4MA

I have never been a part of a face-to-face reading group. Partly this could be because I live in a fairly small place and there aren't a lot of them around, and partly because I prefer to read mostly mysteries and there is no mystery reading group in my neck of the woods. I do know of a fiction group in my local area, and from the moans of a friend of mine as she struggles to read the books, they (the books) are often difficult to get through. I don't think reading should be a chore. I read for pleasure and for me that means mysteries.

I have found an online reading group that has become very important to me, 4 Mystery Addicts, or 4MA. It is a yahoo group that started Dec.30, 1999 to host discussions about mysteries. One of the founding moderators is Maddy VanHertbruggen, (on the left in the picture) who was a fan guest of honour at the 2010 Bouchercon in San Francisco. Maddy has managed to produce a discussion group that is warm and caring, holds three book discussions a month, and that has members who are extremely knowledgeable about the mystery genre. These members are from all over the world, read all different types of mysteries, and are very tolerant of other people's opinions on books. Lively discussions are encouraged as are respectful differences of opinions.

It sounds corny, but 4MA changed my life. First of all, it has introduced me to a wide range of mid-list authors I probably would not have come across. My reading tastes have become a bit darker since I joined 4MA as I've been introduced to Ken Bruen, Charlie Huston, and Stuart MacBride, just to name a few.
Secondly, I have started travelling to mystery conventions, which I didn't even know existed prior to 4MA. I have visited places I never thought I would such as Las Vegas, Hawaii, and San Francisco.
Thirdly, and most important, I have met several people from this online group who I now consider to be good friends. It is wonderful to travel to a convention and know that I will be meeting up with a group of like-minded people who understand my addiction to books! What a relief it is to not have to explain why I travel with a pile of books, why I can't pass a bookstore without going inside, and why my purse is always heavy because I never go anywhere without a book. These lovely people get it.
So, if you want to talk about books, and have nowhere to go, try the internet for book groups. If you want to talk about mysteries, try 4MA!

Current read: A Bad Day for Pretty by Sophie Littlefield, 2nd in the Stella Hardesty series.

Bye