The Everygirl Book Club: Then Again

A new month is upon us, which means it’s time for the second installment of the official Random House Reader’s Circle for The Everygirl Book Club! We were thrilled at your response to Melanie Gideon’s Wife 22 last month and think you’ll be equally keen on our second book.

For the month of August, we will be reading Then Again, the memoir of legendary actress Diane Keaton. Then Again, named one of the ten best books of the year by Janet Maslin of The New York Times, People, and Vogue, provides an intimate look into Diane’s remarkable life and her special relationship with her mother. You don’t want to pass up this opportunity to discover more about one of the most beloved, iconic leading ladies of all time!

Here’s a short excerpt from Chapter 1 to get you started:

“Mom loved adages, quotes, slogans. There were always little reminders pasted on the kitchen wall. For example, the word think. I found think thumbtacked on a bulletin board in her darkroom. I saw it Scotch-taped on a pencil box she’d collaged. I even found a pamphlet titled think on her bedside table. Mom liked to think. In a notebook she wrote, I’m reading Tom Robbins’s book Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. The passage about marriage ties in with women’s struggle for accomplishment. I’m writing this down for future THINKING . . . She followed with a Robbins quote: “For most poor dumb brainwashed women marriage is the climactic experience. For men, marriage is a matter of efficient logistics: the male gets his food, bed, laundry, TV . . . offspring and creature comforts all under one roof. . . . But for a woman, marriage is surrender. Marriage is when a girl gives up the fight . . . and from then on leaves the truly interesting and significant action to her husband, who has bargained to ‘take care’ of her. . . . Women live longer than men because they really haven’t been living.” Mom liked to think about life, especially the experience of being a woman. She liked to write about it too.”

We hope you’ll purchase Then Again from your favorite online retailer and join the fun! This week we’ll be reading Chapters 1-4 (pages 1-78.) Don’t forget to meet us back here next Monday for our first discussion. Feel free to read ahead, but we’ll only be discussing pages 1-78. No spoilers please!

Be sure to leave a comment below and tell us your thoughts about this month’s book and The Everygirl Book Club! Are you joining us for the first time? Did the excerpt pique your interest? What aspect of Diane Keaton’s life are you most excited to learn about? Is this your first time reading a memoir? We want this to be an enjoyable experience for everyone involved and always welcome your feedback.

Now, find a cozy nook, grab a steaming cup of tea, and delve into the pages of Then Again! We’ll see you next week!

clarissa fidler