Years ago I was invited to join a book club and I was not interested AT all. I wasn’t reading much at the time, I didn’t want to be told what to read, and (honesty) I didn’t care for some of the people in the group.
But now that I’ve been reading more (look at how close I am to my goal for the year!!!), I am starting to get it. I finish a book and I REALLY want to talk about it. With real people. I write about it here, and I tell people about it (because I can’t help myself), and I read Goodreads reviews, but it’s not the same. I want to talk to people who’ve read it.
But I really don’t see myself joining a club.
So I will continue to write here. And continue my random book selection process.*
I finished Recursion on Sunday. I was so in to it, I kept talking to Steven about what was going on in the story, and thinking about it when I wasn’t reading. I don’t want to spoil it, but there is a reason people keep getting these “false memories” of things that never happened, and it was thrilling to see how the detective and neuroscientist try to solve it!
Then I read Dark Matter, by the same author, which I picked up by accident, when I couldn’t remember that it was actually Recursion I had on hold. In Dark Matter, the main character is abducted then wakes up in a different version of his town (Chicago!) and is trying to find his way back home to his wife and son. But his wife isn’t his wife in this reality. And his son was never born. And he is an acclaimed scientist, where before, he was a community college professor.
Holy cow, both of these books blew my mind. This review accurately captures my thoughts:
Ha. It’s so true though.
Both books put the characters in situations where they question their reality, and who they actually are. Both are legitimate unputdownable**, non-cheesy thrillers with twists I didn’t see coming. Both had interesting sciencey-enough backgrounds to seem real but not overwhelming. Both had love stories (aww). Both are going to be in my brain for some time to come…
So tell me if you’ve read them so we can chat!
*I somewhat randomly pick out books. I love reading about running, so anything new in that genre goes in my hold request at the library. I will read almost any memoir. I peruse the “new” books selection at the library, and the “recommended” reads section, too. I get recommendations from friends and from podcasts – that is how I had Recursion in my hold list to start with – I heard it on The Popcast***! I save articles I see about books. And so on. I am a bit all over.
**An actual word I learned on Goodreads this weekend!
***Is anyone else listening to this? Man, the hosts of this podcast crack me the hell up.
After our conversation last night and reading this, I feel like I need to read these now. Which one would you recommend first?
Oh man, it’s so hard to decide which mindf*ck to send you on first!!! AHHHHHH. Probably Recursion 🙂
We started a book club at work about a year ago and it’s been nice. We pick a book each quarter and then get together at lunch and discuss. We open it to anyone in the office but about a handful of people read it and show up. It’s been a fun team building activity.
I considered trying to do a running book club where we read a book and then do a run together to discuss but it didn’t take off.
I have aspirations to read more but then don’t make the time for it and get distracted when I do sit down to read.
That’s awesome! And do you guys do any genre – not just work related stuff? (I think my office was having a book club for books on work topics.)
That run book club idea is fun!
When I was in a book club, I think we discussed our chosen book, like, twice ever. Ha. We mostly just hung out and ate each other’s food. But I did enjoy that! I also enjoyed having someone tell me what to read. The library can be overwhelming!
I’m very intrigued by these books based on your descriptions. The last time I read a thriller was like a billion years ago, but I do really enjoy the unputdownable aspect of them! And it would probably keep me from lingering on a book for months (ahem, The Golden Compass). I never answered your question about why I think it’s taking me so long to read that book, by the way, and I realize it’s because I haven’t been on exercise equipment enough! Ha. Working out on a machine (elliptical, bike, treadmill) has become my primary reading time, and when I ellipticalled a couple of weeks ago, I realized it was the first time I had been on a machine since April! Yikes! So that’s part of the problem, and the fact that Wizards Unite came out (like Pokemon Go, but Harry Potter themed). That has come to eat up a lot of my phone time (and battery), which is a real problem when all I read are eBooks *adjusts nerd glasses*
Ha! I remember you mentioning that, now that I think about it! Ha. That sounds fun, too 😉
Those are legitimate reasons to cut back on reading! I cut back when I am not commuting as much (since I read on the train), or when we are going out more at night (because I fall right asleep when I get home). I bet one of these would inspire you to find a new type of time to read it! I really felt the urge to finish them fast!
That is fun there is a Harry Potter themed game like that now!
They have both these books in my library so I am putting them on my list to read!
I really enjoy my book club much more than I would have expected…not only is it fun to discuss books with other people IRL but I also have read some books I would have never chosen myself.
What word did you learn on Goodreads? I couldn’t find it in your post!
Awesome! I can’t wait to hear what you think!
How did you meet the folks in your club? That is awesome that it’s broadening your reading!
Unputdownable! Thanks for letting me know – I messed up the asterisks!
Just got “Dark Matter” from the library!
I got invited to be in my book club by a good friend of mine who was already a member…I didn’t know any of the other ladies before but now, three years on, they are friends.
Awesome! I can’t wait to hear what you think! I think you’d really like what I am reading now, too – Ask Again, Yes.
Ahh cool! And is she still a member?
Yes, she is…
I looked to see if my library had Ask Again Yes, but No They Don’t – I’ll see if my mom’s has it when I’m visiting there. Just started Dark Matter!
I love belonging to a book club but I definitely lucked out with the people there. We don’t spend a lot of time talking about the book during our meetings (we mostly chit-chat!), but we always choose a book and most of us read it. The people can make or break a book club! I also belong to a book club with work peeps and that’s been a fun way to get to know people, too.
I really need to read Recursion! Dark Matter was such a mindf*ck that had my whole brain spinning. It’s fascinating to think about all these different lives we could be living!
How did you end up meeting the people in your club? You all seem so close and I love it! That seems to be a recurring theme – people saying they mostly chit chat and don’t talk about the book much, ha!
I think you will feel the same way about Recursion! Dark Matter blew my mind a bit more – a lot of what was happening surprised me, because I don’t know about these multiverse theories (unless what I saw in that Spiderman movie counts hahahahahah).
Wow, these sound really interesting! I hadn’t heard of them before. I was in a book club for a while years ago and really enjoyed it but I also really liked the people in the club. I think that’s key. But it was a great opportunity to read books I wouldn’t have picked myself and have a chance to discuss them with friends. I think there were only 2 times I didn’t end up liking the book. We choose the book by people throwing in ideas and voting on the book we wanted for the next month.
How did you find your club? Was it a group of friends you already knew? It would be neat to be in a club with people with reading tastes all over the board so you read a lot of different things!
Yep, it was people I was already friends with. We just decided that it would be fun to try a book club. It definitely helped that we already knew each other and were comfortable with each other, could host at home, etc.
Oh. My. God. I LOVED Recursion! Just finished reading that a few weeks ago for Geeks of Doom. Glad to hear his other stuff is equally good because I plan to read it.
Wasn’t it great?! I kept going back in forth in the book to check the dates and follow the timeline better. I loved how it all worked together. I bet you will really like Dark Matter too!
Doing some quick blog skimming while watching Bachelorette. I’m going to request “Dark Matter” right now.
Awesome 🙂