Marshall Book Club 2012

The two book clubs at the John Marshall Library, have become popular monthly gatherings for many in the community. Lively discussions of interesting books are guaranteed at each meeting. The clubs have fostered lasting friendships and smaller “get togethers” but new members are always warmly welcomed.

The Evening Book Club is entering its 13th year and the Afternoon Book Club, its 8th. Each group reads 11 books a year, with titles suggested by group members and then voted to the final list. The suggestions are always eclectic, including fiction, non-fiction, bestsellers and classics. Every book may not be loved by all, but members often agree that they would not have discovered some of these interesting titles had they not been in the book club. Titles are sometimes seasonal or they may reflect current events. There is always a good book for a cold January evening, while summer reads may be lighter. During election years, a fall read may include something of a political nature, or a biography of a prominent American figure.

In recent years, there have been field trips that tie in to certain books. A reading of the The Moon and Sixpence (W. Somerset Maugham), led to a trip to the National Gallery to see a recent Gauguin exhibit. Because both groups had read The Help (Kathryn Stockett), there was an excited interested in going, as a group, to see the movie when it premiered. (of course lunch was included in the trip!) Local historian, Bob Sinclair, conducted a “Walking tour of Marshall”, after one club read High in Old Virginia’s Piedmont (John K. Gott). When an occasional Shakespeare play was included on the reading list, all agreed that the play would be brought to life by experiencing a live stage production. A trip to the “American Shakespeare Center” in Staunton, Virginia, made our reading of Twelfth Night one of the favorite reads of the year!

A summer picnic and a Holiday party, have become annual traditions that are eagerly anticipated by members of both book clubs. Picnics are held under the trees, on the hill, behind the Marshall Library. It is a potluck affair, with food that gets better each year! The Holiday party is held in the Library when the surroundings radiate holiday cheer. No book is read in December, so the meeting is just a time to relax, enjoy great food and good company.

The Marshall Book Clubs know no strangers. Every new person has something to offer and you will be warmly received. It is no wonder that the Clubs have become one of the most popular activities at the Library. Join us!

The following titles were chosen for the 2012 Book List:

Afternoon Book Club

• The Kitchen House (Kathleen Grissom)
• Same Kind of Different as Me (Ron Hall)
• The Winter of Our Discontent (John Steinbeck)
• Botany of Desire: A Plant’s Eye View of the World (Michael Pollan)
• The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Muriel Spark)
• Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (Laura Hillenbrand)
• Bloodmoney (David Ignatius)
• Sarah’s Key (Tatiana de Rosnay)
• Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived (Ralph Helfer)
• State of Wonder (Ann Patchett)
• A Moveable Feast (Ernest Hemingway)

Evening Book Club

• Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
• Russian Winter(Daphne Kalotay)
• Remarkable Creatures(Tracy Chevalier)
• The Kitchen House (Kathleen Grissom)
• Go Tell it on the Mountain (James Baldwin) and/or The Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison)
• Room (Emma Donoghue)
• Weird Sisters (Eleanor Brown)
• Bossypants (Tina Fey)
• What Alice Forgot (Liane Moriarty)
• American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America (Colin Woodard)
• State of Wonder (Ann Patchett)

The Marshall Afternoon Book Club meets on the second Wednesday of the month, at 1:00 p.m.

The Marshall Evening Book Club meets on the last Monday of the month, at 7:00 p.m.

Come join us!

Debbie @ John Marshall