Read ‘Em and Weep

Sure, it’s been many a month since we’ve posted.  But that doesn’t mean we haven’t been reading!

In fact, in the last few months we’ve finished these beauts (or busts, as they were):

• True Grit by Charles Portis
• Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 11) by Charlaine Harris
• A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
• A Marriage Made in Heaven: Or Too Tired for an Affair by Erma Bombeck
• Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
• And more!

While we’re working on reviews for all of our latest reads, we post this question to you: what have YOU been reading?

Leave your comment here or head over to the Read ‘Em and Weep online forum to start talking about your reads! Go ahead, start a thread. Let’s get this party started – again!

By the way, this is what we’re off to read tonight

OK, so I know it has been a horribly long time since we posted something here, and even longer since many of us have gotten together.

But that’s no reason to not keep reading!  So, let’s get this whole thing going again with an easy topic.

What are you reading right now/what did you just finish reading? Did you love it, hate it, want to gild it in gold, or feed it to the depths of the ocean. Should we read it?

Tell us!  Leave a comment and let us know!  I’ve also added a feature on the bottom right of the page so you can see my “Current Read ‘Ems” — I’ll be adding everyone’s into rotation – right after you add your comment, of course!

Drum roll, please….

Our first official online book discussion will be on The Time Traveler’s Wife (by Audrey Niffenegger).

So, head out to the library or click on the link above to order yours from Amazon.com. Then, jump over to the Read ‘Em and Discuss ‘Em online forum to talk about it!

Early voting is available on Read ‘Em and Weep! Cast your ballot by Tuesday, November 4 (look Bonnie, you’ll actually get to vote for something this year).

The poll is available just to your right. Vote today!

Edmund Burke knew what he was talking about, right? Read ‘Em and Weep started as a way for friends to get together to discuss literature and life. But only our local friends have been able to participate.

Until now!

Our all new forum is a place where friends and family from near and far can get together to discuss great reads – at our own pace and as our schedules allow. We will still host our monthly get-togethers in the Melbourne area, but now we can share our love of books across state lines, time zones, and fashion lines … whenever we want.

Speaking of books…

I will be starting some forum threads about recent books I’ve finished, but I’d like to encourage everyone to submit the following as a comment to this post:

1. One book that you’ve read that you think everyone should read
2. One book you’ve been dying to read, but haven’t yet started

Don’t tell us which one is which – I will post a poll and we can all vote on our first “official” Read ‘Em and Weep book o’ the month (week? year?).

If you want to get started now talking virtually about your recent finds, join me over in the forum (click on Read ‘em and Discuss ‘em on the right side menu). You’ll need to register on the forum (don’t worry, it’s free) and confirm your registration via email (you may want to check your spam filter for the confirmation email if it is taking awhile to arrive).

I’ll get the fun started! Just visit the comments for this post to see my two recommendations.

Colleen

Weepers descended on downtown Melbourne last week for a little pottery painting at Get Fired Up!, a cute paint-it-yourself-and-hope-to-Monet-it-turns-out-studio.

Here are the before photos of our masterpieces! I hope to get after shots up soon.

Don’t despair if you couldn’t join us.  We’ll be having another meet-up in November, and there is always the Read ‘Em and Discuss ‘Em online forum if you want to connect up with any of us!

We’re planning our next meeting for Tuesday, October 14th (still working with everyone to find the perfect night and time as we go forward). Won’t you please join us?

We’re looking to paint some pottery this time. Maybe fill some cups with poetry, or line some plates with limericks … what do you think?

RSVP here by leaving a comment on this post – we’ll probably shoot for about 6pm to meet. Final info on the location and time will be available by Thursday, October 9 under the Gatherings heading to your right on the page.

Thanks to the wonderful ladies of Read ‘Em and Weep!  We had our first get together and while this follow-up post is long in coming, let’s relive some of the highlights, shall we?

To start – dinner at ToYo’s!

The question “What’s your favorite children’s book?” started off the evening (see, we are a real book club), which was followed by some Dr. Seuss and a heart-wrenching book about kids and animals in heaven (seriously, if I think about it again I’m going to cry).

Even better though, were some of the great quotes from dinner:

“You’re laughing so you won’t cry.”

“Everybody’s naked in heaven.”

So, what could be better than sushi rolls and some literature? Bring on the drinking!

Off to The Getaway

We hit the “not as comfy as it looks” couch in the corner for a little talk, a few drinks, and some carefree commentary on the fellow patrons of the bar and, of course, the music selection.

Big props to Laslo from Real Genius for acting as the DJ for the night (really, it had to be him. Only some guy who had lived in a basement for years using a secret doorway in the closet could have chosen the tunes he did).

Now, for some more great inspired quotes:

“It’s low – like harem low.” In direct response to our couch height.

“That’s like canoodle corner over there.” Not our corner, in case anyone needed clarification.

“It’s Twilight Zone Wednesday.”

“He’s the great bald hope.”

Betcha wish you had been there, right?

Welcome to Read ‘Em and Weep, our little corner of the virtual world devoted to our little “book club” based out of Brevard County in Florida.

We’ll post upcoming meetings, suggested reading material, drink recipes, favorite quotes — whatever we want!

The most important announcement is that our first meeting will be on Wednesday, September 17. The suggested meeting location was Toyo’s for apps and discussion, with a short walk down to the martini bar for more chatting. Thoughts? Alternate locations? Best time to get started? Discuss!

Also, please RSVP by posting a comment to this post!