Sophie started a book club — and you’re invited. Just don’t expect much to happen. 

She’s calling it “Sophie’s Book Club,” but I think it should be called “The Best Book Club Ever.”

Last Sunday it was about a hundred and a million degrees out — even too hot to swim — and I was cranky and out of ideas. So when Sophie announced she was starting a book club, I jumped on it. “Want me to go on Facebook and see if anyone wants to join?” I asked.

She was thrilled. (Sophie would very much like to be on Facebook herself, which is not happening. Not now, anyway.) Turns out, everyone wants to join. Sophie made a membership “card,” I ran to the store to make copies, and she kept herself busy for the rest of the afternoon, filling out names.

The club has really taken off. I got an email from the mom of a kid in Sophie’s class, asking if her kid could join. Another mom-friend texted me today to ask if Sophie had chosen a book yet, because she was at the bookstore and ready to buy it if I knew what it was; Sophie had run into this woman at school and assured her the club was meeting this weekend.

That’s news to me.

Here’s the thing: We haven’t really gotten around to choosing a book. Or even discussing if books will actually be read at this club. Apparently Sophie just likes the idea of having a book club.

Can’t say that I blame her. At first I was a little horrified by this thought, and then I realized that Sophie’s simply skipping to the end. Tell the truth: How many book clubs have you been in that actually involved reading and discussing the book? That’s what I thought. I’ve been in several and I never read the book.

(Part of that is my own personal weirdness. Assign me a book, tell me I actually have to read it, and I immediately lose interest. As you might guess, I did not do well in school.)

I don’t know, maybe we’ll try reading books for this club. Or maybe we’ll just get together and have really good snacks and talk about the people who aren’t there. Like I said, The Best Book Club Ever.

(And here I must offer apologies to two of my best friends, Deborah and Laurie, both of whom run reportedly fabulous book clubs.)

Feel free to sign up below. I’ll make some more copies, and Sophie will get to work on your personalized membership card.