two friends and a book club

For over 10 years I belonged to a book club of 10 woman. The common connection was elementary school — all our kids went to the same one.

But when I started working Fridays, I could no longer attend. My job physically depletes me. By the time I leave work, I have no energy left for intellectual discussion. Or even pleasant socializing. 

But I love communal reading. I love sharing thoughts and ideas about characters and plot. So about a year ago, I formed a new book club with my close friend M who lives near Boston.

We began with a few simple guidelines, but like any organization, these have expanded over time.  

No meeting schedule
Like a pop quiz, impromptu meetings can take place whenever we want. And, they require zero coordination. This is the best part of a two-person book club.

No meeting time
I call M at 11 last night when I finished Dennis Lehane's book Since We Fell (we both agree the second half defies credibility). She is in bed with her husband but still takes the meeting. No time is off-limits.

Multiple discussions for each book
Unlike traditional book clubs, we discuss the book as we are reading it. One of us will call the other and begin with, "Where are you in the book?"  Because we both read on Kindles, our answers are always in percents. 

If I'm at the higher percent, and if M is not liking the book, she may ask me what has happened between her percentage-reading point and mine.

In fact, in a recent Mary Higgins Clark novel we read (plastic characters and no mystery), I finished the book while M was at 33%. She asked for the ending so we could move on to the next book at the same time. 

M has sneakily made me head researcher
It started with her sending me one title and asking, “What about this?” But now she goes further. 

The other day she sends me a screen shot of The Boston Globe's summer reading list of 17 books and asks, "Any of these look good?"  In other words, "Can you research these books and see if the plot sounds like something we'd like and oh, by the way, can you check and see what kind of reviews these have gotten?"

Genre
And while we both prefer mysteries, M has vetoed any books that:

• Involve the Holocaust.  "I already know the story."

• Are too sad. 

• Focus on very poor people. "That's not entertaining."

But anything about Princess Diana or the Royals, fiction or non-fiction, is fine.

No More Members
While other friends have asked to join, we like the lack of coordination that a two-person book club offers. So no more permanent members are allowed, though we will consider guests if asked.

Yes, it's an odd little book club with many rules, but like an old friendship, it works.