Beach Book Club

In May of 2012, as teachers tried using their keys to leave their classrooms (always a bad sign) and as motivation to grade research papers on the legalization of marijuana wore thin, the idea of a beach book club was born in the English Department work room at my school. Finally, an opportunity to read something self-selected! Intelligent discussions of literature! At the beach!  The idea kept sounding better and better.

Two of my fellow teachers offered their beach houses as places for discussions. A third teacher indicated that she was interested in participating and, by the way, could we read the book she had just finished writing? My contribution? I would spend the gas money to drive to the beach once a week. 

Our goal: To read and discuss one book a week.

Our promise: As three English teachers and a librarian, to not be caught dead reading or discussing Fifty Shades of Gray. (Although we all seemed to agree that the YA novel Between Shades of Gray was quite lovely.)

Our list:

June 20-Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

June 27-Home by Toni Morrison

July 11-We the Animals by Justin Torres

July 18-Treasure Island!!! by Sara Levine

June 25-Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick

August 1-the book by our group member and fellow teacher :)

August 8-It Happened on the Way to War by Rye Barcott 

August 15-Open City by Teju Cole

August 22-Game of Thrones Book 1: A Song of Fire and Ice by George R. R. Martin

Although as of today, July 16, all four of us have only met at the beach one time (once only a few of us could meet and another time were forced to meet in Pennsylvania), we've still managed to read and discuss the first three books if not in person and if not at the beach then over email or at someone's non-beach house. The discussions have been nothing less than memorable and stimulating. There's really nothing quite like reading a text (be it a poem, novel, or piece of art), forming a staunch opinion on it, and then watching your opinion grow, change, and second-guess itself when confronted by the opinions of others.  

On creating the list:

I must say that I had a difficult time finding "Books to Read this Summer" lists when I conducted my search in late May (2012).  Once our group completed our list, I abandoned my search for "hot summer titles."  It seems like, aside from the 'colorful' book previously mentioned in this blog post, few blockbuster reads have taken the country by storm this summer. Where is the next Hunger Games? Harry Potter? The Help? Girl With the Dragon Tattoo?  Although the books I've read so far this summer have been enjoyable, I'm dying for a new author or series to take on rock star status and be "the next big thing."  If you hear about any such book, please share!