Hi everyone! I am very excited to announce that through the BBAW posts…. I came up with an idea that I am excited to share with all of you today! I have always wanted to be a part of an online book club but haven’t found one that was the right fit for me. A couple days ago it occurred to me that I could just start one and hope that many of you would love to join me in this adventure!
Here is what I am thinking:
1. Each month a book is chosen that as many of us that can will read (its even cool if you have already read it prior to selection!)
2. I am thinking that on the last Monday of each month I will put up a post that everyone can link their reviews of the book
3. I will create a group email with questions about the book that you may answer and email back to me. I will use different contributors comments to answer the questions on a post here. You as well will be able to add your own questions.
That’s the basics of it now. Obviously if you did not have time to participate in a certain month certainly stay tuned for future months. Or if a book doesn’t interest you – you are welcome to pass and watch for the next.
The book I would like to start with is one that I just ordered myself and have not read yet, but many of you have. That book is:
Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.
Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is
1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.
Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.
Minny, Aibileen’s best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody’s business, but she can’t mind her tongue, so she’s lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.
Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.
In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women–mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends–view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don’t.
If you want to be in on this new book club, please link with your blog here. (This is my first attempt with Mr Linky so I am hoping it will work!) We will go live with our reviews the last week of October, I will put a post here for you to link your reviews to. If you have already reviewed this book I would love for you to sign up anyway and when the date comes for the review links – you can connect your review at that time as well.
Update as of September 24: I will post questions to everyone the week before the 26th of October. Then as people can they will respond withe their comments and a link to their review if it is up yet.
On Monday October 26th I will post the discussion – comments from various Work Shakers and links to your reviews….. thats the plan this time… we may need to tweak it as we go into future reviews… 
Feel free to grab the Word Shakers widget and use on your blog posts as well as to connect others to join.
Filed under: Online Book Club | Tagged: Book Club, Word Shakers
This is a fabulous idea, Sheila! I don’t have access to this book right now, but as soon as a book is chosen that I can read/have read, I’m gonna participate!
Thats great! I would love to have you on board!
I tried to do this a year ago, and couldn’t manage to get the thing up and running. We had about 3 active members, haha. But you have a readership behind you, so you have a good start already. I’m definitely joining! I probably won’t be able to do every book, but I’ll participate as much as possible.
Oh good! I know that people can not always participate due to other commitments but whenever you can I would be glad to have you join us!
Include me in. Great Idea.
YAY!!!
sounds great. Interestingly — my niece is taking a Women in Perspective course at Towson University and THE HELP is required reading.
Barbara that is so interesting! I have been wanting to read this book for awhile and this will really get me going on it!
Hey! You got Mr. Linky working. Way to go.
Thanks – I had a little help from my friends.
This sounds good! I have actually already read “The Help,” but would love to participate.
What’s the deal with Mr. Linky?
Glad to have you with us Laurel!
Okay, I saw the dialogue box and clicked, and then registered. So am I all set? Duh.
This is great! I love it! Because of school I’m going to take a book club hiatus until December – but then you can definitely count me in! How exciting!
I will keep you in the Reagan – thanks!
I have to many books to read right now but I would love to join in next time.
Thans Shannon that would be wonderful!
Great idea! I had to return this to the library after just starting it and have really wanted to get back to it!!
I hope this is your excuse then to grab the book!
I’m in this month although I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to do it every month. I actually did just read this book and my face-to-face club isn’t reading it for months so I’d love to have a group to discuss it with!
Oh good Lisa – I cant wait to discuss with you!
This is such a cool idea – I’d been thinking the same thing about starting up a book club online, but hadn’t figured how I’d do it! I won’t be able to get hold of that book this month, but will definitely stay tuned for future months.
Thanks Ruth!
This is awesome! I’m ordering the book today, especially after all the hype during BBAW! I’m excited! Great job Sheila!
Glad to have you with us Julie – this will be great fun!
What a great idea. Count me in (already signed up with Mr. Linky) not sure I will be able to do this book but I’m looking forward to the next one.
I forgot to tell you that I have an award for you:
http://wordsmithonia.blogspot.com/2009/09/who-loves-your-blog-award-part-deux.html
Not joining but I hope everything goes well for you. Bet I know where your new book club name came from!
I like the idea of online book clubs while I’m searching for one to participate IRL. I won’t be able to participate in October’s group discussion, however I hope to join future readings. (By the way, I like the name of the book club!)
[...] also started (or am working on the start of…) an online book club called Word Shakers. Check it out and sign the Mr. Linky if you want to be kepy updated on the reads and participate [...]
You know I am in! I read this a while ago. I actually recommended it for my regular book club this month and I guess no one wanted to read it, because it didn’t even make it to the finalist! I couldn’t believe it!!! Now, I don’t care, because I will get to discuss it wtih my blogging friends!!
I am very excited!
I love the idea on this book club; thanks. I have read this book and loved it.
Ah, yeah, that sounds like a “good book.”
Hi Sheila,
What a great, great idea! Guess what! You’re starting with a book I have been wanting to read so badly. I am really excited! It’s been on the seven day list at my library. All new books stay on the seven day shelf for six months. Then, after six mos. you can check the book out for twenty-eight days. Usually, I try to hold my horses for the twenty eight day book. This is what I’ve been doing with The Help. Waiting and wringing my hands wishing the book would quickly move over to the twenty eight day shelf.
Since this is a special occasion, I’ll check it out no matter what shelf it’s on. I might even buy a cheap copy online.
Sheila,
Could you give an exact date? I think there is one more Monday in this month. Are you talking about this month or the last Monday of next month????
HI Tea – I will post questions to everyone the week before the 26th of October. Then as people can they will respond withe their comments and a link to their review if it is up yet.
On Monday October 26th I will post the discussion – comments from various Work Shakers and links to your reviews…..
thats the plan for now… we will see how it works for everyone and may take some tweaking until we figure out a good formula.
Got it! I bought a copy from Amazon this morning. Not realizing I could have contributed to literacy. Thanks for posting that posty.
This sounds great. I have signed up, but will start with the next book selection.
Hi Sheila,
I just remembered signing up or something for another online reading group. So, I don’t know where I stand now. I wanted to write you an email. Didn’t find email address.
No problem Tea… I have emailed you.
This is such a wonderful idea. I have aspirations of doing something similar, someday – when I have more time. I’m going to skip joining as of right now, but I hope I’ll be able to free up some time to join in the future – I really love your idea.
[...] #3 I am really excited about – The Help is going to be our first online book club read and is currently waiting on my shelf! (Still time to join in on this group read!) [...]
[...] run an online book club…. haven’t done that before, but with a group already created (Word Shakers) and a plan to review The Help. I had best get a good grasp on how to do this. Any [...]
I joined the Linky! Thank you for starting an online group. I’m listening to “The Help” on CD (absolutely fascinating, to hear the story) and am excited to join the discussion.
[...] Help by Kathryn Stockett as this is going to be our first book review for and discussion for the Word Shakers online book club. I am nervously excited as we have quite a group reading this book and then we [...]
[...] Watch for the next Word Shakers book choice to be posted soon! All are welcome to join! See how here! [...]