03 Sep Wild about Wild
It’s not easy making a choice for book club. Of course we all want to make a selection that will be a brilliant read, highly entertaining, and most of all, make for excellent discussion. With so many superb books out there, the choices are endless but I love the old fashioned way of finding something: peruse the shelves, waiting for what strikes my fancy or stirs my soul simply from its cover, title, or back-of-the-book description.
Maybe it was the beat up boot on the front or the catchy, one word title, all in lower case letters, or maybe it was because it was smack in the center of the table of “Heather’s Picks” at Chapters, but I was drawn to Cheryl Strayed’s memoir, Wild.
I bought it, decided it sounded like it would incite discussion–maybe even inspire–a group of women I hold dear–the LOL book club babes. Then I found out Oprah was all over it.
That may encourage some readers but sadly it has the reverse effect on many. Personally I am a fan of Ms. Winfrey (other than her annoying habit of interrupting interview subjects and too frequently bringing the discussion back to herself) because I admire her brilliance, am inspired by her success, and most of all, appreciate her quest to make the world a kinder, more spiritual place. Still, I didn’t want my book club to think I’d selected Wild based upon Oprah’s endorsement.
But as I am almost finished the book (Yes! Get it!), I am researching the author and have found that Oprah has done just about everything for me! oprah.com/spirit/Wild-by-Cheryl-Strayed-Cheryl-Strayed Huh! This just may be the easiest blog about a book I’ve done yet.
Join me, the LOL, and Oprah herself, as we embark upon our first book of our second season, Ms. Winfrey’s first book of her new club, and the start of a new year, because doesn’t September feel more like the marker of new beginnings than January does? Here’s to crisp, sun-shining days spent reading about a 26-year old woman devastated by the loss of her mother, the scattering of her family, and the break down of her marriage, who with no prior hiking experience, impulsively sets out to journey the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State–alone.
See you soon!
Cheers,
Shannon