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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Add Your Own Footnote To The Volumes Of Book Clubs

Reading is, by definition, a solitary activity. More and more, however, people are making it a group exercise.

According to Rachel Jacobsohn, founder of the newly established Association of Book Group Readers and Leaders, as many as 250,000 book groups might now be active in the United States.

Auntie’s Bookstore does business with 45 book clubs, and yet the store’s book club coordinator calls that only “the tip of the iceberg.”

“There are more out there,” says Susie Murphy. And what makes her think that? “Because they keep turning up,” she says.

In the spring issue of its newsletter, Seattle’s Elliott Bay Book Company ran a story under the headline “Does Your Book Club Need a Jump-Start?”

Among the tips put forth: Choose a controversial book to discuss, discuss a book and then go see the movie, try poetry, discuss occasionally what you want to accomplish as a group.

Auntie’s employee Murphy adds her own variations:

1. Consult any of the several “how-to-run-a-bookclub” books that are on the market.

2. Know what you want your club to be.

“It’s good to get your rules out front before you even get started,” Murphy says. “Sometimes people show up at a book group and they really want to talk about this book that they’ve read and somebody else wants to spend the whole meeting discussing new drapes.”

And here are three books that Murphy says make for good discussions: “The English Patient” by Michael Ondaatje, “When Heaven and Earth Changed Places” by Le Ly Hayslip and “The Liar’s Club” by Mary Karr.

“Some stories, everybody has a different viewpoint,” Murphy says. “Everyone gets something different out of it. They relate to different characters and that’s what makes book clubs fun.”

The reader board

Julie McKay, author of “Glimpses of a Mystical Affair,” will read from her book at 4 p.m. today at Radha House, 2328 W. Pacific.

Craig E. Burgess and Ella M. Dillon, co-authors of “Dueling Poets,” will read from their works at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Auntie’s Bookstore, Main and Washington.

Louise Shadduck, author of of “At the Edge of the Ice,” will sign copies of her book from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Book & Game Co. in Coeur d’Alene’s Silver Lake Mall.

Peter Fenton, author of “Shaolin Nei Jin Qi Gong: Ancient Healing in the Modern World,” will discuss aspects examined in his book at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Auntie’s Bookstore, Main and Washington.

, DataTimes