Welcome! I'm Ann Marie (some of you may know me as @annmariebrok), and this is an attempt to merge my two favorite things: beer & literature. My goal with this is simply to get a group of awesome Baltimoreans together at a local bar to discuss various books.
Things you may be wondering:
Is this a girls-only club? -or- Will the book choices (or bar choices) be "girly"?
Gross. No. I don't believe in that girls-only thing and the bars that I like are hardly girly. I like good books and I like good beer. Those things aren't limited to a single gender (& neither are we, really).
Do I have to read a book or drink alcohol to be in this club?
I would very much prefer if you read the book before coming to the book club, but don't feel like you have to drink (we will probably be at a bar, though, as long as you're comfortable with that!).
What kind of books will we be reading?
I am thinking more casual reads rather than hefty academic reads. Mostly because we don't all have time to read an intensely long book in one month. Books that I have in mind to read for upcoming meets are (and are not limited to!): Chuck Palahnuik's Invisible Monsters (or any of his books, really), Max Brooks' World War Z, Teju Cole's Open City, Tina Fey's Bossypants, and John Waters' Role Models. I am open to (and would love) book suggestions.
What kind of bars will we go to?
Good question. I figure this is a good opportunity to visit the plethora (and range) of local bars that Baltimore has to offer. My aim would be toward bars that are locally-owned and it would be really awesome if they were active on social media.
What is this blog for?
I am hoping to use this blog as a jumping-off point, really. I will be posting the monthly book here, and when/where we will meet to discuss it. I am also hoping to give a brief overview of our discussion on the monthly book for those that were unable to meet with us in person. Then, comments on this blog would be more than welcome to continue to discussion online. I would also like to expand this into a Facebook group and a Twitter discussion.
I hope I answered all of your hypothetical questions. If not, feel free to comment and/or hit me up on Twitter.
Keep checking back for a post of the first book and the first meet-up date & location. If you have any initial suggestions for either, please comment below. It'd be really great to see all of you there!
-Ann Marie
You are a rock star. Can't wait to read the first book!
ReplyDeleteI've already started World War Z and Bossypants. Would love an excuse to finish them!
ReplyDeleteI would totally be up for Invisible Monsters, as it's the one Palahniuk book I keep meaning to read and still haven't.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I had trouble with World War Z... couldn't really get into it.
ReplyDeleteBossypants was awesome! So funny.
As a potential zombie book alternative (or addition!), I highly recommend 'Feed' by Mira Grant. It's more personal - follows the story of several bloggers born after the zombie apocalypse in a world where blogging is much more legit in the world of news and publishing (due to bloggers being the first/only ones to report useful information as the whole zombie thing started). The bloggers are following the campaign of a presidential candidate, and while the zombies are certainly a part of the background (there's still plenty of zombies around so the risk of getting attacked has to be accounted for in every little part of life), the focus is much bigger - politics, science, government - as well as smaller, focusing on the lives of the blogging team specifically.