The Geek Girls Book Club is composed of women and men from the Twitter and Facebook communities who want to show Ginia Bellafante, columnist for the New York Times, that girls like fantasy fiction too. If you've been living under a rock for the last two weeks, on April 14, the NYT published her "review" of Game of Thrones, the new HBO series based on Martin's epic fantasy fiction works. However, what was published wasn't even really a review at all. It mused as to why Game of Thrones was actually on the network and its difference with The Sopranos, a long since ended series. It also accused women of not liking the fantasy genre.
"The true perversion, though, is the sense you get that all of this illicitness has been tossed in as a little something for the ladies, out of a justifiable fear, perhaps, that no woman alive would watch otherwise. While I do not doubt that there are women in the world who read books like Mr. Martin’s, I can honestly say that I have never met a single woman who has stood up in indignation at her book club and refused to read the latest from Lorrie Moore unless everyone agreed to “The Hobbit” first. “Game of Thrones” is boy fiction patronizingly turned out to reach the population’s other half." Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, April 14
With this review, and the outrage that it created, the Geek Girls Book Club was born. It started as a simple hashtag on Twitter. Then @NikkiSticks began organizing this wonderful opportunity for women and men who are born of the same geek cloth to come together and prove that a love for fantasy fiction (and reading in general) exists and that a woman will choose The Hobbit over a romance novel in their book clubs. There are now over 100 members of the Geek Girls Book Club Facebook group and around 70 on Goodreads. The excitement is building and on Sunday, May 1, everyone will begin to read The Hobbit.
Not only this give many an opportunity to re-read a classic, it also gives some an opportunity to read The Hobbit for the first time. I will be among the first timers and I am very excited. Leila from Within Pages will be participating in the Geek Girls Book Club as well, so keep an eye on posts from her. Join the conversation by searching #GGBC on Twitter, join the Goodreads group here, and find us on Facebook. I'm looking forward to reading this book, but I'm also looking forward to the friendships that a group like the Geek Girls Book Club will create.
Check Kentucky Geek Girl for updates on the GGBC and for more opportunities for girls to let their geek flag fly.
