BJ's Book Club

That’s my childhood nickname, by the way.  BJ.  Abbreviated from Brenda Jorgensen.  The book club part is really tongue in cheek, since I’m no fan of them.  I’ve joined several but I never last long.  I’m not enamored of their book choices, there’s way more wine and personal discussion than book critiques, I don’t like feeling obligated to finish the book before the pseudo discussion.  I probably just haven’t found the right mix but I’m pretty much done trying.

Besides that, we now have multiple Oprah type book clubs.  There’s the Reese Witherspoon Book Club aka the Hello Sunshine Book Club….I kid you not.  About 50 recommendations there.  There’s SJP for Hogarth…aka Sarah Jessica Parker with close to 40 books, which I will say tend to be on the ultra serious side of bibliophiles.

There’s the Washington Post suggestions, which I used to read religiously in the Style section weekly.  Until, of course, we left the DC life and transplanted ourselves to a quieter world.  How I loved going to the annual book festivals in Baltimore meeting writers I could only look at with envy.  When I was younger, I aspired to be a writer.  Now, I’m older and wiser and know I don’t have the discipline and never possessed it at any point.  It’s a lonely life…I need my peeps.

I think the best recommendations I get from my friends.  Donna, who’s about to take off her federal judge robe, has sent me at least a half dozen in the past few weeks.  Can’t wait ’til she retires….maybe we’ll do a conference call book club thing.

I’ve always been a much more enthusiastic reader than writer.  My childhood goal was to read every book ever written.  Back then, I didn’t realize thousands of books were being churned out daily all over the world.  Besides, most of those books I have no interest in.

This year, I’m averaging just over a book a week…16.  They range from the soft, romantic Sweetgrass by Mary Alice Monroe (I’m a sucker for those Isle of Palms beach novels) to the daring brave women in The Alice Network by Kate Quinn, one amazing read!  Here are some of the best from BJ’s Book Club…lol.

 Less  by Andrew Sean Greer.  This is Greer’s fifth novel and his first Pulitzer Prize winner.  For the first 50 pages, I kept wondering, “Why is this a prize winner?”  Then, it completely swept me away.  I couldn’t love Less more!

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, her first novel.  Yes, I’m a Southern girl.  Yes, I love Southern literature but this book set in coastal North Carolina is heart wrenchingly beautiful.  It’s a Hello Sunshine choice but a great one.  A New York Times bestseller for several weeks now.  Jump on the bandwagon.

Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo.  Recognized as a gifted Nigerian writer, this was her first novel, written when she was in her late 20s, published in 2018.  A SJP book selection as well as one of the best books of the year by NPR.  A powerful look at traditional marriage and family at a time when the old ways are being tested.  This book will definitely stay with you.

A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza.  Another acclaimed first novel, published in 2018 by a 20 something year old.  SJP’s first recommendation, its praises echoed by the New York Times, the Washington Post and NPR.  The story of a Muslim California family with its roots in India, it is beautifully layered and chock full of wisdom that few can claim in their 20s.

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton.  I love historical fiction and this poignant story of the Cuba of the 50s and modern day Cuba is no exception.  A gripping story that will give you a convenient excuse not to do laundry or any other household tasks.  Another Hello Sunshine pick.

I did just finish Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which I devoured in a day.  Definitely a fascinating read if you’re a certain age (old) and were fixated on rock and roll bands of the 70s.  Not sure you’d love it if you didn’t fit in that fairly narrow category.

And, now, it’s time to visit my Kindle again.  Happy reading!!