By Dawn Reithel
I admit it. Reading was, is, and forever will be my first love, and it continues to be my passion and joy. The first book that completely entranced me was “Edith Hamilton’s Mythology.” I was 10 years old. While my friends were engrossed in makeup, Barbie dolls, and boys, I was reading. I had a few flings with music (Beatles, Beach Boys, Dave Clark Five), and some TV (Flash Gordon, Sky King, the Mickey Mouse Club), but they all paled compared to reading.
I read every James Bond/Ian Fleming novel in class, hiding them inside my history books. No Nancy Drew for me! Oh, no. I went straight for the hard stuff. Salinger, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Heinlein, Steinbeck, James Joyce, Ayn Rand. I even spent a summer elective class in college reading “Philosophers of the 18th Century.” I’ve read segments of the encyclopedia and dictionary…for fun!
I’d still rather spend the rest of my life in a library or book store than a shopping mall, restaurant, or movie theater.
So this is a story about others who, like me, panic at the thought of not having at least one book at their bedside, and maybe one in the car CD player or MP3 player, and a few hundred on their Kindle. If I’m not reading a book, I’m reading magazines—The New Yorker, Economist, and Rolling Stone are my favorites.
READING GROUPS/BOOK CLUBS
It is inevitable that avid lifetime readers will find each other and form reading groups and book clubs. Some of these groups are serious about their reading choices and discussions. Others balance reading and social activities, food and conversation. But make no mistake. They are ALL devoted to reading.
I encourage everyone out there who wants to read and discuss books to find a way to do it. It’s not hard and the rewards are many—making new friends, finding and reading books you may not have known about or thought to read, and changing your mind about a book you thought you wouldn’t, or didn’t, like, but ended up liking after discussion.
I attended three book clubs recently, have formed a book club, and currently belong to “Reading Women,” which celebrated its 20th anniversary in September and is the most enduring book club in the Twin Lakes Area. I want to share with you some of the comments from members of the groups I visited.
READING WOMEN
Susan Norcross started Reading Women in 1994 when she ran across “The Reading Group Handbook: Everything You Need to Know, from Choosing Members to leading Discussion,” by Rachel W. Jacobsohn. Susan was doing one of the things she most loves to do, “browsing through books” at a local bookstore. She read the handbook and passed it along to a few friends, asking, “Why don’t we start a book club?”
It didn’t take long before they had 12 members and had set up the plan for their book club. Their first book was “The Awakening,” by Kate Chopin. Since then, Susan says, they have read 214 books. 101 of those books were written by women authors. They have read all kinds of books—fiction, non-fiction, historical fiction, and literary favorites. Through their 20 years, they have had 45 members, losing some and adding others, such as me! They have retained many of their founding members, and on September 11, to celebrate their 20th anniversary, they gathered at the Donald W. Reynolds Library, with some of the former members in attendance.
Susan talked about the club’s history, saying, “The club has evolved and the membership has grown—just as we change and grow in life.”
One of the things Susan Bergman loves most about the club is the “diversity, point of view, and genuine willingness of members to listen,” and to be open to learning from others. Jill Chandler, a former member, enjoyed the way the group, “makes you think outside the box.”
Debbie Young said, “It’s so important to me. I get to be with women of wisdom, insight, humor…it’s a blessing.”
Janey Jones, who is the second oldest current member, but who is certainly young at heart, enjoys, “the varied age group.” She loves, “hearing opinions of others who may be much younger, but we all share one thing in common…the love of books and reading.”
Carol Landrum pointed out that the Reading Women have been very generous in supporting library programs through the years. “I would say that conservatively we have donated at least $5,000 toward various programs supporting the library and other reading programs. It may be much more than that.”
Some of the group’s favorite books have been: “Angle of Repose” by Wallace Stegner, “Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson, “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck, “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel, and “To the Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolf.
With 21 current members, many of the meetings are now held at the library, although some members still host the monthly meeting at their home. Reading Women is currently closed to new members, but the group occasionally invites guests of current members.
MOUNTAIN TOMES
After mentioning Reading Women as the oldest continuous book group in the area, it seems appropriate to mention the newest book group…Mountain Tomes.
Dr. Martin Eggensberger at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home is coordinating this group, which at press time had not yet had it’s first meeting. Eggensberger plans to start with a mix of genres and meet once a month (time had not been definitely determined) at ASUMH (probably in the library). “We’ll start with friends of the college, all devoted readers, and ask each of them to invite 1, 2, or 3 others. It’s not important for everyone to know one another,” says Eggensberger.
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Call Eggensberger at 870-508-6121 for details.
