I was an invited guest to Karin’s book club tonight. I thought it would be a big event. I wanted to be prepared so I had to get the book and read it real fast – this meant putting aside March by Geraldine Brooks that I was almost done with and switch gears to a simpler book. I tried getting the book club selection from the library before I left Massachusetts but was surprised that it was so popular and out for two weeks – I needed it now so I thought why not order it for my eReader, fast, cheaper than paper, I could get it instantly and begin to read it within minutes! But my eReader wasn’t supported – what to do, what to do? My Dell mini supported the eReader platform so I crammed reading the book over a two-day period around activities and meals, finished it and then lent it to Karin to read. We were all set for the club meeting. I made a fast guacamole [2 avocados, 1/2 small onion, handful of small colorful tomatoes, pepper, dice and smash] , Karin added a flower for panache, grabbed a box of nut crackers and off we went!

Vermont is pretty dark at night what with the only light coming from private residences along the back roads. If we broke down along the way I would be lost for days. Even in daylight I feel lost and have no idea where north or east is, I feel as if I’ve been blindfolded and spun around and around. Things up here change from summer to summer, stores spring up, restaurants go in and out of business, friends come and go. I went to school in the Burlington area (CVU) in the 70s but it was nothing but cow fields back then – now its an explosion of people all over the place! But its still dark at night and you can see the stars (we have lost the stars in Massachusetts).

After introductions the wine was poured and snacks consumed I thought to myself  how are we going to segway our chitchat into the story we all read, like, when’s it going to happen? And then an opening appeared and I blurted out, “Why, what a perfect segway to the story, that is exactly what Mrs. Grant thought of the service she received from her safari guide, and she too wanted to say thank you but wanted to send more than a friendly letter and tip …”

Three blank faces stared back at me, all wondering what had set me off, what the heck I was going on about. Karin stayed mute. And then it dawned on them that I was talking about the book, well actually I told them I was talking about the story and each one said at just about the same time, “Don’t say any more! Don’t ruin the book for us!” I was the book club novice and plainly inexperienced in the banter department what with not having a young teen in the local school systems, and not being from the state. Besides, who has time to read with such busy schedules these days?

Anyone reading anything out there, in the middle of something you can’t put down, or have a tower of books that you want to read this summer? Write up a list, describe what you are currently reading or wish you could find and share it in my comment section. I don’t plan on letting reading die out on my watch! Blink your book lights if you agree!!!