Bad Girls' Book Club

So, one of the new enrichment groups in our ward is a book club.

We haven't really even met yet, we're just now reading the first book, and I'm already thinking about bailing.

This is not the fault of the woman who's in charge of it--having been in her same position in the church a few years ago I'm amazed she even got permission for the book club to be a church-sanctioned activity. That's quite a feat. But, the trade off is that the Bishop has to approve all book choices (which is completely understandable). To make "appropriate" book selection a little easier, the other rule is that the book has to be one that Deseret Book sells (Deseret Book is chain of book stores specializing in LDS friendly literature and products).

The book we're reading first is The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. It's good, but it's written for twelve year olds. If I were twelve, I would be so in love with this book, but at thirty-three...not so much. I'm having a hard time imagining what we're going to discuss (I'm only halfway through it, so maybe it will surprise me).

Anyway, that's not the point. Nor is this post meant to be a complaint about the book club, because really, it's a good thing. I'm just afraid I'm going to be bored. I see a lot of Jane Austen in my future if I stick with it (Not that there's anything wrong with Jane Austen). I also see myself rebelling against the appropriateness police.

You can see it, too, I know.

I get to choose the book we read for August. I started going through some of my favorites. They're good books. There are lessons to be learned in them. They could make for lively discussion. But they're either too "inappropriate" for Deseret Book to carry (they've even stopped carrying the Twilight series because of objectionable content. There's also been a push to have them stop carrying Harry Potter books because they deal with "witchcraft and the occult.") or there's something--a word, an action--in them that I just know will offend someone.

So, I'm going with Little Women. I dare someone to find it inappropriate.

But I want a chance to discuss good books that maybe didn't pass the inspection of The Powers That Be at Deseret Book (who, by the way, are not The Powers That Be within the church). I want to discuss The Handmaid's Tale. The Rapture of Canaan. The Poisonwood Bible. The Color Purple. The Time Traveler's Wife. Heck, how about some Amy Tan or even a little light-hearted Garrison Keillor?

So I'm thinking of starting a "Bad Girls' Book Club."

What do you think? You want to join? Can we have it at your house?