The Exclusive Book Club

Two of my favorite things are books and female friends. Yet somehow it never occurred to me to start a book club until I moved to Utah.

Me, the solitary reader

Thankfully, I did start a book club right after I moved here and the rest, as they say, is history. The Exclusive Book Club started with me, Christine, and Jodi, and within an hour we requested Lenore's participation as well because she is an English professor and one of the more bookish people we know despite her blog posts to the contrary.

The four founding members of my book club: Jodi, me, Christine, and Lenore 

By our first meeting our numbers swelled to include Heather, Joelle, Pam (or April), and Becky. I read online somewhere that eight was the perfect number for a book club so we were done. Membership closed.

Our enlightened members after reading Female Chauvinist Pig

On our way to discuss My Life With Eleanor

Our don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it membership window led to our name, along with the fact that Jodi was denied membership to a snooty book club by her house that didn't allow members who lived below 15th street. Bam. The Exclusive Book Club was born.

How awesome is our book club?

I heart my book club

Really awesome. The women in my book club are smart, funny, and diverse. For the most part, we all read the book. But if you don't, no judgement. Some of us drink, some of us don't. Some of us have kids, some of us don't. We have a librarian, a writer, an English professor, a scientist, a teacher, a blogger, and successful women who have corporate jobs I don't understand. It's awesome.

We even hang out apart from book club.

Book Club outing to the Paint Mixer

The Bayou with one non-book club friend. We're exclusive, not mean. 

New Years Eve with the book friends 

Seriously, I never imagined that I would move to Utah and within a couple months make such a fabulous group of friends. It got me thinking about the book club I should have created back home with my LA friends. That book club probably never would have happened as my Southern California friends are spread out from Ventura County to San Clemente (for my non-California friends that is about 130 miles or four hours in 405 traffic), but it's still fun to dream.

Behold! My imaginary LA Book Club:

If I were starting a book club in LA, I would start with my sister Amy and my cousin Julie. The only reason I would not invite Amy is because people would wonder why I am not as awesome as she is despite coming from the same gene pool. She is gorgeous and hilarious and the most competent human being I have ever met. Actually, she and Julie are pretty much tied in that regard. Amy and Julie both have a lot of kids, travel the globe, and make it look easy. Julie would probably want our book club to read Eat Right for Your Blood Type or How to Choose the Sex of your Baby because she has recommended them to me several times. And I will read them both, Julie, I promise. Someday.

Amy, me, and Julie on a girls trip to Maui

The other no-brainer in my book club would be my best friend Kristen. Kristen and I have been best friends since our parents used to push us around in strollers together. The crazy thing is that we actually stayed best friends through our entire life. To use a Lenoreism, Kristen is my dead body friend. I think that means if I kill someone some day, she has to help me hide the body. Kristen is a full-time nurse, has three kids who are six and under, and has four international students living at her house right now. Whatever we read, Kristen would want it to be short.

At a dueling piano bar with Kristen. The name of the bar escapes me, but it was a great night. 

Natalie would be the fourth member of my LA book club. She's a little twisted and probably would make us read a something dark and disturbing. Maybe manga. It would probably be the coolest book our club ever read, but we would all beg to read something normal the next month like Nicholas Sparks or Laura Hillenbrand.

Natalie is a photographer and knows how to work a camera. I approve. 

The next member of my book club would be Marcy.  Marcy has a PhD in philosophy and would see things in our books that the rest of us would miss, making my girl crush on her grow exponentially in the process. Marcy would want our book club to read Donna Tartt, which is good since I still have not read The Goldfinch yet.  Rather than speaking in book club, I would listen expectantly to whatever Marcy has to say because it would be funny, irreverent, and more insightful than anything I could come up with.

Marcy, I stole your Facebook profile pic. We need to take more pictures together, obviously. 

As the most social person I know, Mary would have to be in my LA book club. When hosting book club she would want to start with an amazing Persian meal, finish with karaoke, and offer to let everyone spend the night at her palatial home in Simi Valley. Whatever we read, Mary would bring the wine and make it a party.

Mary's 33rd birthday at Primativo in Venice. Miss you, friend. :) 

Jules and I once had what I would consider a TV Club so a book club would not be much of a stretch for us. Jules came to my house every night when Aidan was little, and we would laugh, talk, and watch Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, Vampire Diaries, Nip/Tuck, and whatever awesome shows were on between 2007-2009. Jules indulged my baking habit and temporarily gained five pounds to make me feel better. If Jules were in my book club, we would read books based on our favorite TV shows, eat brownies, and plan our next snowboarding trip.

Jules makes being a bridesmaid look good. 

My real-life equivalent to book club in Orange County was my volleyball team that I played with every Sunday and Wednesday from 2008-2011. My volleyball girls are the most fabulous, tight-knit group and I miss them everyday. Heather, Nicole, Julie, and Kristine are all in my imaginary book club even though they would probably ask why we started a book club instead of playing one more night of volleyball.

Volleyball girls trip to Mammoth, 2013

Heather's 30th birthday

Me and Kristine in San Luis Obispo 

Poolside in Vegas

I suppose the saddest thing about having two homes is that you never get everyone you love in the same place. I just feel blessed to have such amazing friends in Utah and California. If I ever move back to California, you have all been warned that we will have a book club and you will be in it.

As for you, my Exclusive Book Club, my life here would not be the same without you.