This month we have TWO Book Group Spotlight interviews for you. Jane Blackledge talks about her group, the North Wales Area Library Book Club; and Emily Hicks (who we found through 20SomethingReads.com’s Facebook page!) gives us the scoop on her newly formed book club in the Oklahoma City metro area.
To read our previous Book Group Spotlight interviews please click here.
If you would like your group to be interviewed for a spotlight feature like this, please contact Maureen Linehan at Maureen@bookreporter.com with your name, the name of your group, some background on your group, and the title that you discussed. From there, we will select some groups to feature.
The North Wales Area Library Book Club
This interview is with Jane Blackledge, whose book group, the North Wales Area Library Book Club, read Kristin Hannah’s Night Road along with their Young Adult Book Club. Jayne talks about how the discussion went, what it was like to hear the opinions of the teens versus the adults, and what some of the groups’ favorite discussion titles have been.
Question: Tell us about your group. How did it come together, where are you located, how many members do you have and how often do you meet?
Answer: The North Wales Area Library Book Club began in 2000 and has met monthly since then. Approximately 45 members take part in the club. The Young Adult Book Club began in 2003.
Q: How does your group choose what books you are going to read?
A: Members of the group make suggestions, regional books and a classic are chosen each year. We try to read different genres.
Q: Where do meetings take place?
A: In the community room of the Library.
Q: We’ve heard that your group recently read Kristin Hannah’s Night Road, and had a joint discussion with a Young Adult Book Club. How many members are in the Young Adult Book Club, and how long have they been meeting?
A: The group began in 2003 and has 12 members.
Q: How did the Young Adult group react to the book, compared to the members of your group? Did opinions differ significantly between the two groups?
A: Overall the YA group enjoyed the book and it held their attention. Alex, one of the teens, felt it told the story of drinking and driving clearly and sent a good message to teens. The adults were concerned about the idea of responsibility --- who was at fault. They saw it from all angles. The teens felt it was the fault of the driver --- very clearly. It was a very interesting discussion.
Q: Did the Young Adult group have any opinions or interpretations that surprised you?
A: The teens took so much responsibility --- no blaming of the adults. The adults took responsibility too! It made for an interesting intergenerational meeting.
Q: How was this discussion enhanced with conversation between the older and younger members of the groups? Were there conversation points that one group might not have discussed on its own?
A: We used the provided talking points/discussion questions, and they proved to have plenty of points to cover. Kristin Hannah did call the group, and that made a positive impression on all the attendees. Discussing a controversial subject with different age groups is always a learning experience. We had attendees from 14 – 80 with all age groups represented.
Q: Did either, or both groups indicate they would like to read more by Kristin Hannah?
A: Yes, the adults seem interested --- I believe the young adults would need to know more about the selected book to make that decision.
Q: Have the two groups come together for discussions before? If so, for what books? If not, is this something you would do again in the future?
A: Yes, they have met together in the past --- usually yearly. The next book for joint discussion is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Some previous selections: The Good Earth and a visit to author Pearl Buck’s Home, The Cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
Q: What book or books have been favorite discussion titles among each of the groups?
A: Teens: Glow, 13 Reasons Why, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Adults: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Room by Emma Donoghue
Q: What book(s) would you personally recommend to other book clubs?
A: The teen picks above. For adults, I would recommend books that vary in subject to keep the discussions lively. Books with current moral issues are great selections.
Q: Is there anything else that you would like to share with us about the discussion of Night Road or other titles that your groups have read?
A: This was an excellent evening to share ideas about books. As a result, a second joint meeting is scheduled with a book selected by the teens --- The Hunger Games.
Emily Hicks’ Book Club in the Oklahoma City Metro
In this interview, Emily Hicks (who we found through 20SomethingReads.com’s Facebook page!) talks about her newly formed book club in the Oklahoma City metro area, discusses their use of eReaders, and recommends some of her favorite books for twentysomethings.
Question: Tell us about your group. How did you come together, where are you located, how many members do you have and how often do you meet?
Answer: We have 10. Most of us graduated from the same university, and some of us even knew each other in high school. We know we all enjoy reading, so we thought it would be fun to form a group. We meet once a month.
Q: Does your group have a name? And if so, what was the inspiration for it?
A: No, we have no name --- just the book club.
Q: How does your group choose what books you are going to read?
A: We make suggestions and vote.
Q: Where do meetings take place?
A: We take turns hosting the monthly meeting at our places of residence. The host also provides snacks.
Q: Do you tend to read new releases/bestsellers or a wider variety of books?
A: We have read a wide variety.
Q: Do you buy your books or borrow them from the library?
A: I buy them, and I think everybody else does too.
Q: Are your group members reading print books or eBooks?
A: Both. I think most of us have an eReader. I have a Kobo eReader, and I think the rest have Kindles. To me, it depends on the price; eBooks aren't always cheaper than printed books now.
Q: We’ve heard that your group starts every meeting with favorite characters and lines from the book. How did this tradition come about?
A: We just thought it was a good way to start the discussion. It gives each person a chance to truly give their opinion on the book.
Q: Do you use discussion guides? If so, where do you get them?
A: Yes, we get them off the Internet like ReadingGroupGuides.com or the author's website, if it's not included with the book.
Q: Does your group have any other special traditions or routines?
A: No, not really. Our group is still fairly new, so we haven't started other traditions yet.
Q: What book or books have been favorite discussion titles among your group? What books would you recommend to other book clubs?
A: I think The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer was a favorite of mine too. I'd recommend all three for a book club discussion. And any of Jodi Picoult's books would be great for discussion.
Q: How has the scope of your reading changed since you joined a book group?
A: Not much, I read a lot. I often have two books going at once, only now I have a reason for reading a specific book, and not just because I want to. I have read a few authors with whom I was unfamiliar before joining.
Q: What are some titles that you think are perfect for twentysomethings?
A: That's a tough question. I think twentysomethings can still enjoy the young adult/teen fiction books like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Really, it depends on one's interests. I like "coming of age" books, so I recommend The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver and The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides. Also, Room by Emma Donoghue. Guys might enjoy The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.
Q: Is there anything else that you would like to share with us about your group?
A: While not specifically about my group I would like to add that being in a book club is a great way to make new friends, discover new authors and book genres that you don't normally read.
