Read “The Blog”
like The Blob but not as deadly!
“Book” Colloquy
a: conversation or dialogue
b: a high-level, serious discussion
When I first started homeschooling my kids, I came across “A Thomas Jefferson Education” and fell in love with the education model. I loosely followed it with my children and, more importantly, myself. You can’t facilitate an education that you don’t have yourself, right?
The best part of the model was the way we read and discussed books. I went to several conferences that had required reading beforehand so that we could practice this discussion technique together with a mentor ourselves. It was a magical experience.
It was unlike any book club I’d ever been to. We’d all read the book and just sit down to discuss it. Which characters did we love, hate, or identify with? Did we learn anything about the experience, the period, or the people? Favorite quotes, personal triggers and revelations, were all discussed. The best part was that all the people in the group were so different. We all came from different demographics; different ages, sexes, and marital status.
Learning what others thought and felt about a book from their perspective was inspiring. A book I hated became a classic, a book I loved was shared with someone that had never even heard of it. The trouble now? How can recreate that experience out here, alone, in the desert?
A book blog!
Here’s the thing, I read a wide gamut of genres, from philosophy and sociology to memoirs and classic novels. I just love to hear other people’s points of view, their story, and reading books “does it for me.” It’s HOT, ok?!
AND I love to share what I’m learning, as I learn it. The posts I share here are mostly my reactions and feelings, my personal connection to what I’m reading.
In a perfect world, I’d sit with you over coffee and cookies and talk about what we’re reading for hours. In lieu of that, you’ll have to put up with my rambling, my astonishment/dismay, and my emotional outbursts sprinkled with my own brand of humor in written form. If you stick around, you’ll also find some short stories and articles about my own experiences: relationships, parenting, homeschooling, and social media exploits.
Do I have to read what you’re reading to join this book colloquy?
No way! What fun would that be?
You read what you like and I’ll read what I like! I’d love to know if you’ve read the books I’m reading and what you thought. If you’ve read a completely unrelated book, but the quote or thought I shared triggers you to think about it, please leave a comment! If you have more resources, opposing or alternative viewpoints of the same subject, PLEASE direct me to them. I’d love to add them to my list!
This is a free form book colloquy!
Open up your mind and see where we end up!
If you’re anything like me, you’re here because you long to “virtually” connect with open-minded people, to peruse through someone else’s thinking, and maybe see what makes another reader tick.
That being said, on with the show!
If you’d like to contact me for any reason, just fill out the form below and I’ll answer as soon as I can. I’d love to hear from you!
Danny
Yes, it would be great if you can join a book club, but with people who really love books and are interested in relating to other book lovers and writers.
Too many fakes out there interested only in hooking up rather than stablishing a frienship .
Do you know what my favorite book was?
It was written in Spanish.
“Antology of anecdotes and short stories of famous people”
It was so interesting ,sometimes hilarious, sometimes astonishing. I read that book over and over again.
Don’t give up Michelle. There are other book lovers out there who want to find someone like you to relate to and enjoy a nice afternoon talking about the latest S. King novel or Les Miserables.
BookerTalk
Those conferences sound absolutely wonderful Michelle. The skills you learned then have set you up for a lifetime of fully engaging with the material you’re reading. I wish we’d all been taught this way in school. Does the organisation that ran them, still do so?
Michelle Huelle
Unfortunately, no. It was a fledgling homeschool movement that never really gained any traction. I still love it, dream of organizing it, but live rurally so there isn’t much of a base of families to work with.
My sons and I still read the same books, go on long walks and share our thoughts. So the style must have stuck with them!
BookerTalk
Such a shame you can’t get it up and running.
Michelle Huelle
I agree. The youngsters should take it up! 😀