Date: Fri 18-Dec-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: JAN

Quick Words:

book-clubs-human-interest

Full Text:

Newtown Proves To Be Fertile Ground For Book Clubs

(with cut)

BY JAN HOWARD

Book discussion groups are thriving in Newtown, and it's not just since Oprah

Winfrey made them fashionable. Some groups have been established for decades,

others are in their beginning stages, and one will start in January.

All have much in common. They meet once a month in members' homes on an

alternating basis or in a public facility. In most cases, the members take

turns researching the author and book and preparing questions to spark

discussion.

Books are either chosen by the discussion leader with the consensus of the

members or the members each offer a title and vote on them.

Some groups choose the books months in advance and others decide on one every

month. Most read paperbacks, and all offer a wide variety of book categories.

A workshop on how to lead a book discussion will be offered at the Booth

Library after the holidays by Pat Karpacz.

Library Book Group

The C.H. Booth Library is planning a book group that will begin meeting on the

third Thursday in January at 7:30 pm in the meeting room.

The first selection to be read and discussed will be the award-winning Cold

Mountain by Charles Frazier.

It is expected the group will have about 12 members.

Kim Weber, adult program coordinator for the library, said the group is being

formed because library patrons had expressed interest.

Mrs Karpacz has offered to lead the group for the first few months, but Mrs

Weber hopes that eventually members will take turns.

Trinity Nursery Parents

Mrs Weber belongs to a discussion group made up of eight women whose children

attended Trinity Nursery School. It was formed by residents Margaret Hull and

Margie Esten in 1990.

"We are reading a variety of titles, and all of us have different tastes," Mrs

Weber said.

"Book groups are wonderful," she said.

Ladies Literary League

The Ladies Literary League, founded in 1969 by former resident Rodi Ionna, has

a membership of about 15 women.

The League was an offshoot of the Welcome Wagon, according to member Nancy

Larin. It was made up of women who wanted to continue to meet after their

involvement with Welcome Wagon was over.

The group meets on the fourth Thursday of the month.

"We take a field trip annually to tie in with a book we've read," Mrs Larin

said. "In the spring, each of us will read a different book by Pearl Buck, and

then we will visit her home in New Jersey."

Newtown Woman's Club

The Newtown Woman's Club sponsors a book club that is similar to the League

except there is no designated leader, according to Mrs Larin.

The group, formed in 1970, is open to the entire Woman's Club membership,

member Ruth Kirkwood said.

"At first we talked about books we were reading at the time," longtime member

Shirley Lawrenson remembers. Then the members began to read and discuss the

same book.

The group currently has six members.

Senior Center

Bonnie DiDomizio, an employee of the Newtown Senior Center, is the facilitator

for a book club that began meeting in September.

The group is growing. It started with 12 members and three months later is up

to 18.

"I think it will become even larger as more people hear about it," Mrs

DiDomizio said.

"The response to it was wonderful," she said.

The group meets on the first Tuesday at 1 pm at the Senior Center in Sandy

Hook.

Mrs DiDomizio is leading the discussions, but in the future, she said, "I hope

to encourage the members to pick a book and lead the discussion."

The Cellini Society

Resident Gordon Williams founded the Cellini Society with seven members ten

years ago. On December 1, the 14 current members celebrated the milestone

anniversary, with dinner and a discussion of Snow Falling on Cedars .

The name of the group came about after they read a biography of about the

Renaissance sculptor, Benvenuto Cellini, who was also a jeweler, murderer and

thief, Mr Williams said.

For selection of books, "We have an informal rule that someone has to have

read the book," Mr Williams said. Often, the discussion leader is the person

who recommended the book.

Some leaders go to great lengths in preparation, Mr Williams said, such as

tracing routes during the reading of a travel book, bringing a video to the

meeting, or inviting a speaker.

"We have people who best like thrillers or non-fiction. A lot of us have a

history bent," he said.

During the summer, the group takes a field trip somewhere with their wives.

