Book Club of Two?

My mom’s a reader, and I’ve been lucky enough to get a steady feed of great books sent my way when my mom finishes reading them.  Neither one of us is a book-club person, but the way I see it, we’ve got a book club of two.  It’s a transcontinental book-club at that—one that ranges from Vermont to Alaska.  We talk at least once a week, and it’s a rare conversation that doesn’t involve books.

Sometimes I’ll meet a student who has a book club of two with his or her parent.  This is so exciting to me.  It doesn’t have to be anything formal, but it’s a fun thing to try, and there are so many great books out there that can appeal to both teens and their parents.  In fact, these books are sort of evolving into their own genre “Crossover Lit.”  Think of The Book Thief, read by tons of adult book clubs yet classified as Young Adult.  Some of Jodi Picoult’s novels have crossed over in the opposite direction, and of course there’s that whole vampire series…what’s it called again?  When I read Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (which I’ll write more about in a later post), I immediately saw the crossover possibilities.  I think parents would enjoy meeting Margaret Rose Kane and her uncles just as much as their kids would.  Mothers who fondly remember Judy Blume might try reading Sarah Dessen books with their daughters; I promise it will still be just as much fun as it was when you were in eighth grade.

I’m grateful to my mom for inspiring me to become a reader, and I’m glad that she’s never stopped encouraging my literary pursuits.  My bookshelves, filled with books sent across the country from mom to me, are a true testament to that.

So consider forming a Book Club of Two…even if it’s just for a single book, who knows where it will take you.