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Book clubs offer readers the opportunity to enrich their reading experience, by sharing their thoughts, ideas and perspectives. The library has several book clubs readers can join, as well as resources for those wishing to set up their own club or participate in one.
Library Book Discussion Groups:
Contemporary Fiction Book Group
This group discusses current literary fiction once a month.
- Meets in the 2nd floor conference room.
Contacts: Tish at 847-429-4687 or
Great Books Discussion Group
This group discusses some of the world's greatest books of literature, philosophy, economics, political science, and psychology once a month.
- Meetings are the second Monday of the month from 6:55 p.m. to 8:55 p.m. at the Gail Borden Public Library. You may attend the discussion group without registering. Just join the group at any time.
Contacts: Adult Services Department at (847) 429-4680 or the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Great Books coordinator, Vony Fahrenwald, at (847) 931-4503.
Mystery Readers Book Group
This group reads different categories of mysteries—no two readers will read the same title, but everyone will read the same author or category each month.
- This group meets Tuesday afternoons at 3 p.m. in the 2nd Floor Conference Room.
Contact: Patty at 847-429-4688 or
Online Book Club
Do you have a busy schedule and can't make it to one of our library book clubs? Well then join our Online Book Club. Each month we will discuss a different book and you can join in on the discussion at your convenience.
Contact: Billie at 847-429-4688 or
Dear Reader
Join Dear Reader. Each day we'll email you a 5-minute portion of a book. During the week you can read 2-3 chapters and decide if you want to check the book out of the library. Every Monday we start new books. Sign up and start reading today.
Resources for book clubs:
Book Club in a Bag
If you are in a book club and don’t want to spend time trying to locate enough copies of the same title or preparing questions for your next discussion, just stop by the Adult Services Information Desk and ask for the Book Club In A Bag you want. You check out the entire bag of 10 books, distribute the paperbacks to your group in time for your next discussion, and everyone returns the books to you after your discussion. Then you return the whole bag to the library.
Online book clubs, book reviews, and discussion guides:
Books:
How do I start my own book club?
- Ask several friends, co-workers, and other acquaintances if they’d be interested in being in a book club with you. If your number seems small (anywhere from 5-12 people is a good size for a group), ask people to bring a friend.
- Decide what kinds of books you want to read—classics, best-sellers, literature, mysteries, anything and everything, etc. Tip: make sure books are available in paperback or at the library if cost is a concern.
- Decide how often and when you want to meet. Important: plan on meeting even if you hear people have other plans. Always keep your meeting dates on the calendar, e.g. first Monday of the month or every other Thursday.
- Pick a place where you will meet, or plan on each member hosting a meeting and rotating through your list of members.
- Decide if one person is going to lead the discussion or if club members will take turns. Discussion questions are available online, and some books include guides at the end.
- Pick out at least 6 months’ worth of titles at once. Club members can each pick one title and plan on hosting that discussion, a set-up that works well. Be sure to pick titles that are available at your library or bookstore.
- Library staff are happy to help you with any step of the process: choosing titles, obtaining copies of books, or even providing small study rooms for your meeting. Just ask at the Information Desk.
Note: If you are in a local book club and are having trouble obtaining books, please let us help!
We can borrow book club titles from other libraries, even if those titles are in our own collection. Fill out a Material Request Form at the Information Desk or online and indicate that you need that title for a book discussion group.
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