Well, here it is. My Oprah moment. I like to read..and to get others to read. This is the only thing that Oprah and I have in common. Well, other than that yo-yo weight thing. Oh yeah and the fact that we would both get kicked out of Hermes in Paris. The difference here..she attempts to shop at Hermes, where as I would could never. Uh, back to Reading. Right. Reading. I am passionate about recommending books, sharing books, talking about books. Old and new, fiction and non, memoirs, paperbacks and hardcovers, cookbooks, murder mysteries, true crime, coffee table books, home decor, even a romance novel or two have graced my tired eyes, only to smack me square in the forehead as I fool myself into thinking I can stay awake, just to the next chapter. I force myself to get in even 2 or 3 pages at the end of a long day, which (you do the math) can mean it takes me months just to finish a book. But I persevere. Why? Quite simply, because I love to read!
This is how The Sisterhood of the Traveling Books got started. Shelly and Jessica substituted books for pants and came up with the great idea of a starting a book club where each member donates a book from their shelf, sends it to the next reader in line on the sign up list, and so-on and so-on. The concept offers members the opportunity to read great books without having to spend a fortune on new books, just pennies on the cost of postage. It also makes available books in English that may otherwise be unattainable for ex-pats or books that are out of print and unavailable in certain parts of the globe.
I put myself on the list when I first read about it for "At Home in Rome", the book that started it all. Since then, I have donated two books of my own to the cause and I look forward to getting books more books in the mail that have been read, signed and discussed by readers before me. I guess it’s a kind of virtual book club!
So, if you are interested, dust off a book on your shelf and click here to apply for membership.
Happy Reading! Oh, and eat your heart out Oprah.