Innocent Anastasia or Damaged Christian--which are you?

WARNING---if you are not 18, TURN AROUND!  If you are not into open conversations, STOP NOW!   If you are a desperate Chester County house wife who is home right now, hoping the kids go to bed, cleaning up dinner, figuring out how to get the laundry done, dished cleaned and the dog groomed before the weekend, STOP, head right now to B & N or other online place and buy FIFTY SHADES OF GREY by E.L James.  You need a break!   And if you are reading Fifty Shades of Grey--proceeds with an open mind and get ready for some thought provoking questions.

Who would have thought that sitting in a dive pizza shop 1 month ago,  5 ladies reviewing Lisa Scottoline's most recent book would have picked a book that is now getting such hot talks, being banned in some libraries,  I mean I must be honest, we checked out about 3 books to compare for this month, and I swear sometime during the negotiation of which book to read this month, we choose it because it was cheaper then the rest! LOL We had no idea that this book was HOT on everyone's mind, that it would change a book club of 5-6 to an event that 22 now have RSVP'ed to, and needed to book a private room in a local restaurant to host all of us!   I had no idea how intense this book was until I read the first scene, wow, this was NOT meant for the prude or PG book club go-ers.  Chesco Does Nick---see you knew we were fun ! lol

So, anyway back to this book.  I am not sure if you have heard of the hype this book has caused, and if you haven't you might as well crawl back under your rock, it is everywhere!  I have seen girls talking about it on public FB walls, have seen Moms very openly reading it at the park, have HEARD men asking other men if their wives were reading it, which all leads me to question number 1: Did this trilogy finally make sex and talking about it acceptable?  Seriously think about it, when was the last time you went out in public and people were talking about porn or the likes so openly?  This book truly is soft porn, no ifs, Ana's or butts (spanked or not)  about it.  It is not just a romance, it's not just a bit of steamy relations, it is something that is not the norm of conversation but somehow right now, everyone is opening up a bit, and talking a bit more about this subject that in American has been so hush hush for quite some time.

I have received emails from women who want to know about the book cub, who have said it has made them more interested in sex, their husbands love that they are reading the book, their hormones are jumping out of their skin and some seem to think, wow this is fun!  The topic even came up at a Thirty One party last night, lol it is NOT to be ignored anywhere!   It has made many ladies re-evaluate the whole subject of S & M, re-evaluate the schedule they normally stick to, and the "I have a headache" excuses, because we all know Christian would NOT care about a headache, in fact he might like that he caused it.   So it's funny to me that my thoughts of porn usually go to "creepy" men, hidden magazines and books and pay per view, but this book has changed that.  It no longer the men who are talking about it, it is all women!  The women are the ones who are all hyped up over this book, and the men aren't quite sure how to take it :)  So do you think this has made "porn" a bit more acceptable, with a different view of what porn can mean and be to many of us?

One of my other thoughts while reading this book was are more people like Anastasia, innocent, but strong, and very mothering to others, or are more people like Christian, damaged, holding hidden secrets, and at the brink of being emotionally broken which could make you grow or could completely destroy you?  I think we tend to think people are in the middle but as I sat and put names to this and tried to put people in 1 or 2 categories I truly felt like most people I could put in the Ana or Christian category.  Christian, no matter how damaged and dark needed someone to love him, and Ana needed to fix him and show him love.  We are like that, and it's funny how some graphics and wording changed these 2 people into such sexy, hot, steamy characters.  For aren't we all triggered by things?  Don't things in our past cause us to react to situations differently depending on our own experiences? This is really all that Christian and Ana have showed us.

So as your mind wonders tonight, either reminiscing over this book, or wondering what you are missing, (again stop asking,and just go buy it) think about how open this has made a lot of people.  Think about how much discussions it has caused between girlfriends, husband and wives and so many more---isn't that a great thing?  I could never see how so many kids and adults got so excited over the Harry Pottery books, but I always loved that the author brought such a positive light on the literacy world, and got so many people into reading who hadn't been before, and LOVE that the author made so much money on a BOOK!  Not on a new hi tech gadget or a luxury car, but on an old fashion book!  So I feel the same about this, Ana & Christian have become part of our every day conversations and have opened many up to talks that wouldn't have had before, and it starting more people reading!!  That is SEXY!

My last thoughts are who do you think will play Ana & Christian when this book becomes a movie, as we all know it has to!!  And will it be NR or R or what will happen with all of those scenes?  Post your own thoughts under the blog!

Thanks for your open minds, and hope to see many of you next Tuesday, 5/29 at our Book Club, 6p-8p at Appetite's On Main in Exton--private room, just come in and ask for us. RSVP to our event page :  https://www.facebook.com/events/232843410150552/

All people who RSVP will be receiving a fun little gift bag thanks to a local vendor!! 

~~Joy
forsalechesco@aol.com