A NEW READING SEASON IS COMING

     It was announced in the last meeting of the library's adult reading club...a new reading season is coming!
     We just finished Between the Covers with various themes that kept some of us reading until the wee hours of the morning. 
     Each month we read our choice of books for the monthly genre.  For instance, last June we were reading "Books That Keep You Up All Night."  Those were the thrillers and survival stories.  We also read "Tall Tales" (bios and memoirs), "Night Time Adventures" (mysteries and detectives), and "Moon Madness" (in October with "moon" in the titles).  I'm sure you get the idea.
     Now, a new reading season is upon us and this time the title is Beneath the Surface.
     As we discussed this topic here at work, I must admit we got a little carried away with things beneath the surface.  And it was fun!  We thought of what was beneath the surface of the ground and water, what was beneath the surface of our skin or our clothes,   what was beneath the surface of...well, most anything.  That's what made it fun!  We came up with all kinds of beneath-the-surface ideas.
     For some of our months this coming season, however, we have deviated a little because of an important event during the month.  For instance in July, we really wanted to read books where we could celebrate America.  We decided to read about real and legendary heroes and heroines, or revisit classic songs or places, or follow the adventures of travelers across the United States.  We'll have an opportunity to "delve beneath the surface" of people or events or things in order to find something deeper than the obvious.
    In August we're going to read "Cold Books for Hot Weather."  That will be a great challenge! There  undoubtedly will be a surface in those books that we need to find and go beneath.
    September will be one of the months we have a special event to read about.  The last of September is "Banned Books Week" and our topic will be "Books That Break the Rules."
    Then in October we're back to Beneath the Surface with "Digging into the Past," a time for us to look at local history and genealogy.  There's no telling what we'll dig up!
     For the rest of the season, we'll be reading "Unexpected Blessings" for November, "Going Underground" for January (could include topics for underground rail services and Black History Month), "Women Who Rock" in February (early for Women's History Month in March), "Green Reads" for March, and " Shoots and Roots, Buckets and Boots" for April.
     So, there you have it.  Our list of challenging reads for our new book club season.
     Oh, for this coming June our suggested theme is "Color It Coastal."  We'll have a little brochure on the bookshelf near the 7-Day Loans that you can pick up.  It ties right in with you getting ready for a trip to the beach.  But if you can't get to a place with sand and sea, you can go by book!  The brochure has a list of great beach reads, such as "Beach Girls" by Luanne Rice, "Murder in Palm Beach" by Cat Lyons, and "The Beach House" by three different authors: James Patterson, Jane Green, and Sally John.
     Join us as we explore a different theme each month.  You can read any book of your choice, although we do have a selected group focus.
     We meet the second Tuesday of each month, except May and December, at 6:30 p.m. in the library auditorium.  We share what we've read as well as light refreshments...a little plate of something by each member and coffee/tea furnished by the library.
     June will be the beginning of our third year!  We must be doing something right!  Come see what it is!

WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD LIBRARY BOOK CLUB

     This is the second year that our library has had an adult reading club, or adult book club as it is sometimes called.  And it's great that it's still "tooling" along.
     So far, we are a group of women, but fellows are invited to attend the meetings, too.  I imagine that if more of them realized we serve refreshments at the meetings, they would be more willing to show up.
     Occasionally, our members receive gifts.  When we first started a year ago, we had several great gifts, rather costly ones, we thought.  They were given in a drawing during the first meeting.  But that really didn't work.  The people who won the gifts came only once or twice more and then didn't make it again.
     This year our gifts have been given out at different meetings and that seems to work better.  For instance, during one of our first meetings this year we gave really nice midnight blue coffee cups with the printed logo "Between the Covers" (meaning book covers, of course) and an open book on one side.  We've also given our Amazing Black Book Bags (huge pocket, waterproof, side pocket, wide comfy straps), MCCLS pens, note pads, journals, bookmarks, and a few other things.  And we are already planning what we're going to give next year in June when we begin our third season called "Groundbreaking Reads."
     Our topics change for each month, which makes reading even more interesting.  In June we had "Books That Keep You Up All Night"; those were thrillers and survival stories.  July we read "Books About Books," August "Tall Tales" that were biographies and memoirs, and September we had "Night Time Adventures" about mysteries and detectives.  We just finished October's meeting where the topic was "Moon Madness" and our books had the word "moon" in the titles.
     At the October meeting we learned that our November topic is called "An Evening Concert."  We will read books which will use threater and drama as backdrops to the story; maybe some will have stories about concerts during the holidays.
     In fact, Aileen, who makes our brochures to hand out, has selected several books for the brochure to help readers decide what they'd like to read.  Look at these:

• Exit Music [sound recording] by Ian Rankin (2008 CD Fiction, Rankin). 
• Shadow Music: A Novel is by Julie Garwood (2007 F Garwood)
• A Distant Music by B. J. Hoff (2006 F Hoff)
• Trunk Music by Michael Connelly (1997 Mystery Connelly)
• Evening Class is by Maeve Binchy (1996 F Binchy)
• Beach Music by Pat Conroy (1995 F Conroy) (also LP and Audio)
• The Butcher's Theater is by Jonathan Kellerman (1988 F Kellerman)
• Murder at the Mimosa Inn by Joan Hess (1987 M Hess)
• First Hit of the Season by Jane Dentinger (1984 M Dentinger)
• And if you're not a big fiction reader, the back of the brochure gives you some nonfiction.

     You can find four of these books on the eye-level shelf next to the circulation desk...look for "Books Recommended by Between the Covers."  The rest are in the stacks at the end of the adult reading area.  You'll also find copies of our November brochure.
     And if you're interested in our little book club, we meet the second Tuesday of every month, except December (too many other holiday events) and May (lots of school events).  The time is at 6:30 p.m. in the library auditorium.  All you need to do is bring a small plate of snacks to share and show up.  Coffee (mainly decaf) is provided by the library.
     Come join us.  We already know that for the January meeting we're going to be talking about books by Georgia writers.  You have plenty of time to read a bunch of books before then.  And if you don't know any Georgia writers to choose from, here's a short list:  Terry Kay, Jimmy Carter, Pat Conroy, Janet Daugharty, Melissa Fay Greene, Lewis Grizzard, Frances Mayes, Carson McCullers, Eugenia Price, Janisse Ray, Ferrol Sams, Anne Rivers Siddons, Alice Walker, and Bailey White.
     Oh, and while I'm talking to you, I need to let you know this blog will be down for two weeks while we do a little R&R with family.  I'll see you again about the middle of November.
     Good reading, y'all.