Sunday Salon: Read With Me?

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I’m going out on a limb here: I have an invitation for each of you. Will you be my reading buddy? Let me explain.

Over the past few months, I’ve discovered how much I love reading with other people. I’ve done a couple of readalongs, and I really enjoy reading a book with the knowledge that someone else is reading it too. It makes the solitary act of reading into something communal.

So, am I inviting all of you to join me in a readalong? Not exactly.

Birds
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I must extend a thank you to Buried in Print, who inspired the proposal I am about to make. I’m not thinking anything big or formal or even particularly coordinated. Instead, I’m thinking that if there’s a book on my TBR list that’s on yours as well, perhaps you’d like to tackle it together? That could be as simple (we both read it around the same time) or as complicated (we set a schedule, with follow-up questions) as we’d like. We can also work the timing so that it works for both of us; I’m thinking this will be a long-term project, so all of 2011 is fair game. The main goal is just to read a book together.

Please note: this offer is open to everyone, not just bloggers! I’d love to read with any (or all!) of you.

If you think you might like to be reading buddies, take a look at my 2011 reading goals and my Classics Reclamation Project list and see if there’s anything on those lists that you’re planning to read, too. I’m also open to suggestions; have a book on your TBR list that fits with one of my goals? Feel free to suggest it!

Once you’ve chosen your book(s), leave me a comment or fill out the form below. I’ll get in touch with you and we can work out details. I hope you’ll join me!

Join the Conversation

26 Comments

    1. Thanks, Diane, I’m glad you’re on board! I’ll send you an email in a few days, once I have a better idea of how many people are interested. I’m looking forward to it!

  1. I’m always up for reading something with you! I’m trying to always post my classic weekly reviews on Friday, though, and I don’t know if that’ll be a hindrance…but I’m definitely willing, if you have classics in mind!

    1. Yay! No problem with your classics schedule; I’m not looking to do something formal, so we could post about it whenever works best for us. Are there any classics on my list you haven’t read yet? 🙂

      1. Ooh we should read A Moveable Feast or I Capture the Castle together this year! I’ll probably want to pick up Hemingway sometime during the summer months, and I’ll be reading I Capture the Castle sometime in March as it’s my April’s book club selection!

        1. That’s an excellent plan! I was planning to read I Capture the Castle for your book club that month anyway. And A Moveable Feast sounds good for summer; I don’t technically own it and so really shouldn’t be reading it until after the TBR Dare is over.

    1. Thanks, Trisha, glad you’re interested! I’ll email everyone in a few days when I have a better idea of how many people are interested and in what. I’m looking forward to this!

  2. Your book reading lists are fantastic, Erin! I have three-quarters of the books on my list so I am excited about this idea! I really enjoy reading with other people but haven’t had the nerve to post about reading groups yet. Anytime you’d like a reading partner, definitely give me a shout!
    ~ Amy

    1. Thank you, Amy! I’m glad we have so much overlap! I thought I’d keep it this project informal so that the stress level stays low 🙂 I’ll be emailing everyone soon, once I’ve worked out the details!

  3. It’s such a great idea ! And many of the books on your list are on my shelves too ! Among the many books I’d love to read or read again are “The reserve” by Russel Banks or “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” by Truman Capote or “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen, or any other classics. I’ll be glad to join you for any of those books.
    “Gone with the wind” and “Doctor Zhivago” are already part of my 2011 reading goals too, both of which i’ll read in french, though I wish to read more books in english.

    1. Thanks, I’m glad you’re interested! I’ll send you an email once I have a better idea how many people are interested and in what books. It would be interesting to read the same book but in different languages!

  4. What a great idea! I would love to read with you. I’ll look through your list and see if we have some in common. I agree that it makes it more fun. I have quite a few of the same books on my list for this year.

    1. Great, Kristi! I’m glad we share some books. I’ll send you an email in a few days once I figure out how many people are interested in which books. I’m looking forward to reading with you!

    1. Great, Sandra, I’ll send you an email in a few days and let you know what the plan is. Looking forward to it!

  5. Please, please read Franzen’s The Corrections with me – it’s so intimidating that I’m so scared to venture on my own (an exaggeration really, but not far off). Haha.

    I read through your list and found some that are also on my bookshelf. Which reminds me, I have to post a TBR pile list on my blog as well. 😛

    1. Ok! There’s actually at least one other person up for that one so far, so we may even have a small group out of it! I’ll send you an email sometime soon and let you know what I work out. 🙂

  6. I love this idea! I only found one book that’s currently on my shelves on your lists (Never Let Me Go), but I would definitely be up for reading it with you.

    1. Great! I’m putting together a list of everyone interested in each book and will send out an email in a few days with whatever details I come up with 🙂

  7. What a great idea! Most of the books on your list are on mine so I’m totally in! Being in school takes up a large part of my time, but I do read 50-75 pages of whatever I’m reading each night so I would be a slow reader but still able to read. (I hope that made sense…)

  8. Thanks for the shout-out, Erin: looks like you’ll have lots of company for knocking those titles off your CRP list and your TBR plans! It’s nice to have company for comfy, cozy reads, but also nice to have company for those scary, “big book” reads: nearly always nice to have reading company, I s’pose…

    1. Thank you for the inspiration! I will be in good company, that’s for sure. I’m pretty happy to read anything with other people — it’s just nice to know people all over the world are reading the same book you are. Though yes, having support for the scary reads is always a plus!

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