Great Fun etc: A Real Life Book Club for Mrs Readalot (at last)

I have always wanted to be part of a Book Club, but somehow I have never been in the right place at the right time. I would listen enviously as other people talked about "their" book clubs, hoping, wishing someone would invite me to join... but no such luck. (They mustn't have realised what an asset I would be to a Book Club, what gems of insight I would offer, how fast I would gobble up every recommended tome).

So now I've gone and done it for myself - I've started my own Book Club.

Our first gathering was yesterday and I must say, it was lovely.
Really, really lovely. Truly enjoyable on every level.

Ours is not your usual Book Club. We don't all sign up to read the same book in a particular timeframe and then formally discuss it. Our Book Club is rather different.

We simply pool our books, name them, add them to the pot, then borrow whichever books on the pile take our fancy, to read at our own pace. Then we have coffee, eat, talk, laugh...

I love the informality of it. The way we can just hang out, connect, talk about books (or not) and pick up some great new reads with no pressure.

And I do so love to host. You know that about me, right? I love making the place feel welcoming (and pretty); I love to create an environment you can walk into and feel right at home in.
Plus, having people over forces me to do the dusting and vacuuming.

It helps that some of my favourite people are coming; they don't all know each other but they soon will. A latecoming friend popped her head around the door and said, "I can hear the laughter from down the driveway - that's a good sign!"
It is, isn't it?

The plan is this: every Thursday (starting next week) I will be ready at 11am with the giant pile of books and the Nespresso machine. Whoever wants can drop in, hang out, bring some treats (and books) to share. They can come every week if they want, or just when they want to swap a book or have nothing else on.

So if you're in Auckland, love books, are a wonderful person with sparkling humour and do NOT possess a PhD in literature you are welcome to add your books to the pile and come join us.

[two of my lovely friends posing for me "reading books at bookclub" ha!]

Or, if you live elsewhere but think this type of BookClub is right up your street, and would like to start something just like it in your corner of the world, I'll post my printable book labels and sign up sheets right below this.

There you have it: Mrs Readalot's Real life Book Club is now a reality *O Happy Day*