two flights downstairs, but from knowing what I'm in for once I begin reading. However, with my new job looming in less than a week, it's now or never...once I start working again, I know I'll be chock-full of excuses! Tomorrow promises to be rainy, so perhaps it'll be the perfect day to settle down with a big mug of tea and tackle that book!
- Rebecca DeW