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ISSUES AND VIEWPOINTS
This group was started in 2007 at the Donald W. Reynolds Library in Mountain Home. Kathe Altazan (580-0987, ext. 2975) is the primary contact. The group focuses on non-fiction and historical fiction. It is the only group I found that has several male members, and is open to anyone. It meets monthly on the second Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at the library. Phil Garner and John Beecroft lead most of the discussions, but books can be recommended by anyone. Garner, who is a devoted reader of World War II books, said, “I would never have read a book like “Why We Get Fat,” if it weren’t for the club. But I actually learned a lot and liked it!”
Mary Lou Duseberg appreciates, “the diversity…and different opinions,” mentioning “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand as a favorite of club members. Sally Soderblom enjoys guest speakers and authors, and told me about a discussion the group once had with an author via Skype.
At the meeting I attended, we discussed “Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America,” by Gilbert King,” a story about Thurgood Marshall’s defense of three black men accused of rape and murder. Marshall eventually became the first black member of the Supreme Court, and his efforts in this case and others led to that appointment. It was a lively and informative discussion of a book I would not have otherwise known of or read.
BETWEEN THE COVERS
This fun group originated through the Welcome Club of the Twin Lakes in about 2000. ”More than anything, we laugh,” one member told me. Another said, “one of our books was about the Amish. I thought ‘this has to be boring,’ but it was well-written, and I ended up reading others in the series.”
Between-the-Covers-members-Terri-Grunwald-Shirlee-Glozer-Mary-Martin-and-Elaine-Persons-(photo-by-Dawn-Reithel)
My favorite comment was from Shirlee Glozer. I called to ask if I could attend a meeting, and to make sure no one would be embarrassed if their photo or comments appeared in Marvelous! She said, “We’re all getting older. We don’t get embarrassed anymore. We might feel stupid, but we don’t get embarrassed.”
Another member, Terri Grunwald, told her story about having been a lifelong avid reader until she had a stroke a few years ago. She recovered very well, except for one thing—she could no longer read! This was a devastating experience for her. She heard about a program from the Arkansas Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, which provides eligible people with a free audio cassette player and thousands of books on tape, also free. There are requirements to receive the player and to have access to the audio books, but the player is portable, easy to use, and you can read off of flash drives that have been downloaded from the program’s website, or use special cassettes. This is a wonderful way for someone like Terri to continue reading with her book club as she continues re-learning how to read. Call 866-660-0885 or visit nlsbooks@asl.lib.ar.us for more information about this wonderful program.
Between the Covers meets every month at different members’ homes, and one month a year they go out on the town to a restaurant just to have fun.
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This club is currently closed to new members.
Call Marla Magiera at 870-431-8334 for more info.
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THE BOOK LOVERS
This is a second book club formed through the Welcome Club of the Twin Lakes. Esther Klein (870 425-4855) is the contact for this club. Members pay a $12 yearly fee to the Welcome Club in order to become a member of “Book Lovers.” Esther says that although both Welcome Club Book Groups are currently at capacity, she would consider starting another group if there is enough interest.
MORE CLUBS
There are many more book clubs/reading groups in the Twin Lakes Area. Here are a few, with contact names and phone numbers for anyone interested. And remember, the library’s “Issues and Viewpoints” book club is open to anyone who just wants to get an idea of how a book club works.
Listing of Current
Twin Lakes Book Clubs
The first three clubs are open to new members.
Others are mentioned in the event M! readers
may know someone in the club who might introduce
them to their club as a guest.
Issues & Viewpoints
Kathe Altazan, Donald W. Reynolds Library,
870-580-0987, est. 2975
St. Andrews Book Club
Kathy McClellan, 870-430-5071
Meets at St. Andrews Church in Mountain Home, but Kathy stresses
there are a variety of book titles, and that
this is not a church or religious group.
Mountain Tomes
Martin Eggensperger, 870-508-6121
Open to membership.
The Book Lovers
Esther Klein, 870-425-4855
Must become member of The Twin Lakes Welcome Club. Group is currently filled,
but another club could be formed if there is enough interest.
Literary Sisters
Mary Andres, 870-425-3932
(by invitation only).
Between the Covers
Marla Magiera, 870-431-8334
Currently filled, except by invitation as a guest of a current member.
Must become a member of The Welcome Club.
Reading Women
Susan Norcross, 870-425-1354
Currently filled, except by invitation.
Mom’s Book Club
Deb Chatman, 870-492-5067
Currently filled.
Readers who would like to start a club may contact me, Dawn Reithel, at 870-431-8769 or follow the tips suggested in Tina Bradley’s article for starting your own club. M! December 2014/January 2015
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