Together in Spirit

An online reading group ('TIS a reading group!) to bring together friends, and friends of friends, who aren't able to be in a conventional reading group due to constraints of time or geography.

Friday, April 20, 2007

Sounds sensible

I am happy with Val's suggestion to move bi-monthly if that is preferred by others. We seem to have drifted into this occasionally anyway. I do like the idea of the 'Stop press!' postings as one of the things I most value about the Blog is having the ideas of things to read next as well as others to share them with, so would be glad (baby permitting) to join Val in one of her 14 must-reads.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Future Plans

I am happy to read a book every two months if that suits others. I do not have a pressing need other than that it would allow me to read book 2 of War and Peace before I have forgotten what happened in book 1. For me, the summer offers fewer reading opportunities as the garden demands some time.
I am not sure I am the person to help Val out of her difficulties but will always have a go.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

suggestions

Thinking about the last few postings, I’d like to make some suggestions for the future.

Valerie sensed that we might need a break for a while, so I wondered whether, rather than having a few months ‘off’, we might adopt a bi-monthly book instead, at least for the time being. What do you think? It would suit me with my ‘to read’ shelf groaning with, as I write, 14 books to be read, and that’s not counting ones I want to re-read. Though of course, one of those I’ll choose for June (or July?)

Helen wondered if we needed new members, as we seem to have shrunk somewhat. I have a friend who might well be interested, but haven’t suggested her as I’ve always viewed TIS as Emily’s project. What do you think E? And if ‘yes’, what process should we use?

Finally, I sometimes desperately need someone else to read something I’m reading or have just finished, to help me make sense of it or just to share. If we go to one book per 2 months, would that leave us space for occasional ‘stop press’ postings – I suggest Stop! Read! The person in literary distress could simply post their request for other readers to read whatever it is – my most recent candidate would be Oranges and Lemons by Wendy Wallace, though Emily actually filled that breach for me.

I await you responses

Thursday, April 05, 2007

A revised cunning plan

Hi. Thanks for your thoughts on new methods of choosing books. Helen S and I are emphatic that we don't want to stop blogging, we just won't be able to choose books for a while. So I suggest "Field Notes from a Catastrophe" by Elizabeth Kolbert for April/May. It's a short book about climate change and is highly recommended by John. Should be a bit different! (Valerie: IS in your library system but you need to search by author not title.) Since Helen S is going to be somewhat occupied for the next few months (!), perhaps Val could choose for June, Valerie for July, Helen for August, Val for September and Valerie for October. That's alphabetical, just starting in the middle of the cycle! If that's a problem we can change it, but some sort of plan seemed a good plan. If you post your choice once you've made it, that gives all of us - however encumbered! - plenty of time to get hold of and indeed read the book at our convenience.