BOOKLEAVES

I've been fairly content with my life in Korea -- I enjoy teaching EFL, and the pay's not too bad -- it more than covers those mad journeys to the bookstore and the craziness between Amazon and me.

On the minus side, the library situation has been a downer; I hadn't realized before I left home how many books I borrowed and how often. [Hometown library, I love you! I'll see your rows and rows of books and smell your lovely dust-and-book glue aroma in a few days! Whee!]

But never mind the Korea library situation for now, because something wonderful has happened. I found something that I wanted just as much as a library (although, mind you, that would still be really nice!) I have found and joined a: BOOK GROUP!!!

Remember when I went to What The Book? back on July 13, and there was a bulletin board notice about a book group? I wrote down the email on the notice, thinking that this person wanted to start one up. Wrong! Happily, the group already existed (since 2005) and the next meeting was July 22. The group even had a name: Bookleaves. Bookleaves. I savored the name in blissful silence, sort of the way I used to dreamily savor a new boyfriend's name. Wow. That's a nice name...

Bookleaves is a Seoul-based group, and I'm located 3 hours south in a whole nother province. A problem? Hello? I crossed the line from bookworm to bibliomaniac several years ago and I've never looked back. Why would I start now? I found my Seoul subway card and packed the book we'd be discussing (The Witch Of Portobello by Paulo Coehlo) and went downtown and bought a train ticket.

The meeting was in a cozy corner room of a coffee shop. A bookstore was one or two floors above us. Eight women showed up for the meeting, and the talk about books was fast and furious. It was a little strange to be in a room with so many readers; I've only had Pablo these past couple of years to talk to.

The founder of the group, Veronica, seems so committed and organized. Although we just met yesterday, the notes for the next meeting are already up on Facebook! I only now just remembered that she had her notebook computer at the meeting. She's been thorough about putting out the word about Bookleaves; I was amused that one new person found out about the group on the internet (high-tech) and I found out from a card on a bulletin board (low-tech).

Sadly, one of the members of Bookleaves is moving to Singapore, so my first meeting was her last meeting. That's the way the expat world turns. Sigh. I hope she'll visit Korea again. Even more, I hope she finds a book group in Singapore. She looked so nice and bookwormy, clutching her copy of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows.

I've been wanting to move to Seoul for the past couple of months, and finding a book group has strengthened my resolve. Autumn will definitely find me job-hunting.

Bookleaves meets approximately every 3 weeks on Sunday afternoons. During the last part of the meeting, we went upstairs to the bookstore and examined the English-language books available and chose books for the upcoming meetings. A Conspiracy Of Paper is up next on August 5, but of course I'll be in the US. (For the first time, I thought: "Oh, damn.")

The next meeting after that is August 26, when we'll discuss You Remind Me Of Me by Dan Chaon. After that, we'll read Comfort Woman by Nora Okja Keller and In The Company Of The Courtesan by Sarah Dunant. I've read none of these, so of course, I'm looking forward to discovering each book and more than that, discussing it!

I'm finally in a book group in Korea. Finally, finally, finally. I've been content in Korea, satisfied with the way my life is going, but now I think I've just upgraded to happy.