On Tuesday we had our June Bookies book club meeting. Usually for July we have a “free read” month where we do not chose a book together but instead just read whatever and when we meet for our annual picnic/queen event in July just chat about whatever we read.
Amy P in out group heard of something a little different that we decided to try this year…
We were all to bring a wrapped up favorite book that we LOVED to let someone else experience. The only rules were that it needed to be a book each of us truly enjoyed, not a book that we had all read together, and we were to put a post it note on the book saying why we wanted someone else to experience it and if the person who picked it could keep the book, or if the owner would like it back.
After we completed our June book review (Look Again by Lisa Scottoline), we each drew a number and in that order opened our books one at a time and the giver had a chance to say out loud to all of us why they enjoyed that book so much.
I brought a long time favorite of mine and a book that holds a special place in my heart:
The exchange was a lot of fun and the cool thing was, no one picked a book they had already read.
We are asked to now read the book we chose and talk about it next month at the Queen event.
The books that people brought as the “best of the best” must read were (from top left and across)
The Host by Stephanie Meyer
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
The Pilot’s Wife by Anita Shreve
The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani
First Family by David Baldacci
The Mermaid’s Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
The Bonesetters Daughter by Amy Tan
Dance Upon The Air by Nora Roberts
The Crying Tree by Naseem Rahka
One Second After by William Forstchen
Wine And War by Donald Cladstrup
One of our Bookies who was unable to attend the meeting sent a book so she could be included in the drawing When it was picked and opened the book was a Baby Names book and inside it the post it note said:
Kerri
How cool is that? Congratulations Kerri!!! A new Bookie Baby coming in 2013!!!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my book club and can not wait to read the book I drew – The Crying Tree. And next months Queen event.… is the highlight of the year… and that is saying a lot!
Book Journey 
I’ve read a few on the list but the one I LOVED is The Shoemaker’s Wife 🙂
I loved that one too Mary! I think it is one of my favorites now of Adriana’s!
I loved The Pilot’s Wife and The Mermaid Chair…I want to read The Shoemaker’s Wife….what a lovely idea for your group!
Y’all have so much fun! I’ve read 5 of the books you listed.
I have only read two of the books… I feel like i am missing out! 😀
What a great idea! I haven’t read any of these but I’ve heard great things about a few of them! This looks like something fun that could be expanded online, like a book secret santa or something!
It was a lot of fun and the fact that one of us loved the book and shared it is pretty cool!
I read and loved Blue Like Jazz several years ago (well, more than 5, I think, since it’s pre-blog).
I have it on the shelf Hannah…. unread. 😯 I need to fix that!
How fun!!!
Great titles too!!
Thank you – I am looking forward to the one that I picked!
What fun! I love it. I adore The Host btw. I want to try The Shoemaker’s Wife.
I have never read The Host, however after hearing the raves about it… now I want to!
Interesting selection of which at a quick count I have read five. 🙂
Nice! I am surprised I have not read many of these.
By the way you might want to check your add ons as my security listed your page as a risk!!!
Really? That is odd…. I will take a look. Thank you
What a fantastic game to play for a book club. Man, it makes me so envious that I don’t have one to attend around here.
It was a lot of fun Christina!
I haven’t read any of them, but there are a few I want to check out.
There are some I want to read now that I have heard more about them 😀
Forgot to say which one I read. I only read THE BONESETTER’S DAUGHTER.
The others look sooooo good.
I am curious about the Bonesetter’s Daughter… great cover and interesting title…
These sound like some awesome books. I have not read any of them but I do have the Mermaid Chair in my to read box (my bookshelves are full!!)
I have the Mermaids chair (unread) as well.
What a fun event for your book club! I can see why you enjoy them so much.
I haven’t read your choice, The Crying Tree, but I did read the Shoemaker’s Wife and had lots of wonderful things to say about it. I also read The Pilot’s Wife and liked it, but Anita Shreve has better books IMHO. I like everything by Amy Tan, but I can’t remember reading The Bonesetter’s Daughter. (Hmmm, wives, daughters… a family thing going on here!)
I have never read Amy Tan but want to – I have a love hate relationship with Shreve… 😀
Well, yes, Shreve I understand. Her later books have been a bit wanting at times. But really, read The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. Squeeze it in there somewhere… it’s worth it.
The Red tent has to be one of my most favorite books ever! I kept contrasting it with the way the story is told in the Bible, and loved how it focused on the women and gave me a deeper understanding of the Biblical story, but with emotions and depth.
We read The Red Tent as a book club a long time ago… before the person who exchanged it was in the group. I think Wendy will enjoy it, but I know we were all disturbed about the meaning of The Red Tent.
I have read 5 of them and I’m almost done with Blue Like Jazz! 🙂
Wow! I have Blue Like Jazz, still need to read it. I am excited to get into my book!
I have read 3 of the books you listed, but plan to check out the others. If you are looking for another great read, you must check out “The Romanov Stone” by Robert C. Yeager.
http://www.robertcyeager.com/
OOH Thanks Becky for that suggestion! 😀
You are welcome!
We’ve done a similar event and it was great fun. In our case, people had to pick a book (and unwrap it) one at a time, and you were allowed to “steal” a book from someone else who already got a book (that person could then steal from someone else or open a new book).
I love the books that were used in your game. I’ve read quite a few of those – all great choices.
We thought about that too Judith – then decided you could only trade if your book was one you had read before. We thought it would be good to stretch our reading genres perhaps into an area we may not normally read 😀
The Pilot’s Wife and The Bonesetter’s Daughter are probably my favourite. This looks like it was fun.
Neither have I read…. Anita Shreve is not always my favorite and an Oprah’s Book pick on top of that usually is a fail for me as well….. I am however curious about the Amy Tan book… 😀
I love this idea. Have you thought about doing it with fav children’s books?
http://charleneoldham.com/2012/06/14/books-and-teachers-they-change-lives/
That is a pretty cool idea! I had not thought about that! 😀
Thanks for the list of books-just added several to my TBR! The Crying Tree was the one that I picked as my HAVE TO READ VERY SOON! Funny how that’s the one you got. 🙂
Shannon
http://www.irunreadteach.wordpress.com
I am excited about it! Angie said it was wonderful…. there is something about getting a book that someone you know has loved… it makes it even more special!
I have read a few of those. Great idea! I may do that with my ladies.
There is something exciting about my book club finding these to be the best of the best…..
How fun! I wish that I had a local book club group. . . maybe I will have to start one this fall!
I read The Red Tent long before I started blogging and loved it! I have also read the trilogy that starts with Dance Upon the Air and loved that as well!
Shoot me an email if you want to talk about that more Kristi! We have so much fun with outs and I wish that for everybody 🙂
Sheila! This is such such such a fun idea for a book club. Both of my book clubs are still very new so I’m not sure how this would work now but it’s definitely an idea to keep in the back pocket.
This is the first time we tried it but it was a big hit Trish – we have a group Facebook page for our book club and there is already discussion about how everyone is loving there books! 😀
What a great idea!!!! I think I am going to have to try this with my book club too! Love it!
Somehow I missed this post but I saw the cover of The Crying Tree on your sidebar. I loved that book – so well done! Hope you enjoy it. Your book club sounds wonderful!!