Last August I attended my first book club meeting at the Council Tree Library, that meeting being the one where members decide which books to read in the coming months. Joining a book club was a goal of mine last year, as my selection of reading material was steadily becoming more narrow, and I wanted to find new authors and genres to enjoy.
Naturally, I joined for other reasons as well: thoughtful discussion, a broad range of opinions, and fellowship, to name a few. While I didn’t care for all of the books we read, this didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the meetings. In fact, one title elicited such strong feelings of bewilderment that I went eagerly to the meeting hoping to find redeeming qualities, and, thanks to my fellow members, found some!
By the close of the final meeting, I gained a renewed interest in Louise Erdrich, an author I hadn’t read in 12 years, 2 new authors to enjoy, interesting people to get to know, and something I did not expect. As well as the chosen books we read and discussed, there were additional stories coaxed forward by what we read, that we told each other, a glimpse of the oral tradition that led to the craft of writing in the first place. Upon consideration, I think that may have been my favorite part of the book club.
If you are interested in starting your own book club, you can check out book club kits from the library, there are over 95 to choose from!
A big thank you is due to Karen Cagle, the facilitator of our book club, and an enthusiastic and knowledgeable employee of the Poudre River Public Library District.
I can’t wait for August, when the three book clubs (Council Tree, Old Town Noon, and Old Town Evening) meet to decide on titles for the coming year.
See you there!