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Archives - September 2008

It's Banned Books Week, sponsored by the American Library Association to raise awareness about challenged titles --- books some people would like to see removed from library shelves.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society has struck a chord with book clubs. Annie Barrows' novel, told through letters, unfolds the story of a group of residents on the English Channel island of Guernsey, who formed a book club as an alibi while the isle was occupied by Nazis during World War II.
September 26, 2008

Books Into Movies

Posted by carol
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I love Netflix, but I have found something I wish they had --- a "Books into Movies" section. Seriously. I just went looking for that on their site, and it was not there. With a very nasty rainy weekend predicted around here, I wanted to find titles that I would suggest books clubs read/watch. But my plans were foiled when I could not find any grouping like that.
September 25, 2008

Book Club Makeovers

Posted by carol
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Does your book club need a makeover? No, we won't be revamping your wardrobe but rather your reading habits and group dynamics. The Book Club Makeover is a new feature on ReadingGroupGuides.com. We'll select groups each month for makeovers, review their problems, and make suggestions. Below, RGG.com contributor and Books & Books' reading group coordinator Debra Linn explains the concept and how it came to be.
September 24, 2008

Book Profiling

Posted by carol
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Tonight a friend asked me for book recommendations. I often tell friends that I see myself as a book concierge, and I take my role very seriously. When someone asks what I think they should read, I ask them what they have read that they liked. I ask what authors have made an impact on them. I ask what books they would want to re-read --- and talk about.
September 23, 2008

When a Book Tugs at You...

Posted by carol
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Reading is a personal and private pursuit and most of the time, it's okay to just mull thoughts on my own once I hit the last page. But there are other books that tug at me so hard that I feel a need to talk about them immediately and want to have an instant discussion about them as soon as I close them. I had this happen to me about a week ago.
September 19, 2008

Surprise Discussions

Posted by carol
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Today's guest blogger is Stephanie Coleman, who talks about how her New Jersey reading group chooses books --- and how one selection inspired members to discuss more than the novel at hand. To read more by Stephanie, visit her blog, Stephanie's Written Word.
September 18, 2008

Thank You...We Won!

Posted by carol
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While there was no moment of "May I have the envelope please..." and I did not get to wear the fabulous backless dress that I have envisioned wearing to every awards ceremony since Kim Basinger dazzled with her ice blue number at the Oscars years ago, it was an amazing feeling yesterday when we saw t
September 17, 2008

How the Centennial Book Club Began

Posted by carol
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When Susan Clark moved to Ellicott City, Maryland, several years ago, she found camaraderie in this new place by starting a reading group. Here Susan shares how she and the other members of the Centennial Book Club came to bond over books and some of the things she has learned along the way.
September 16, 2008

Brunonia Barry: Soup and Stories

Posted by carol
Brunonia Barry's debut novel, The Lace Reader, is set in Salem, Massachusetts. It's the story of Towner Whitney, who hails from a family of women who can read the future in the patterns of lace. After a decade-long absence Towner returns to the seaside town, where she discovers the truth about her twin sister's long-ago death.