I read 16 books this year!

-Erin

I’m not gonna lie. Nope. Not this time at least. If I hadn’t joined a book club with two of my closest friends, I would have read 4 books all year. I know, I know. And me, the former bookworm who would make my own mother want to cry because I always had my nose stuck in a book and she would want to talk. I’m paying the hard way for that one. Now all she wants to do is talk and I’m pretty much bookless when I see her. Bookless, exhausted and ready to pass out in front of their 65 inch TV that brings me much joy. She still wants to talk.

Anyway, I know I would have got caught up in the Twilight craze regardless of my book club membership in which case I would have read 4 books total (one series) and STILL been disappointed when Bella started drinking blood and Jacob imprinted on the baby. Call me crazy but after 4 books of vampires and werewolves I just wasn’t buying it anymore. My counterparts somewhat disagree with me on this one. Maybe we can get them to weigh in…

But back to the point of this entry...instead of reading just 4 books, I read 16 (one for each month plus the Twilight series) and in our book club we ask each other 3 basic questions at the beginning of each meeting to get the conversation flowing. Did you like it? Would you recommend it? And would you read it again? Taking my cues from these questions here is my review for our 2008 books.

My most liked book – Twilight. And then it just got weird. I might have mentioned that before.

My most disliked book – the Shack. But it sparked so much conversation, I was definitely glad to have read it even though I almost threw it across the room at one point. [Apparently Anna and I think alike]

My most recommended book – the Daybreakers by Louis L’Amour. You could probably pick up any of his books and be golden. If you’re like me then you’ve always wanted to read him but just never have. Believe me, it’s worth the fun.

My most not recommended book – Red Badge of Courage. I didn’t hate it, I just didn’t like it. And yes, I know it’s a classic. It’s just that reading it in school is one thing but reading it for ‘fun’ is completely different.

The book I would read again most likely – I’m not so sure about this. I would read authors again like Louis L’Amour or PG Wodehouse or Agatha Christie but I don’t know about rereading any of these particular books. It seems like life is too short now that 30 is looming ahead to reread books. Wow, that makes me miss the days of engrossing myself in Anne of Green Gables for the tenth time, eleventh time, twelfth time, you get where I'm going with this. I must admit, at one point I would have reread Twilight but then Bella became the super vampire that could do no wrong and I’m pretty sure you know how I feel about that one…

That’s it. My 2008 review in a nutshell. And while I didn’t mention every book on the list, I definitely think most of them are worth a read like Kira-Kira, House of Mirth and Murder on the Orient Express.

We’re so versatile. Makes me proud of us!

So with that I hope you read happy.

And just in case you wanted to know what we look like, here you go...Lisa, Erin and Anna.