Are You a Groupie? by Mary Anne Ellis Wylam Branch, Birmingham Public Library
Are you a groupie? A book groupie, that is! Readers everywhere are discovering the joy of book groups. If your first thought after reading a good book is "I have to tell someone about this!" then joining a book club might be the thing for you. Many recent publications attest to the new popularity of book groups. Karen Joy Fowler’s The Jane Austen Book Club is currently an item on the New York Times bestsellers list; Good Books Lately by Ellen Moore bills itself as "the one-stop resource for book groups and other greedy readers." Readers who want to combine food for the soul with something a little more substantial for the body might turn to The Book Club Cookbook: recipes and food for thought from your book club’s favorite books and authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp. Book clubs may be extremely specialized according to the type of reading their members prefer (for example, science fiction or romance), or they can be very general about their choices. "We are a diverse group - librarians, doctors, writers, attorneys, teachers, moms, grandmothers, single and married" says Susan Swagler, book club member and author of a weekly book review column in The Birmingham News. "We read fiction, nonfiction, poetry, biographies, memoirs, young adult books, the occasional science fiction work." Swagler goes on to point out that "today there are book groups to suit any taste . . . I even know of a group whose members incorporate into their meetings foods from the books they read. I don’t remember having this many choices ten years ago." Varieties of titles along with varieties of viewpoints about a single title can be major factors that attract a reader to join a reading group. "One of the things I like about being in a book club is that I often read books that I would not ordinarily pick up or read many years ago," says Renee Blalock, Assistant Director at the Birmingham Public Library. "Reading them and discussing them with women who have become my favorite friends over the years has greatly enriched my life." Susan Swagler shares this enthusiasm. "I always leave my book group discussions way too hyped up to sleep. So much to think about! Even new ways to look at the book I’ve just finished. Think about it: we all read the same book, but we bring to the meetings our own histories, ideas, experiences, prejudices… more than a few times, I’ve left our meetings looking at a book in an entirely new light." No discussion of book groups would be complete without a nod to Oprah Winfrey, whose book club selections on her television show have been a driving force behind the current popularity of such groups. Susan Swagler points out that "I know a couple of people who weren’t really readers before Oprah started her Book Club. Now they are. Lately, with her emphasis on classics, she has people reading things they should take the time to read if they haven’t already. I see only good in that." So, you think you’d like to become a member of a book group, or maybe even start one of your own. Where to start? The answer can be as close as your public library. Contact your librarian to ask if the library has a book group or might be interested in starting one. Jefferson County libraries with active book clubs include Bessemer, Hoover, and Trussville. Book groups are not an "adults only" club, North Birmingham has a reading group focusing on teen readers. For those who might enjoy belonging to an online book club, Homewood Library has set up an online book club that lets readers receive portions of books by e-mail to see if the title will be one that they would want to check out from the library. Readers can then click on a link to visit the online forum and post comments about the books they have read. For readers interested in beginning and leading a book club, there is a wealth of resources available, such as The Reading Group Handbook by Rachel W. Jacobsohn or The Reading Group Book by David Laskin. An internet search will also reveal a variety of sources online with hints for organizing a group, setting policies, and selecting titles. So, if you love to read and talk about what you have read, the ideal book group could be waiting for you to join it or begin it. Don’t delay--become a book groupie today!
Start Your Own Club Today!
Karen Joy Fowler.	The Jane Austen Book Club
Judy Gelman.	The Book Club Cookbook: recipes and food for thought from your book club’s favorite books and authors
Monique Greenwood.	The Go on Girl! Book Club Guide for Reading Groups
Rachel W. Jacobsohn.	The Reading Group Handbook: everything you need to know, from choosing members to leading discussions
David Laskin.	The Reading Group Book: the complete guide to starting and sustaining a reading group, with annotated lists of 250 titles for provocative discussion
Ellen Moore.	Good Books Lately: the one - stop resource for book groups and other greedy readers

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