Are you in a book group?

If you aren't in a book group by now, you must be the last man (woman) standing. Soon after Oprah began her book club in September 1996, book groups sprang up all over. Books were even written about book clubs. One of those, The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler, was recently released as a major motion picture. The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble and Summer Reading by Hilma Wolitzer tell a little about book groups and a lot more about the people in those groups. Judy Gelman's book, The Book Club Cookbook, however, covers a very important part of many book groups; the refreshments.

Book clubs did not begin with Oprah. One area in Gales Ferry has had an ongoing book club for over twenty years. I am sure other groups in town have been around nearly as long or longer. The Bill Library in Ledyard Center has a monthly book discussion that has met the third Wednesday evening for many years. Copies of the book to be discussed are available in the library. No commitment is necessary, come and try it out. I began a monthly book group at the Ledyard Senior Center this year. We have fun discussing many books one month and a specific book the next.

If you are sick and tired of book clubs, Virginia Ironside's book, No, I Don't Want to Join a Book Club, has recently hit the library shelves.