"We're good friends now," Mr Williams said. "It's been a real pleasure to me."

Newcomers Book Club

The Newcomers' Book Club, numbers about 15 members.

According to member Melissa Kraylir, the meeting night is subject to change.

"We try not to conflict with other club activities," she said.

The group will usually read a current book, Mrs Kraylir said, noting there are

no "hard and fast rules" on the discussion.

"I start it off, and each member pitches in ideas. The group is informal," she

said. The group has just finished reading A Civil Action .

The group is made up of women of various ages, who are newcomers to Newtown.

Mrs Kraylir said the discussion group, "forces you to read things you might

not ordinarily read.

"It's interesting to hear the different opinions on a book," she said. "The

reasons why they like or dislike it are interesting. It's fun."

Newcomers' Offshoot

An offshoot of the Newcomers' Book Club was started about three years ago by

former members who had been in town for a few years.

Member Joanne Keane said the group, which is unnamed, is comprised of friends

who got together through word of mouth.

The group currently numbers about 12.

"We're all about the same age with small children," she said. "We have had

some husbands occasionally read the book and make comments.

"The group is very informal," Mrs Keane said. While the group does not have an

official leader, "The host will often rally everyone. It would be nice to know

what it would be like to have a professional run it," she added.

Mrs Keane said the members visited a Quaker meeting after reading a series of

spiritual books.

"We have talked about doing more field trips, and more themes," she said. This

month they are reading Gifts from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindberg.

"Sometimes it's hard to find certain books we want to read," she noted. Then

they turn to the Internet.

"Almost every friend I have anywhere, from Boston to California, is in a book

club," she said. "It's a good intro to meet new people and to break into the

town. It's a nice night out. I look forward to it."

Mayflower Book Club

The Mayflower Book Club was formed by Nancy Dudley and former resident Nancy

Conover about eight years ago. There are currently 12 members, 11 of whom are

from Newtown.

"We have never had a problem getting members, but we wish we had more age

diversity," member Diane Johnson said, noting the members have similar

backgrounds. "We share common experiences but come from different directions

on the issues."

The sessions are very straightforward and simple, Mrs Johnson said. "We stick

to the book. We stay focused."

During January the members will be reading Whittaker Chambers by Sam

Tannebaum.

Mother-Daughter Book Club

One of the more unusual book clubs in town is the Mother-Daughter Book Club

formed by Dr Diane Wenick. The group is made up of about nine fourth and fifth

grade friends of her daughter, Alana, and their mothers.

"We just started it," Dr Wenick said. "We're very excited about it. We have

all kinds of plans." The group, which started in November, will meet for the

second time this week.

Dr Wenick said she got the idea to form the book club from the book The

Mother-Daughter Book Club by Shireen Dodson. She is now reading Ms Dodson's

second book, 100 Books for Girls to Grow On , which has samples of good

literature appropriate for a book club.

Dr Wenick said she finds the discussion group is a good way to get her

daughter to open up about what's going on in her life.

"We had never discussed the books she reads," Dr Wenick said.

Dr Wenick said the girls "are very up front" with their feelings and opinions

about the books they are reading.

The books, which are Newbury Award winners, are geared to young girls. The

mothers and daughters read Sarah Plain and Tall in November and are now

reading The Midwife's Apprentice.

"I'm getting to read books I never read as a child," Dr Wenick said.

Each girl takes a turn leading the discussion. "It's interesting to hear what

they say," Dr Wenick said. "It's brought up other issues as a result of what

they read. It's a non-threatening environment."

"It is fun," member Connie Sullivan said. "My daughter thought it would be

interesting. It makes the girls feel special, with time alone with their moms

without their siblings around.

"It's important to be up on what your child is reading. It shows you're

interested in what they're doing. It opens up channels of communication and

how the books relate to their lives.

Dr Wenick also belongs to a book discussion group comprised of about eight

friends that meets one Tuesday a month.

It started as a result of "a couple of us talking about liking to read," she

said.