April 01, 2005

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Publication Date: Friday, April 01, 2005

Off to Book Group

In private homes and coffee shops, in restaurants and churches, in schools and libraries, people are gathering. In an increasingly impersonal, digital world, what's the force bringing people together? Books.

Long before Oprah Winfrey made them famous, Pleasanton residents have been sharing their love for reading and discussing books in book clubs.

The city is brimming with book clubs. A quick glance at the club table in Towne Center Books on Main Street reveals close to 20 different books currently being read and discussed in the various clubs around town.

"That is just the book clubs who ordered for this month," said Judy Wheeler, owner of Towne Center Books, with a laugh. "I'm expecting a few more orders."

With current book selections ranging from classics to popular fiction, it is clear local readers have varied tastes and book clubs are more popular than ever.

In case you aren't familiar with the term, a book club is a group of people that meets regularly to discuss books. Most book clubs follow a similar format. The members read a designated book, then meet to discuss it. However, the similarities end there as the local clubs take on unique personalities.

"People who love to read always want to talk about their books," said Wheeler, "and book clubs give readers a chance to re-experience their books through discussion."

Book selection often depends on the structure of the club. Most book clubs vary their reading selections monthly based on the preference of the members. Some groups have agreed-upon selection methods, while others don't. Still other clubs focus their reading efforts on specific genres.

Gretchen Zaballos of the Foothill Book Club outlined her group's annual reading selections. "Our selections are loosely structured. About half the books we read are fiction, then some of the books we read are non-fiction, and each year we read at least one classic," she said.

The Foothill Book Club is one of many neighborhood clubs in existence in Pleasanton. Founded in the early '90s by Gretchen Zaballos and her friend Julie Brown, the group is made up of friends and neighbors who live along Foothill Road. Neighborhood book clubs are very popular because meeting attendance is convenient and the club gives neighbors a new way to connect.

"We started the club because we wanted to be motivated to read and discuss books," said Zaballos. "We really wanted to share ideas with our friends in a new way."

With an all-women membership that spans three decades in age, the club's diversity has made for interesting discussions and has deepened friendships. The group boasts exceptionally low turnover in membership and has created a support network for its members.

"But that support takes time to develop," added Zaballos.

Another Pleasanton book club with diverse membership and an unusual focus is the Non-Fiction Book Club, founded in spring 1998 by Dennis and Sally Baker. The Bakers founded the group by inviting a few people to their house one evening. The group, made up of nine men and women, reads 11 non-fiction books a year.

"We try to vary it between historical books, biographies and scientific books," explained Sally Baker. "We always have a list of 20-30 books we want to read to help make selections easier."

The group has had virtually no turnover since its inception, a fact Baker attributes to its diversity of membership and commitment to the genre of non-fiction. Historically, women have dominated book clubs, but the Non-Fiction Book Club breaks that trend.

"I enjoy the mix of men and women. We have a big age range and a lot of different political views, too, but our group really meshes well," added Baker.

While the club is committed to the non-fiction genre, the group varies its selection format. On a couple of occasions, members agreed to read different books on a given person. For instance, the group might pick a famous historical figure, such as Benjamin Franklin, and each member reads a different book on that person.

"It's great to hear all the different perspectives on one person," said Baker. "Everyone kept saying, 'That wasn't in my book.' We learned a lot."

It is common for book clubs to begin with an affiliation to an organization such as a church, school, library or charity. The Assistance League book club, for instance, was founded to give members of this charitable group a social outlet. In existence for four years, the group is comprised of 18 members, all who also volunteer time with the League.

"This group was designed to be more social," explained Bev Howell, the coordinator of the Assistance League book club. "It's a good way to hear other views and find out about new books. It's really just a great social meeting for people to enjoy."

There are many advantages to book clubs affiliated with an organization. Perhaps the biggest is that members already have something in common and the book club allows participants to enrich their relationships.

Book clubs aren't just for adults who love to read. Towne Center Books sponsors two Mother-Daughter Book Clubs. These clubs include a group for mothers and daughters ages 10-11, and another for mothers and daughters 12-15.

The club for older girls has been in existence for more than four years and has 12 members, while the club for younger girls is newer and still evolving. Both book clubs are low key and the girls dictate the selections. Members notice that many of the books have a strong female as the central character, but the themes of the books change with age.

