LitClub:  Changing Perceptions
Hampton Roads Region, Virginia

DIFFERING IDEAS and viewpoints are valued in this group, along with the belief that books change the way we understand the world. Meet the readers of Changing Perceptions.

What a neat name.
Thank you. We selected it because we all have various perceptions of life, which constantly change through personal experience. Reading adds another another layer of perspective, helping us see things differently.

And that must make for some lively discussions.
It certainly does. We love getting together to talk about the thought provoking topics and characters discovered in the books we read. Each discussion helps us to grow and see things through someone else's eyes.

So tell us what you've been reading.
Here's our list over the past year:

Perfect Peace
Gone Girl
Future Has a Past
Heaven is for Real
Who Asked You
Christmas Memory
Burgess Boys
Girl on the Train
The Shack
Color of Water
Kindred
Chocolate Run
The Descent

How about all-time favorites?
All books by J. California Cooper starting with In Search of Satisfaction. It's quality storytelling and writing. This particular book covers two generations and keeps you engaged throughout. Even though it's set in the 19th Century, the issues are applicable to today.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn—“certified craziness” that kept us turning pages. It was exciting to see the book made into a movie, especially with the actors selected to portray the characters!

The Shack by William Paul Young —a good demonstration of how faith can be tested.

Perfect Peace by Daniel Black—extreme parenting and the impact it can have on a child, even into adulthood.

The Deal, The Dance and The Devil by Victoria Christopher Murray—the reality of temptation; a “what would you do?” mindset

Any disappointments?
The Burgess Boys—a Pulitzer Prize author, but this particular book was very disappointing with a rambling plot and unsatisfying ending.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers— unnecessarily long with too many repetitive and descriptive pages about the slums of India. The pages missed an opportunity to provide more insight into the characters and how they evolved.  

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn—dark and depressing.  

Do you have any club rules?
Only one: No books over 350 pages.

We laugh about the rule because one of our members always asks, "how many pages is the book?" But she has a child with a very active schedule, and there aren't enough hours in the day to read as much as she would like. 

Actually, all of us have busy schedules, between family and work. So it's true for every one of us: there aren't enough hours in the day to read as much as we'd like.

What about special activities?
Well, we attend movies based on books we’ve read. We’re proud that three of our books have been (or will be) made into movies: Gone Girl (2014), Girl on the Train (2016), and The Shack (in production as of 10/2015).

We hold an annual Christmas party where we discuss a holiday short story, and we review the books we read that year—favorites and not-so-favorites. Each member also receives a special "Changing Perceptions Gift" with the club's logo. Gifts have have ranged from T-shirts to wine glasses (see photo above) and are paid for out of our annual dues.

We’re planning a Paint Nite in the near future.

You've also kept in touch with a former member.
Yes. One of our members relocated from Virginia to California. We've Skyped and done Facetime for some of our meetings...kind of cool!

Generally, how would you describe your group?
Our members are all different ages, backgrounds, and different professions, including military. Some are married and some single. This means we all bring different perspectives and experiences to our group meetings.