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| ML Swift is hosting the Progressive Book Club |
I don't join book clubs. Inevitably if I find a book boring, everyone else in the club finds it literary genius. Reading is solo for me, personal. But (well of course there had to be a 'but', otherwise this would be a short gripe post), I've joined an online book club and you should too.
Why? The Progressive Book Club will be reading and discussing books on the craft of writing. If you're anything like me, you love buying books on writing. I've over 50 of them on my shelf. The only thing is reading those books is a whole different matter. I usually start and something shiny distracts me. Then they sit, getting dusty on my shelf, little bookmarks crying softly half-way through chapter three.
Because you'll be discussing the book, you'll want to finish it. You don't have to read every book suggested, just the ones that interest you. Hey, if you don't get around to reading one, you can still find out what everyone else thought of the book. It's just once a month, you can join at any time, you'll learn more about writing and connect with writerly friends.
So sign up at ML Swift's page today! Or use the linky thingy at the bottom of this post:
Why? The Progressive Book Club will be reading and discussing books on the craft of writing. If you're anything like me, you love buying books on writing. I've over 50 of them on my shelf. The only thing is reading those books is a whole different matter. I usually start and something shiny distracts me. Then they sit, getting dusty on my shelf, little bookmarks crying softly half-way through chapter three.
Because you'll be discussing the book, you'll want to finish it. You don't have to read every book suggested, just the ones that interest you. Hey, if you don't get around to reading one, you can still find out what everyone else thought of the book. It's just once a month, you can join at any time, you'll learn more about writing and connect with writerly friends.
So sign up at ML Swift's page today! Or use the linky thingy at the bottom of this post:
Our first book is Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Hi Charmaine. Well, I came across this earlier and have been thinking about it...but I think it would have been better to open it up and allow peeps to tell the world about the books they already have on their shelves, rather than having them buy even more to discuss! Well, that's what I'm thinking right now.
ReplyDeleteI just got The Complete Guide to Novel Writing yesterday and it is fabulous. I would have loved to have shared that. Bird by Bird is awesome, though, so even if I don't join up, I'll enjoy reading the posts.
Captcha later, hahahah.
Denise
I have several books on writing too. Bird by Bird is my favorite. I also have several of Natalie Goldberg's books, and I really like Elizabeth Berg's book on writing, called Escaping into the Open. I've thought about joining a book club, but with teaching and graduate school I already have to spend a lot of time talking about books that I'm required to read. But I'd like to join one in the future, because at least then I'd get to read and discuss books without a bunch of footnotes.
ReplyDeleteCharmaine,
ReplyDeleteI found you via Mike (Swifty) Swift's site. Hope you dont mind if I pop in over here from time to time.
I love the posts about relectulant readers. I was one of those for about 40 of my 43 years of life. ha ha
Love your site and cant wait to explore it more. Good Day Mate.
Hi Denise, if you feel like joining in you can make suggestions on ML Swifts website for books to read. I still love that Donald Maass book you suggested!
ReplyDeleteNeurotic Workaholic, I have heard Bird by Bird is popular, I gave up on it once before, but I'm happy to give it another go. I do love Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones, I have the audiobook and listen to it over and over.
Rob - of course I'm happy for you to visit! Thanks for popping by. Hopefully you finally found the right comic book to break you out of the reluctant approach to reading ;)
Interesting. I have a couple tried and true writing books, but mostly I prefer fiction. :)
ReplyDeleteI have several books on writing. Just wish I could perfect my proofreading eye.
ReplyDeleteHugs and chocolate,
Shelly
Hi, Charmaine,
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about getting to some point in each of the craft books and not getting to the end. The last one I started was On Writing.
Absolutely WONDERFUL post about the club, Charmaine!
ReplyDeleteI'm the same way about books, which is why I started this - to light a fire under my own butt and read those titles with the bookmarks still shoved in chapter three. Shiny things distract me, too!
Hey...I've made a PBC tab/page on my blog and want all links to go there. It's a page of guidelines, the link list, and the first three titles. I'll be adding a new title as we finish each book, and that's the place it will be.
Here's the link:
http://www.mlswift.blogspot.com/p/progressive-book-club.html
It's like the other link, but has that additional "slash" and "p" that takes it to a page and not the post.
Thanks for doing this! It will be fun doing it together.
Hi Charmaine, Hello from the book club. I am so happy you decided to join. I think its going to be fun and I needed a little push to read these type of books myself. Look forward to hearing your thoughts next month.
ReplyDeleteThis looks - and sounds! - really interesting. Can't guarantee I'll read everything but I'd definitely like to keep track of everyone else's opinions on the writing books. I think I might just sign up.
ReplyDeleteJessica
Visions of Other Worlds
What a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI've heard lots about the Donald Maass book and would love to get my hands on it...
Bird by Bird is a new one for me; I'm in the middle of Spunk and Bite. My favorite book on writing would have to be King's On Writing. Great stuff!
ReplyDelete