This year we are exchanging gifts at our December meeting, a first for The Friday Morning Bookclub. Afterall, who doesn’t like getting a gift. To add to the fun we are going to play the Chinese Gift Exchange game, also called a White Elephant Gift Exchange or Chinese Auction. Why it is commonly called a Chinese Gift Exchange, no one seems to know as it has nothing to do with the Chinese and everything to do with just having fun.
To play, everyone brings a wrapped gift which is put on the table in full view. One by one, each person gets to select a gift, unwrap it for everyone to see and then potentially lose it to someone else and have to select again. This game is so much fun (as long as you do not become too attached to a gift!) as your gift can be “stolen” at any time.
For our game, everyone is bringing a gift that has something to do with reading or books and does not cost more than $15. There are so many possibilities, some funny and some practical and that’s what makes the game so much fun!
Friday Morning Bookclub 
My book club does the same thing except the gift exchanged and subject to the Chinese auction is a new or gently used book. We have a pot luck lunch first and then do our gift exchange. Last year I was quite fortunate to receive The Lady with the Dragon Tattoo.
Comment by Laura — November 22, 2010 @ 5:39 pm |
Laura, I love the idea of exchanging gently used books. What a great idea! Tell us more about your book club!
Comment by susanbright — November 23, 2010 @ 12:47 pm |
Bookies is one of the activities of the Newcomer Friends of Greater Plano (NFGP), which is not just for newcomers and not just for those living in Plano, Texas. Bookies meets once a month and the discussions draw anywhere from 10 to 25 ladies per meeting. What I love about this book club is the diversity of the ladies. We have women who have recently moved to the area from all over the United States and sometimes from other countries as well. A book club with women who have different perspectives always creates interesting discussion. We select our books by submitting suggestions and then voting. For our December meeting, we don’t discuss a book. Instead we have a potluck and do a Chinese auction of books – either gently read or new. The only rule: no exchange of a book that was a club selection.
Comment by Laura — November 29, 2010 @ 2:07 pm |
Hi Laura, Thanks for telling us about your book club. Where do you meet? I am always concerned that if we allow our group to get too large we will have a difficult time finding a meeting place and also that it will be hard to have an informal discussion.
Comment by susanbright — November 29, 2010 @ 2:58 pm |