Oh right - the book club
I had forgotten the original reason I wanted to start a blog - online book club. This idea had been rattling around in my brain for a while, but I wasn't sure what would be the best way to get it rolling. The reason I had forgotten is that I'm not getting a lot of reading done right now. I've been reading the same book for months since I had my daughter.
I love books and I used to keep a shelf that only contained books I've read - to look through them and remember the books I've enjoyed most. And congratulate myself on doing so much reading. But a few years ago I was moving around a lot and lugging those books with me started to be not that much fun. So I donated them to a coffee shop in my neighborhood that sells used books. And then for months after, I'd sit in that shop drinking coffee and feeling surrounded by my books - literally I could look around and my eye would spot books I knew had been mine. I remember thinking, if I want that book back, I have to pay for it, even though it was once mine. Then I started to think about the people who would buy the books and read them. What would they think about them? What would they do with them after they read them? I thought that I'd like to start a book club with the people who read my old books, and got to thinking that it would be a much better use of my old books - sharing them with other people and asking them to share them with others. My very own literacy program.
So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to pick 5 of my old books and put a label in the cover inviting the reader to visit my blog and let me know that they've found my book and what they think about it. The question is how best to distribute them. Maybe I could just leave them lying around in public places. Or I could donate them to used book stores. I think I might get better response from used book stores - those readers have gone to the trouble to buy a book they wanted to read, rather than finding one that might not interest them. I'll have to do a little experimenting.
I love books and I used to keep a shelf that only contained books I've read - to look through them and remember the books I've enjoyed most. And congratulate myself on doing so much reading. But a few years ago I was moving around a lot and lugging those books with me started to be not that much fun. So I donated them to a coffee shop in my neighborhood that sells used books. And then for months after, I'd sit in that shop drinking coffee and feeling surrounded by my books - literally I could look around and my eye would spot books I knew had been mine. I remember thinking, if I want that book back, I have to pay for it, even though it was once mine. Then I started to think about the people who would buy the books and read them. What would they think about them? What would they do with them after they read them? I thought that I'd like to start a book club with the people who read my old books, and got to thinking that it would be a much better use of my old books - sharing them with other people and asking them to share them with others. My very own literacy program.
So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to pick 5 of my old books and put a label in the cover inviting the reader to visit my blog and let me know that they've found my book and what they think about it. The question is how best to distribute them. Maybe I could just leave them lying around in public places. Or I could donate them to used book stores. I think I might get better response from used book stores - those readers have gone to the trouble to buy a book they wanted to read, rather than finding one that might not interest them. I'll have to do a little experimenting.
Comments
Happy reading! And post some pictures of the baby someday! The last time I saw her she was still in the tummy! :)