"The younger girls enjoy more fantasy-type books but as they age, love-interest books become more popular," explained Donna Adkins, a member of both clubs.

"We want the girls to read with no book report, no grade, no pressure. This is reading for her heart, not her head," she added.

Another benefit has been the creation of a safe environment for these girls to share their passion for reading. "At this age, being smart and a reader isn't cool," explained Adkins, "but this group makes it OK to like to read."

For some readers, a traditional book club format is not appealing. Jim Ott and Kathy Cordova have a solution for those readers; they host "In a Word," CTV's book club. A mass media book club is the perfect outlet for readers who like to explore new books privately without a group discussion.

"In A Word" first aired in 1999 as an outlet for local authors and poets to discuss reading and writing. The show soon evolved into a book club format: The first segment was spent with two or three guests discussing a selected book, and the second segment focused on the book's author.

"The single most important criteria for a book club pick is that it addresses a topic that can be a springboard for a fun, intelligent, exciting discussion," Cordova said. "I spend a lot of time reading book reviews, browsing in bookstores, and talking to other writers and readers to discover books that will make good picks."

There are many advantages to participating in a mass media book club, such as "In A Word," Cordova pointed out. "The biggest advantage is that viewers can tune in and see and hear discussions about awesome, thought-provoking books without leaving the comfort of their home," she said.

"We air the book club discussions several times a month at various times of the day, so there is bound to be a convenient time for people with even the busiest schedules," she added.

Convenience, style and structure all play a role in the personality of a book club. And finding the right book club often takes time. Some readers shop around for the right club for several months before joining one. Others decide to stick with the convenience and comfort of a mass media book club, such as "In a Word."

Each type of book club has distinct advantages, but all agree that book clubs are a great way to discover books that readers would not necessarily select for themselves.

"Sometimes the club picks a book that you wouldn't pick for yourself, but it's good to read outside your comfort zone sometimes," Howell noted.

Baker agreed. "Sometimes I plough through a book, because I know I'm going to enjoy the discussion," she said. "It forces me to read stuff I normally wouldn't."

While the world is filled with daily digital distractions, for many, book clubs offer a connection to others and an intellectual challenge.
What others are reading

Judy Wheeler of Towne Center Books said the most common question asked by book clubs is what the other groups are reading. She said the three most commonly read books by local clubs are: ¥ "Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini ¥ "Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger ¥ "Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night" by Mark Haddon

But if you are in a book club, you probably have already read these books. More interesting are the books clubs should consider reading next: ¥ "Peace Like a River" by Leif Enger ¥ "Wild Swans" by Jung Chang ¥ "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon -Julie Nostrand More good reading

The experts at CTV's "In a Word" offered this top 10 list of books for book clubs (in random order): ¥ "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel ¥ "The Center of Everything" by Laura Moriarty ¥ "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich ¥ "Seabiscuit" by Laura Hillenbrand ¥ "Bel Canto" by Ann Patchett ¥ "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown ¥ "Leaving" by Richard Dry ¥ "Longitudes and Attitudes: The World in the Age of Terrorism" by Thomas L. Friedman ¥ "Goddesses in Every Woman: A New Psychology of Women" by Jean Shinoda Bolen ¥ "Will in the World: How Shakespeare became Shakespeare" by Stephen Greenblatt -Julie Nostrand Starting a book club

Can't find a book club that meets your needs? Start your own. All book clubs begin by someone inviting friends to join them in a group. Here are a few simple rules to ensure the success of your new group: ¥ Invite a diverse group of friends. It works best if a couple of people invite friends to join. ¥ Set clear expectations regarding the book selection process. Will you pick books monthly or annually? Will your club have a theme - such as non-fiction, classics or popular fiction? Will your group read a little bit of everything? ¥ Set clear expectations regarding participation. Is it OK to participate if you haven't finished the book? Will one person provide a book summary to start each meeting? ¥ Establish a consistent meeting date. Consider not only what day your group will meet, but also where will you meet. ¥ Don't let a bad book discourage you. Sometimes the book you didn't like is the best book for a discussion. -Julie Nostrand

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