I've always loved to read. Even when I was too young to read the words, I used to memorize the stories & pretend to read. It's probably my favorite way to pass time. Around November Mariel & I sort of started up this book club. It's not the kind of book club where everyone reads the same book & then sits around & answers discussion questions. Instead it's more of an excuse to get together & have dinner & borrow each others' books while we're at it. I love it. There's probably about 7 or so of us (mind you, some months I think we've been up closer to 12 or 13). We have a themed dinner & chat about everything under the sun & occasionally bring up books. I do love getting books from others & not having to purchase them myself, borrow them from students, or go to the library, but I think the best part of the First Tuesdays Book Swap is the dinner. It's potluck style, and we decide each month on a theme & see where that takes us. So far we've had a Mexican night, breakfast for dinner, Chinese night, Appetizers, & most recently, Italian night.
The entire point of this post is actually not the food or the book swap itself but really just one book that I borrowed from Zosia and just recently finished. I just finished the book Letters to Juliet: Celebrating Shakespeare's Greatest Heroine, the Magcal City of Verona, and the Power of Love by Lise & Ceil Friedman. It wasn't the best book I've ever read, & I'm not trying to write a book review. Instead, I guess I just wanted to share what I learned because, as an English teacher and a hopeless romantic, I feel like I should have known about this.
Everyone knows of Juliet & her love Romeo. In fact, I'm not sure you can graduate high school in America without having to read Shakespeare's famous play. And if you're my age, you probably made sure you saw Leonardo DiCaprio & Claire Danes's version of the famous play. Although Shakespeare's characters are fictitious, anyone can visit the home of Juliet in Verona. It is here, at what I think is considered her tomb, that people visit. Well for years and years, like since the beginning of the 1900s, people have left notes for Juliet & even mailed letters from all over the world to Juliet. Verona has appointed people, now called the Juliet Club, to respond to these letters. Can you imagine? They actually respond to every single letter in an effort to keep the fantasy of Juliet alive. Some men actually write in to tell of their love & ask that a letter be sent to their lover from Juliet. Others write for advice. I'm not sure why this idea completely mesmerizes me, but it does! I think it's so interesting, and I thought I had to share! A letter from Juliet's secretary? How romantic!
The entire point of this post is actually not the food or the book swap itself but really just one book that I borrowed from Zosia and just recently finished. I just finished the book Letters to Juliet: Celebrating Shakespeare's Greatest Heroine, the Magcal City of Verona, and the Power of Love by Lise & Ceil Friedman. It wasn't the best book I've ever read, & I'm not trying to write a book review. Instead, I guess I just wanted to share what I learned because, as an English teacher and a hopeless romantic, I feel like I should have known about this.
Everyone knows of Juliet & her love Romeo. In fact, I'm not sure you can graduate high school in America without having to read Shakespeare's famous play. And if you're my age, you probably made sure you saw Leonardo DiCaprio & Claire Danes's version of the famous play. Although Shakespeare's characters are fictitious, anyone can visit the home of Juliet in Verona. It is here, at what I think is considered her tomb, that people visit. Well for years and years, like since the beginning of the 1900s, people have left notes for Juliet & even mailed letters from all over the world to Juliet. Verona has appointed people, now called the Juliet Club, to respond to these letters. Can you imagine? They actually respond to every single letter in an effort to keep the fantasy of Juliet alive. Some men actually write in to tell of their love & ask that a letter be sent to their lover from Juliet. Others write for advice. I'm not sure why this idea completely mesmerizes me, but it does! I think it's so interesting, and I thought I had to share! A letter from Juliet's secretary? How romantic!
I love this - the info about our awesome book club, the fun we have, and I love the idea of this book. That people write letters to Juliet, a fictitious character, just blows my mind but it really does mesmerize me too - I can't even imagine the amazing & crazy things that the members of the Juliet Club must get to read about in those letters! Thanks for this great post Mia! Love you :)
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