The township library is hosting its own monthly book club for readers to meet and discuss selected books.
Its next meeting will take place at the library on Nov. 16, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
“Our book club is very low-key,” said Reference Librarian Michelle Burns. “It is just a group of people who get together to discuss books. We select a title every month, and whoever wants to read it can come and discuss it. Sometimes people don’t read the book but come to the book club anyway.
“We will be giving out spoilers, though, so if you haven’t read the book and don’t want to know how it ends, you might want to wait for the next month,” she added.
Burns said books are selected by a vote.
“Everyone brings a suggestion or two for the next month, and we talk about that at the end of each meeting,” she explained. “I am in charge of it, I guess, but only because I work here. I don’t select the titles for each month, I just make sure there is coffee and snacks. You need them for a good discussion.”
This month’s book is Mad Honey, by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. It focuses on a single mother trying to find out whether her son is guilty of murdering his deceased girlfriend and how much he’s been hiding.
Key details and components of the books are discussed at each club meeting so if a member doesn’t finish reading the book being talked about and doesn’t want to know the ending, Burns recommends attending the following meeting, where another book will be chosen.
The club is a new activity for the library; its first meeting was in May. Some of the notable works it has discussed include The Glass Castle and Where the Crawdads Sing.
“I believe that the library should be used as a community center and a book discussion group is a good way to get people together,” said Burns. “Some people come every month, but we welcome newcomers, too. Some come once in a while, when they can fit it into their busy schedules.
“It’s not homework,” she insisted. “It’s not supposed to add to anyone’s stress. It’s supposed to be an excuse to read a good book and get together with neighbors to discuss it. Sometimes we love the book and other times we don’t. The books we don’t like often lead to more interesting discussions.”
