Pedln, Margaret DRABBLE? Boy have YOU picked a book to read! You are going to be sharper than a box of tacks when you finish that thing, since they do say joining a book club is good for the brain synapses, and we can all use as many of those as we can get.
A tip of the hat this morning to the hard working book lovers here who have put on book discussions, one book a month, since 1996. Together. And general book discussions, too. Did you know you are among people who have participated in and created and funded and mounted the oldest book clubs on the internet? Imagine what that has taken over the years. Our book clubs are listed among the Partners for the Center of the Book in the Library of Congress, thanks to Joan Pearson's efforts, and you can see us there if you go to the LoC website: quick, tell me the name of any other online book club you see there?
Go ahead, tell us the name. Can't find one?
What a joy it is to have continued so long, the friendships made, the great discussions participated in, the fun of discussing the ideas in a book together, in which you have to cast off sometimes your old rigid ideas and try to experience something new, even if you can't get out and about that much. Obviously your mind works or you would not be here.
And we want to participate in the world of new books, too, and old ones which may have surprising new ideas. We have a lot of experience we can share.
So when invited kindly into one of our book discussions here by people who have been volunteering these for many years, unsung, unappreciated, and unthanked, let's take a moment to be kind in our reactions, and to reflect on the respect they deserve and how wonderful it iS to be welcomed into this company of readers of all different tastes, and to participate in what we have together created and are trying to create with your wonderful help over all these years.
As we are one of the few sites in the www catering to the interests of those over 50 who have actually taken the time to offer these in depth book discussions, send out newsletters, put up advertisements in the newsline, and maintain a costly website for this purpose, we here as a group are worthy of support and respect. I say hooray for us!
