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On October 13th, readers from all over New England descended upon Brattleboro, Vermont, for the 22nd annual Brattleboro Literary Festival. Nestled between the West and Connecticut rivers, Brattleboro was the perfect setting, boasting not just the festival itself but many delicious restaurants, plentiful shopping and tons of recreational activities.

On Tuesday, July 25th, Ann Napolitano appeared at the Ramsey Free Public Library in Ramsey, NJ to talk about her latest novel, HELLO BEAUTIFUL, a New York Times bestseller and Oprah's 100th book club pick. Nancy Sharko, a reader of ours who attended the event, reports on Napolitano’s appearance and some of the insights she shared with the audience.

I’m not sure what other book festivals are like, as our group of four has only ever attended the Tucson Festival of Books, but this two-day event on the University of Arizona campus is truly outstanding. Authors present in small groups in various locations for one-hour increments, all focused on a common theme. There are 300 presentations and 250+ authors. In addition, there are a myriad of booths set up where people can buy books and children can play games, learn about science, etc. The event is definitely geared toward families.

What has your book group been up to? Are you meeting remotely? Are you still reading and emailing each other about the books you are reading? Are you postponing your discussions? We asked readers these questions in our April 30th newsletter, and we are happy to share some of their comments with you. We hope you can find ideas on how to meet virtually, as well as some book recommendations here.

Kim Michele Richardson’s novel, THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller that released to rave reviews last year. It is based on the true story of the Pack Horse Library Project, a group of librarians who delivered books on horseback to rural areas of Kentucky during the Great Depression. In this timely and much-needed blog post, Kim Michele draws on the history of these brave and dedicated traveling librarians to deliver an important message to readers: Support local bookstores, because today’s booksellers are yesterday’s Pack Horse Librarians, delivering wisdom, escape, entertainment and education during these difficult and uncertain times.

The last weekend of January, I was lucky enough to join 19 other authors and over 150 avid readers aboard the Queen Mary ocean liner in Long Beach, CA for the first ever Super Book Weekend, hosted by Adventures by the Book. Organizers Susan McBeth, Kathie Bennett and Robin Hoklotubbe kicked off the weekend with a sunset cocktail party at nearby Signal Hill Public Library, where the authors shared their love of libraries.

We recently asked our newsletter readers to let us know how their book group will be celebrating the holidays this year. Many thanks to all who shared their holiday plans with us! Perhaps they will provide some last-minute ideas to those who need them.

Besides looking at discussion guides, what does your group do to prep for conversation about the book for your book group meeting? We posed this question to our readers, and you gave us some terrific ideas. Many thanks to all who let us know how they approach their discussions; as always, your feedback is much appreciated!

The Morristown Festival of Books on October 11th and 12th is THE place for readers, authors, aspiring authors and all who love new ideas. With 24 sessions to choose from --- three moderated by our own Carol Fitzgerald --- deciding which ones to attend is not easy and maybe even a test of your personality traits. Do you go to hear an author who you have read and love, or do you move out of your comfort zone and attend a session about a book or an author you have not read or perhaps have not even heard of? My friend and fellow book club member Donna and I did a little of both and were not disappointed.

A number of readers wrote to us about “Books in a Bag” programs at their local library after Carol Fitzgerald mentioned that a member of her Long Hill Book Group discovered this service, where a library supplies multiple copies of a book and discussion materials. So many good ideas came from you that we decided to turn your comments and feedback into a blog piece.