Joy of Reading 5

Contemplating on the joys of reading during Bout of Books Read-A-Thon Jan 2022, I consider how that joy is spread. It sounds very missionary, very much like proselytizing, but how do you spread joy and reading at the same time. So here goes.

 Joy 5 is Reading with friends

Have you ever read a book at the same time as your friends? It's an opportunity to share what you are learning, enjoying, and even disliking. 

Reading with friends gives you an outlet to discuss the book. Do you like the writing style? Is the genre suitable for the content? Are you getting anything out of the book? What about the author? Is the writer a favorite of yours or your friends? Will you read anything by them? Maybe you share your delight in the topic, be it history, science, a craft, or a time period. 

The best books leave you yearning to share them with your friends. Just make certain you get your copy back if you lend it out!

If you are gritting your teeth and saying "I must finish this book because Z is reading it," you should probably bail on the book and give it away or back to the library. Your friends will be fine with it. After all, not every book is written for every audience.

Group Reading

I like to read books with friends in a group or a book club. This is an opportunity to read the book at the same time or within the same month and then get together to discuss the book.

Book clubs come in a variety of flavors: 

• Read the book, talk for a few minutes then chat and gossip about other things or books.
• Use discussion questions to talk about the book for a set time, say an hour, staying on topic. 
• Read the book, listen to the author speak about it and answer questions. This version may be informal or an prepared presentation.
  

Over the past two years, I've been part of all three types of reading groups. If you read the books as part of a group, you'll probably get more out of it.

Just recently I stumbled upon the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History https://www.gilderlehrman.org/ . They host a series of talks and Q&A sessions with authors and scholars of American History. It's an opportunity to read with a group and learn about the past.

I leave you with the suggestion that you read books together with your friends. Pick a book, share it, or read it at the same time. Then talk about it. It's much more fun than moaning about being home in the grey and the cold.