BETWEEN THE LINES

Book Talk by Joe Neri

Join a Book Club & Share the Joys of Reading

Do you belong to a book club - sometimes known as reading groups or book discussion groups? If not, and you are an avid reader, you should consider joining one.

Book clubs are regular gatherings, usually monthly, of people of who love to read and share their book experiences with other like-minded people. Book clubs have proliferated throughout the country, including right here in Sedona.

And, due to their collective purchasing power, book clubs probably are responsible, at least in part, for the bestselling status of quite a few books.

Some clubs are private, limiting their membership to a certain number of people and allowing new members in only as others leave. Some are public, allowing anyone to join and participate. The former usually meet in private homes; the latter meet in libraries and bookstores.

Some clubs are highly structured and moderated; others are somewhat laissez-faire about their organization. Some clubs read only literary fiction; some read genre fiction; others read anything that interests their members.

But the common denominator of all book clubs is that they are a fun and stimulating way to interact with other book lovers. The monthly meetings are often social gatherings, with food and drink, lots of discussion about books and even some gossip thrown in for good measure.

Authors love book clubs and often make themselves available by telephone or the internet to discuss their books and answer questions in real time with book clubs members. In fact, more and more books are being published with book club guides in the back, as a resource to help moderators make sure that all of the essential elements of a book are discussed by the group.

So, after you've curled up with a good book and read it cover to cover, consider joining a book club and sharing your experience with others. If you don't already know of one to join, you can get information about local groups at the Sedona Public Library and at The Well Red Coyote.

Happy Holidays, and happy reading!