Who's responded so far!

I will keep this list updated as I receive responses, and take down responses if 2 weeks go by without hearing from a respondant again. This is a copy of an email most of you have received on the basics and who is who in our book club! Please feel free to add or edit your own information as you like. I will be sending out invitations to co-author this blog to everyone I get at least 2 responses from in regards to the club.

I am excited to see you are a diverse group of people and really hope you all decide to give this a try. :) I love the idea of having lots of different ages and perspectives. I think that leads to the best conversations! :) Something I really enjoy about book clubs is getting outside my comfort zone in what I read... I definitely enjoy some selections more than others, but I have read some GREAT books I never would have picked up on my own. What I would like to do is give everyone fait input on our monthly selections... what worked in the last club I was in was we each made a selection, wrote down the title on a slip of paper, and I kept the slips in a baggie. Every meeting we would draw one of the titles out until everyone's book had a turn. Then we would start again.

About me: Mandy, 26. I am a middle grade/young adult writer so I do enjoy a good young adult novel. I also enjoy an eclectic variety of adult literary novels. Some novels I have read recently that I enjoyed a great deal: Paper Towns by John Green, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See and The Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson. I also have a real love for classic novels... anything by Austen, Melville, Hemingway, Tolstoy, Hawthorne, the Brontes, etc. etc.

Sawyer- "My name's Sawyer, I'm 19 and have been a reader/writer for a long time now. I'll be a sophomore at UCSC."

Amy- "About me: female, 25, single, college graduate, reader. This is my second year in Santa Cruz. I would love to meet new people."

Nancy- "I might be interested if I can get some sense of peoples choices etc. I am in the older generation, late 60's and living in SC after loss of husband five years ago, work as nonprofit consultant, like intelligent books, really well written novels, not cliche, usually NOT on the NY Best Seller list! and of course mysteries, often by foreign authors, recently reading about Change/Transitions, etc and The World Without Us, along with a Fred Vargas mystery"

Dave- "I was always in [a book club] when I lived in Alaska. About me, 46 y/o gay man and a writer by profession. Outgoing personality, love to meet new people."

Amethyst- "I am a middle school English teacher, and just moved back to Santa Cruz after my first year teaching. I love to read, and since I'm a little shy, a book group seems like a great way to make friends."

Heather- "My name is Heather and I am a part time teacher in Santa Cruz. I have a B.M. (Bachelor's of Music) in Voice Performance. I love to read and learn and at the moment I'm in the process of applying to Grad School for an M.B.A."

Melissa- "I love books and just started up at Cabrillo and am looking for ways to keep my brain active while not in class. My name is Melissa, I'm 25, practically married, and my boyfriend has an 8 year old son."

First book, first meeting!

Here is a fast pick for our first book, basically a decision made on the fact that the author will be visiting Capitola Book Cafe on November 5 and I thought that might add a fun dimension.

http://www.arielsabar.com/book.html

Any qualms with this being our first book? Feel free to comment and let me know. I am trying to figure out how to make this a multi-author blog so we can all log in and post... anyone have any idea how to do that?

Also, please comment with any scheduling concerns or dates that don't work for you around the beginning of October for our first meeting. I figure about a month for everyone to finish the book, does that work? I want it to stay low pressure so it stays fun and we don't lose people due to too much 'homework'! :) I will post everything here from now on, for the most part, so check back for updates!