The Guild Reads

I am the grateful member of a writer’s group called “The Guild”.  The founding members named it with tongues in cheeks as a rif on traditional Ladies’ guilds which practice the more domestic arts.

We meet monthly and try to have at least one retreat annually (We’re overdue, Ladies!).  In December we have a little party called the “Christmas Tea” despite the fact that it’s always in the evening and tea is never served.

Who hosts shifts from year to year, but what remains unchanging is good food and great books.  We always have potluck and a gift exchange that is entirely, and appropriately, books.  We draw numbers and choose in order, with the next Guilder having the option to steal or choose another.  As we gather before the pile of wrapped books it’s the closest I ever get to that feeling I had as a child on Christmas morning.  I almost always find myself clapping involuntarily.

Every year I carefully choose the book I give.  It’s a point of pride that I introduced the group to Dodie Smith’s (the writer of “One Hundred and One Dalmations”) “I Capture the Castle”.  Another year I gave the Penguin Classic edition of Elizabeth Gaskell’s “Cranford”  another year I found a hardcover of the first American edition of “I Capture the Castle” and gave that.  

This year I am hosting.  The party is tomorrow night and I can’t wait.  I thought I had everything ready to go, nothing requiring a last minute trip to the store, when it occurred to me that I haven’t yet bought or even decided on my book.

!!!

I’ve flatlined and need some help.

Normally, I would look on my own shelves for inspiration, but my personal library has been adversely affected by arson.

What’s a great book you would recommend?

* Image borrowed from Jana Riess’ post on holiday books which I am going to re-peruse for some ideas.