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Brian reads a lot and I love reading, though it seems the only time I sit still long enough to read a book these days is on vacation or on an airplane.  I’d been looking for other ways to meet Newburyporters – and to inspire me to dedicate more time to reading – when my friend Carrie suggested the “most laid back book club.” When I met the organizer at Carrie’s Chocolate and Champagne party, I was hooked before I even went to the first meeting at Cafe DiSiena (the local coffee shop on Pleasant Street, a relaxing oasis Brian and I would frequent when reflecting on a day of house-hunting, before moving to Newburyport).  Summer also seemed like the perfect time to get into the habit of reading, and one book a month doesn’t seem like too large of a commitment.

I tend to read business books (my stack of future reading is now quite large) so the club provides a impetus to read books I might not otherwise select.  For my class in June I read Soul of a New Machine, with books on project management, executing strategy, leadership and organizational culture before that – some might consider these boring in the whole scheme of literature.  My friend Abigail always has good recommendations when I get around to asking and borrowing, usually right before a big trip.  Ab has been a godsend for letting me borrow Harry Potter, introducing me to Thursday Next, and I can’t even count the range of fluffy to thought-provoking titles over the years.  My friend Sue also offers recommendations when I see her, though that’s about twice a year on visits to Ohio.  Brian will read topical books and fantasy, so sometimes I’ll pick up one of his nonfiction too – most recently Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which was lifestyle changing last year.  So I’m not completely lacking in assistance, but I still tend toward the dry-but-applicable reading most of the time.

For the book club, July started with Olive Kitteridge – just reading fiction as definitely a change of pace.  After that we read Reach of a Chef, followed this month by Julie and Julia.  The book club is definitely helping me stay relevant with mainstream topics.  We’ll have to leave the cooking/food theme to avoid a rut, and now it’s my turn to pick a book for October.  I’m debating picking something new that I have not read or suggesting a favorite for the others to read.  Any suggestions?