In February I joined a book club. I talk a lot about children’s books on my blog but this book club is just for grown-ups. I’m getting to know a great group of ladies from my community and I’m doing something that I love…reading! Another plus is that most of the members have children in the same local elementary school. The book club meets once a month so I’ve only been to two meetings. And while I’m totally in my element when it comes to reading, I had to step out of my comfort zone by joining a club where I initially didn’t know anyone.
My book club reads a variety of genres. Last month’s book was Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. I was familiar with the story but I’d never read the book. (Is it possible to hear the name Oliver Twist and not conjure up the image of a scrawny little orphan and his innocent request, “Please sir, I want some more?”) I was eager to read Oliver Twist but I waited to long too get a reserved copy from the library. As the date for our April book club meeting approached I began to panic. Oliver Twist is over 600 pages long – I am a quick reader but not that quick! My dad came to my rescue by suggesting that I search for a download-able version of Oliver Twist on the internet. It turns out that many classics are available for free as e-books. Just in time I was able to find an e-book of Oliver Twist. (There were several websites to choose from but I ended up using this one.) I skimmed here and there but I did finish the book the morning of our April meeting.
What I Liked
- Free
- Easy to scroll through chapters
What I Didn’t
- Without a laptop it is tough to read in bed
For more great WFMW (Works For Me Wednesday) tips visit Rocks In My Dryer.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the tip! I’ve found a couple of books I’ve searched for specifically, but I didn’t realize whole websites were out there.
ebooks are not as convenient as a bound copy, but if you can get used to reading on a screen, it’s a good alternative. I use Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
They have a lot of classics, almost anything with an expired copyright (50 years, I think?).
How cool! And they have a great selection, I’m looking forward to reading them. Great tip!
oooh…I didn’t realize that Planet eBook’s books LOOK like books…oooh. That’s fun.
Great tip! I didn’t even know these existed for free!
Free! I love it!
The book club sounds fun. What’s the next book on your list?
Thanks for the info! As we prepare to move to Argentina I’m collecting my own little library to take but obviously it will be helpful to access books online like this.
We live in Michigan, too, over in Jonesville (south of Jackson). I remember going to Romeo as a kid because my dad liked the ice cream place there (at the time we lived in Warren). That was back in the 60s.
I was in a book club for several years and LOVED it! Helped me read books I might not otherwise have read.