Book Clubs Friends

Glasses and Glasses: Our Book Club

I just enjoyed another wonderful evening with my fellow book club members.  I love that I get together with this group of ladies once a month to talk life and talk books. While I am a new member of this club, attending meetings for the last year, this book club was started over six years ago by a group of moms from school.  They all have children the same age – and once upon a time I was teacher to most of their children. Surprisingly enough, I was their literature teacher. So it’s triple fun for me; I get to catch up on the lives of former students – kids that I love – hang with wonderful women, and read some excellent books. Oh, and drink some wine, too!

An excellent way to spend an evening.

Our book club, Glasses & Glasses, was featured in a local magazine's Book Beat.
Our book club, Glasses & Glasses, was featured in a local magazine’s Book Club Beat.

Tonight’s life talk consisted of jobs, kids, college applications, kids off to college, hot flashes, travel, hospice care, death and loss, dentists, doctor appointments, the GOP debate, women’s rights – you name it, we covered it. That is if it is a mid-life topic. If it was, then we discussed it.

Book talk focused on our last two reads. Our book club, affectionately dubbed Glasses & Glasses (think wine and reading) has been rather ambitious of late choosing two books for each or our last two meetings. The two books chosen for this meeting were The Rival Queens: Catherine de’ Medici, Her Daughter Marguerite de Valois, and the Betrayal that Ignited a Kingdom by Nancy Goldstone and The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing. If you read my last blog post, you know that my life has been rather extra busy of late – so I only read one. The short one 🙂

The Fifth Child

I Read the Fifth Child by Doris Lessing, and I loved it. I chose to read this one, not because it was short, but because the synopsis intrigued me.  This is a story of a young woman, Harriet and her husband, David. The set out to mary and have a large family. They find the perfect family home two hours outside of London. The home is large and they plan to fill it with many children. Life is lovely and progressing mostly as planned for the young couple. Children are born, relatives love to visit for extend holidays, and warmth and love alongside family and laughter fill the family home.

Until Harriet becomes pregnant with her fifth child. This pregnancy came much earlier than planned and with four little ones Harriet is bone tired. Throughout the story, Harriet and David receive considerable support from their parents. Financial support from David’s father and household help from Harriet’s mother is what helps keep this growing family afloat.

Ben the fifth child is different. Harriet feels he is a monster, an alien. A strong baby the family becomes fearful of him. When a visiting dog, first, and then their pet cat, second, show up dead the family believes Ben, now a toddler, is the cause. Siblings and cousins shy away from the growing child. The grandparents intervene and want Ben sent away to an institution.

As the story progresses one is wondering is the problem Ben or his mother? School teachers, doctors, and specialist do not see Ben as his mother does. What I loved about this book is that there are so many layers to the plot and characters that makes for a great discussion – making this book a perfect book club read!

Our next read for our October meeting is The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (Robert Galbraith is the pen name for J.K. Rowlings, the author of the Harry Potter series). We are looking forward to this murder/crime mystery and to reading Rowling’s writing geared for adults.

Feel free to read along with us. I’d love to hear what you think about any of these books. Just let me know what you think in the comments below.

 

 

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(36) Comments

  1. Congrats on you guys getting featured! I’d love to join a book club, but I dont think there are any around where I live 🙁

  2. Our spouses club has a book club and I love going every week. I’ve enjoyed some of the books that we’ve read but not all of them. How cool though that yours was featured in a local publication!

  3. I’ve heard great things about Doris Lessing. I’ll have to check out this book! I also love the name of your book club!

  4. Your book club sounds so fun! I need to find one around here, but then I’d actually have to find time to read. That’s my real problem. 😉

  5. I love book clubs. I’m a member of a few of them at any given time. Makes life so much more exciting (especially if you can drink wine and eat yummy foods at the same time)! How neat that your book club was featured in a paper! I read a few of Lessings books, but not this one. I would have to check it out. Although, I still can not get over the fact that she abandoned her two small children to become a writer.

    1. Stacey says:

      Eva, I did not know that about Lessing! I need to check that fact out. It is great having the time to engage in stimulating conversations with friends! I really need it 🙂

  6. That is awesome that you were featured in a local magazine! I love a good book club. It is so much fun to be able to discuss things with other people!

    1. Stacey says:

      The local magazine was fun! Our 15 seconds 🙂

  7. This sounds like an intriguing book. I would love to read this after I finish the one I am currently reading.

    1. Stacey says:

      It was very intriguing!

  8. I have always wanted to have a book club! I did when I was in high school and in college, but not since then. The Fifth Child sounds really interesting! I have wanted to read JK Rowling’s other books as well, I might have to see if I can find one at the library.

    1. Stacey says:

      I loved the complexity of the Fifth Child. The Rowling’s books were just so so for me – though my club members seemed to really enjoy the series much more than I.

  9. Oh sounds like an interesting read, I’m always on the lookout for a good book. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Stacey says:

      This book provided us with great conversations!

  10. The Fifth Child sounds like a great read. I really want to join the book club at the yoga studio I go to but they meet on nights that I can’t.

    1. Stacey says:

      That can be challenging! Maybe when your schedule changes. I have also found that just reading the books, even if you can’t join the meetings, is rewarding.

  11. I think I need to join a book club or start my own!

    1. Stacey says:

      Good luck! They are a great way to encourage time for yourself reading and engaging in adult conversation.

  12. Kimberly says:

    Great job on the feature! I would love to start a book club one day.

    1. Stacey says:

      Thanks! It was fun!

  13. This is a very interesting story! I’m totally adding this to my list. I love thrilling stories. I actually watched a movie the other day where I had hoped the plot would actually turn out similar to the one you mentioned for the book.

    1. Stacey says:

      Sounds like an interesting TV show! This book really left you wondering.

  14. I have never been part of a book club but considering how much I love to read it might be a good idea! This sounds awesome thanks x

    1. Stacey says:

      I totally encourage you to start one or check out your local bookstore for one.

  15. OH that looks like a great book to pick up! I would love to have a book club with my mom friends. They all seem too busy at the moment with really little ones. Maybe in the future.

    1. Stacey says:

      The first book club that I helped form was with moms when our kids were little. The dads got to be in charge one night a month so us moms got to get out and have adult conversation. It was wonderful! We did need to choose shorter books, but there were great choices.

  16. Robin Rue (@massholemommy) says:

    That sounds like a great read. I think a great book club totally enhances the reading experience, too!

    1. Stacey says:

      When we have a great book to discuss, it really does. When the books are ho-hum, it is more about the wine 🙂

  17. This sounds like a book that I would really enjoy reading. Maybe not late at night though. I am envious that you belong to a book club. I think they sound so fun.

    1. Stacey says:

      This was a story that leaves you wondering about the truth of the characters.

  18. I was just talking to my hubbie last night about joining a book club together. We are approaching the Empty Nest stage and it’s time to reinvent ourselves and how we spend our leisure time – this might be just the thing. Thanks for an inspiring post.

    1. Stacey says:

      It would be great to share a club with the hubby!

  19. Everyone I know adores their book club. One just started in our neighborhood and you have inspired me to check it out.

    1. Stacey says:

      Oh, I hope that you do!

  20. Being part of a (good) book club is such a joy. It’s wonderful that you have one that you enjoy.

    1. Stacey says:

      It offers wonderful friendship and conversations!

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