Joining a Book Club

It has finally happened. I have conceded. I have joined the ladies-who-lunch brigade and have been accepted into what is, by all accounts, a rather smart book club on 5th Avenue.

What was I thinking? I have yielded to my vanity!

This is not an opportunity for a bit of Joanna Trollope and a girly natter over chocolate biscuits squeezed into someone’s cosy flat. No. This book club is for grown ups. Smart women with multiple degrees, serious careers and a penchant for reading Virginia Woolf. Shall I be caught out on day one as an imposter and fraud who loves the merry romp of a Jilly Cooper rather than anything marginally, even fractionally heavier? Quite possibly.

Well, I shall just have to stop ruminating and clutching madly at my hair with tremulous hands and go to the bookshop. I have to purchase not just one, but two books which need to be read within 3 weeks. I’ve made my bed and now I shall lie in it, with the books no doubt.

Just a teensy thought, I wonder what one wears to a book club meeting on Fifth Avenue? Hmm … my book shopping might need to include some clothes shopping …

Think I’m going to nail this!

Katie x

Any experiences of book clubs?? Help me please!

37 thoughts on “Joining a Book Club”

    1. Have just been to Barnes and Noble this morning! I could spend hours in there, if only they had some little chairs to sit on, but perhaps they want to prevent the likes of me being there and infinitum! The book club itself is in an apartment so wonderfully central. I’m really rather excited now … I just have to wade through the books 😬

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  8. Hi Katie. I guess I must be about 40 posts behind by now. So I read this one first. It’s like getting to 5 mins near the end of the film and not knowing what’s been happening. I’m presuming you’re finally settled across the Atlantic? I hope things are going well for you all. I now have to stretch wide and jump many posts back to where I left off with you still in England with Claude. I wonder if you took ‘him’ with you? All shall be revealed as I scour through your posts, no doubt. I’m looking forward to finding out what you and The Colnel (?) have been up to. How do you spell kernel as in your man? I’ll have to look it up. Xx

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    1. Kernel!!! Oh you just made me snort and giggle out loud! Um, it’s Colonel. 😂😂 All is fine, thank you. It’s been quite a move with lots to learn and lots to do. I’ve signed up for volunteering whilst I try to find gardening work (turns out there aren’t many gardens here in Manhattan … just some roof terraces. And pots and I don’t get along … I tend to kill them with love). I’m meeting lots of people and have joined a book club and am hoping that of all these people, I make some really great friends. But what of you? I do hope you’re well … I need to have a good read of your posts too! Golly, where does the time go?! Xx

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      1. I know! Time eh? I’ve been busy writing another book and it is out on Amazon now. Although the publication date is July, I edited it 3 times before being happy with it, and I’ve only just received my copies. Because authors don’t get any free copies of their own, i had to dwindle my ‘give away’ list from 30 down to 20. I then had to pay £11 postage on top of that and another £18 for all those people who I want to send them out to after I’ve signed them and popped in a home-made bookmark. I am sad because I had one for you, and two other blogging friends, but I had to be ruthless with my list and give close friends & family the priority 😦 But I’m pleased with it and I plan to begin writing another one. And how is yours coming along? Ah, I need to read your posts don’t I? I SHALL! Thanks for the correction of Colonel. Why is choir not spelt cquior? At least the I should be before the O! xx

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      2. Ha! Our spelling is ridiculous isn’t it! I do feel for people learning English. If it’s not our funny little quirks and foibles that they have to attempt to understand, it’s our darn spellings! I’m so impressed with your book publication. Mine is getting there. Procrastination is terrible thing. I seem to flit from being committed to worrying that it will never be good enough. Am toying at the moment with joining a writing course which I think would spur me on to get through the final editing phase. And I’m with you as regards the spelling of choir … what a ridiculous word! Xx

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      3. Don’t worry too much about the procrastination. I think there are many reasons for that. Will people like it? Is it good enough yet? Should I take stuff out? Do I need to add more? My one piece of advice to you would be to just do it. Feel the fear and do it anyway. That’s a title of a self-coaching book that I have not yet read, but the title is encouraging. You are a fab blogger so I have every confidence in you that your book will be great. But I guess we are our own worst critic. In my book, some of the text in the images are too small. But I’m leaving it for now until somebody points out a spelling mistake and I can then amend everything at once. But we will always see things that other people don’t even notice and are not bothered about. I’ve just published a post about my book on my blog, together with the link, so if you want to take a peek… I hope if anything, that it will spur you on to complete yours. That is what happened to me. I read a friend’s novel in January (I had no idea she was a writer) and was so inspired that I began this book in Feb. xx

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      4. You see, the lovely thing about you is that you’re so jolly and uplifting! You inspire me to just crack on and be brave and frankly, fiddle-Dee-Dee to everything else. And rightly so. Thank you. I shall have a look at your latest post and the link … sorry, I’m behind at the moment! Xx

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    1. Ha! But you see, this is for me a great step into the unknown too. I am not really a ‘club’ person at all. Indeed, I’m more of a ‘hide under the bed person’. But you’re right, being English does seem to help a little out here. Added to which, when I’m nervous my voice seems to veer into its very best Roedean version of which I have absolutely no control. So then to try to counteract that, I add in a few ‘Saff Landon’ (South London obviously!) touches. This just makes me sound and look weird. I do wish I was a bit more normal.
      Oh God … this isn’t going to go well is it?! 😬😬

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      2. Ha!! You’re right, it would be worth doing just to see the understandably baffled faces! There was a plumber in Glasgow with a very strong accent who spent a lot of time in our house as it had a multitude of ongoing issues with radiators … I never, ever understood a word he said!

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      4. Ha! Yes I can well believe it! And, Glaswegians make the most solid of friends. I miss those friends I made whilst up there. They’re wonderful and took the mickey out of me relentlessly … a soft southerner who often couldn’t understand what they said. They were the best!

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