Book Clubs and, right at the end, some philosophy from a special bear

I am a member of two, yes 2, book clubs and a lot of the time, especially during the winter, I am hanging on to my space by the skin of my teeth as, very often, at our monthly meetings I have read nothing new so have to improvise.

One group meets in the morning for coffee and delicious things – we are international ladies being German, Austrian, Australian, Greek Americans, Northern Irish, Greek South African, American and Bridget the Brit.

The other group meets for Lunch and we comprise French/UK/Greek, Greek originally from Egypt, Greek American, American, Welsh, Australian, French/English, another Brit and yours truly.

We eat wonderful things!

Why do I have a problem reading in the winter when, traditionally, one should be curled up in front of a roaring fire with a glass or cup of something comforting, a nice cosy throw, or cat, or dog, or all three draped in or around ones legs? In the afternoon with wild weather outside or in the evening relaxing after a busy day? A pile of books waiting enticingly to be enjoyed and later discussed. I am ashamed to say that it just doesn’t happen for me in the winter – all the ingredients are there with the addition of the television which, very stupidly on my behalf, very often wins.

The summer is completely different and I consume books day in day out! I have to make a deal with myself that I can only start reading once the various chores have been ticked off the list but as I only have to answer to myself I can bend the rules with total impunity!

For the past three or four years I have been an ‘electronic reader’ – totally committed! I love books and have ordered them obsessively over the years. I used to subscribe to a publication called The Good Book Guide that was oozing with information about all the latest books in all categories but in those days the post took forever – it was sometimes six weeks before they arrived which, actually, meant that opening up the package was like Christmas as I had invariably forgotten what I had ordered. Then my life changed with the advent of Amazon and the delivery got quicker and quicker almost arriving before they had been ordered!

As a result I have a lot of books.

But now, with my Kindle, I hear of a title, check it out, order it and HAVE it in much less than 2 minutes – it even takes me by surprise sometimes when the payment alert pings on my cell phone.

I was the first in either of my book clubs to be converted and some of the girls clearly never will be but for me there is no turning back. I have vowed never to buy a non-electronic book again – there is no room in spite of constantly clearing out the shelves for book sales and bazaars and now when I relocate to our summer house on a Cycladic island (more of that another time!) I don’t have to lug a huge tote of weighty tomes – just the Kindle.

I am very spoilt as I now have an IPad and synchronise the Kindle application with the original one – I take the original to the beach and keep the IPad for reading at home – I love the way they talk to each other “have a nice time on the beach?” home version says to its friend, “oh yes, we sat under a tree in the shade and it was peaceful with just the lap of the waves, perfect for storytelling; she hardly swam at all today as I was unputdownable; sorry you’ve missed so many pages as I really must synch to last read to keep the missus up to date now that we are home!”

So in the summer I can read a book in a day and a half and sometimes chalk up well over 25 before we meet again in the groups in September.

Foolishly, and pride really is foolish, last autumn I was so pleased to announce all that I had achieved during the summer that I told them about everything I had read practically in one fell swoop and then had nothing for the subsequent months. I shall play a different game this year and just bring out one or two titles at a time and pretend I’m reading them when I’m actually watching TV! Or maybe I might exert a bit of self-control and not watch!

When I have nothing to report I share bits and pieces I have seen or heard of on the internet, or include any films I have seen and even talk about books discussed at the other group – sometimes they are in the same week which is convenient (for memory purposes) for this sort of shameless sharing – but I feel very guilty about that as it really is cheating! I take notes and have a wish list for buying during the summer, some are already waiting on the Kindle and some are still to get, but either way I am still an obsessive book buyer but now an environmentalist as well and endeavouring to have a uncluttered home – and contributing to the bazaars as I off load the ones that I am never going to read again – so many books and so little time.

If this all sounds like an advertisement for a Kindle – it is! Email is here to stay and so are electronic books!

www.amazon.com

At the moment I am reading Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner by A.A.Milne – children's books? I hear you chuckle (or maybe even scornfully wonder about my literary bias) - well, yes, they are children's books but they are like comfort food, like sticky toffee pudding and custard and nursery teas and we all know that, in life, there are times when only comfort food will do and I believe you would have to go a long way to find a more amenable companion that Pooh with his gentle philosophy so full of love: 

“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

“What day is it?" asked Pooh.
"It's today," squeaked Piglet.
"My favourite day," said Pooh.”
― A.A. Milne

 “If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you.”
― A.A. Milne

“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
― A.A. Milne

“You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

And one of my special favourites: 

“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

I leave you with these lovely thoughts for today and wish you sunshine, as always, whatever the weather.

Bridget