At the library we talk to a lot of people who are members of book discussion groups or who want to join one. Usually the members read the same book, but some groups encourage members to read different books on a single topic. Some groups select books from a range of subjects, while others focus on specific genres, such as science fiction, history, or thrillers. We’ve even heard about book groups for adults interested in children’s literature and groups that read and discuss New Yorker articles.
One of the easiest ways to find an existing book group is to check with your local library. Sherwood sponsors two book groups for adults: Books and Ideas, which meets the second Monday of the month and Harambee Readers, which meets the third Tuesday. Both groups are led by volunteers. Information about these groups and all of the other Fairfax County Public Library book groups is on the library's website and in the library’s publication This Month.
Selecting books for your group can be fun but challenging. One easy way to discover good book group titles and ensure that there are enough library copies for the whole group is to check out one of the library’s book discussion kits. Each kit includes ten copies of the book along with discussion questions and author information. The kits can be checked out for six weeks. The library system has more than 45 discussion kits for adult books (there are also kits for children’s and teen books) ranging from award winning fiction (Bel Canto by Ann Patchett) and non-fiction (Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand) to thrillers (Look Again by Lisa Scottoline) and classics (The Warden by Anthony Trollope).
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If you decide to select a book on your own, the library has plenty of resources to help you out. The Reading Group Choices series is published annually and each volume provides information about more than 75 books that are well-suited to book groups. In addition, the library subscribes to some reading-related resources that you can access using your library card. These include NoveList and Books and Authors. Both of these provide in-depth information about books and their authors as well as the ability for users to find read-alikes for a favorite book or author. This is a wonderful feature for readers looking for their next read, whether you’re in a book group or not. Both resources are accessible through the website with your library card.
And as always, we’re happy to help out. Just stop by the information desk or call us at 703-765-3645.
