What a lively group we had at the Field Notes Book Group on Saturday, January 21! It was terrific to have so many people eager to discuss our book for January, In the Shadow of the Mountain. Everybody had opinions and insights, and I’ve noticed that whenever I lead a book group I always learn something new about the book, no matter how well I thought I knew the book or how deeply I’d read it. This is one of the great values of book groups (along with providing different kinds of reading material and introducing you to fellow book lovers).
We actually had to cut the discussion short because we were running out of time to choose our book for February, and it took us two votes to agree on the next selection. Surprisingly, it is another nonfiction book (we usually alternate fiction and nonfiction): Chatter: the Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters and How to Harness It by Ethan Kross. Copies have been put on hold and will be available within the next few days.
Ethan Kross is a psychologist who’s fascinated by the way people respond to their inner voices. If you think about it, you’re always hearing voices in your head – voices that sound like you but might actually be echoes of parents or other people who’ve influenced you. Writers all know about the “inner critic” which you have to silence while you’re writing a first draft, but writers aren’t the only ones who have to fight against negative self-talk. Using the latest research, mixed with anecdotal evidence from real people, Kross explains what can go wrong with the “chatter” in your head, and how you can use skills you already have to tune in to your inner coach instead of that inner critic.
This should be a fun book to read and discuss. We’ll be having our meeting live and also virtually for people who can’t attend live, so if you’re interested but not able to attend in person, send me an email at nmulligan@thefieldlibrary.org the week before our meeting on February 25, and I’ll send you the link to join us. For those attending live, there will of course be refreshments to go along with our lively conversations.