Reading groups:

Back last year I decided to start a reading group with a dear friend of mine and after lots of promotion amongst our own circle of friends we finally set up the group.

Well, that first evening I was quite deflated… there was her and me and one other joint friend. Not the grand start I had hoped for! Lots of people had expressed interest in the idea but regretted they were too busy to join us. As most of our friends have had children and still work full time. Time, or rather the lack of it, is their most precious commodity.

We persevered and I’m amazed at how many people now attend, it varies month on month but the group has grown by word of mouth and we do seem to enjoy a truly healthy debate each month even when we don’t particularly enjoy the chosen book.

Sadly, Black Dahlia, although excellently written did not appeal too many of us, its harsh brutal world wasn’t necessarily a world we wanted to inhabit, especially at the end of our own gruelling day.

Then the group read: ‘The Help by Katherine Stockett,’ and this went down very well and with the release for the film, eight of our group went along to the local cinema to watch the movie. We all loved the film despite the fact it did not stick rigidly to the book. But the important part of the relationship between maids and author was well represented and true to the book. The fact that so many of them managed to get childcare in place and enjoy a girl’s night out was a huge achievement.

The group’s book this month is: ‘Fingersmith by Sarah Waters.’ Well most of them couldn’t wait to talk about it whilst we sat at the bar having a chat before the film started. And one of the women paid the author what I would class a really big compliment: ‘I enjoyed reading Fingersmith so much, I went out and bought another book by Sarah Waters.’ Isn’t that a lovely compliment?

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that our group will go from strength to strength as I know that actually finding time in the run up to Christmas is going to be difficult for many of our members.

Lots of the mums will have commitments at school for nativity plays, carol concerts and bazaars that will rob them of reading time and free/spare time but I’m hopeful a few of us will still meet, as I have truly enjoyed hearing others peoples comments about books and authors and writing in general.

If you haven’t joined a reading group yet why not set one up – I did and I’m enjoying the interaction hugely. It has been well worth the effort.