Book Discussion Groups

The library sponsors a variety of book discussion groups. 

--Preregistration is required for the following groups.  Group members are asked to attend the majority of the meetings for their group.--

The First Tuesday Group, with Suzanne as facilitator, meets at 7:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month.

The First Thursday Group, with Phyllis as facilitator, meets at 11:00 a.m. the first Thursday of every other month (February, April, June, August, October, and December).  

Also on the first Thursday of each month, the Parent Child Book Discussion Group, facilitated by Miss Dee, meets at 7:00 p.m.  Children from 4th through 6th grade may register with one of their parents for this lively, interactive book discussion group.

The new First Friday Group that will take you around the world with books meets the first Friday of every other month (January, March, May, July, September, and November) at 11:00 a.m.   This group, with Marsha as facilitator, will focus on world classics and books written by 20th and 21st century authors around the globe.

The Third Thursday Group, with Lisa as facilitator, meets at 7:00 p.m. the third Thursday of each month.                                        

On August 26th, the Library held a dinner to showcase its continuing and new, upcoming Book Discussion Groups.  Besides a brief informational talk about each group and an Italian-style dinner, participants enjoyed an evening of wine tasting, presented by WineStyles in Flossmoor.

--There are also groups that do not require preregistration.  Books are available for pick up at the Circulation Desk approximately 3-4 weeks before the discussion date.--

A new group, called Cross Overs, is aimed at readers "from age 11 to 111."  Dee, Jen, and Kristin will facilitate this multi-generational group that will meet four times a year to discuss adult and young adult titles, exposing eager readers to books they might not have otherwise discovered.  Its first meeting will be on Tuesday, November 11th at 7:00p.m. 
   

The Coffee and Chick Lit Group, with Cindy as facilitator, meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.  This group is an open book discussion and does not require preregistration.  While most meetings begin at the library, sometimes the group moves to area coffee shops, wine store, and restaurants.                                                                                                                             

Here's a picture of the Coffee and Chick Lit Group when they discussed the book, "The Wedding Cake in the Middle of the Road."

Another new group, The Mystery/Suspense Thriller Group, with Suzanne as facilitator, will meet on the Fourth Saturday of each month at 11:00 a.m.

Open Book Discussions are held occasionally, with Kristin as facilitator.  The next open book discussion will be on Sunday, October 5th at 1:30 p.m. 

Here are the upcoming titles for each group:

--Please call the Adult Services--Readers Desk at 798-0121 ext. 232 to verify the dates, times, and titles selected.--

First Tuesday Book Discussion Group  (monthly, at 7:30 p.m.)

November 11 (date change to one week later due to Election Day):  Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine by Nick Bantock.

December: No Meeting


First Thursday Book Discussion Group (every other month--February, April, June, August, October, and December--at 11:00 a.m.)  This year's theme is "A Journey Through the Genres."

December 4:  genre--Humor -- Way Off the Road by Bill Geist  (Companion Book:  Patty Jane's House of Curl by Lorna Landvik)

Parent Child Book Discussion Group (first Thursday monthly at 7:00 p.m.)

November 6:  Blood on the River: Jamestown 1607 by Elisa Carbone.  

First Friday Book Discussion Group (every other month--January, March, May, July, September, November--at 11:00 a.m.)

November 7:  Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence (England)

January 2:  Bread and Wine by Ignazio Silone (Italy)

Coffee and Chick Lit Book Discussion Group (monthly on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m.)

November 18:  Serving Crazy with Curry by Amulya Malladi

December 16:  Forever by Judy Blume

  
Third Thursday Book Discussion Group (monthly at 7:00 p.m.)

November 20:  Run by Ann Patchett

December:  No Meeting

  
Mystery/Suspense Thriller Book Discussion Group (4th Saturday monthly at 11:00 a.m.)

November 18:  The Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett

December:  No Meeting

Cross Overs Book Discussion Group (meets four times a year)

Tuesday, November 11th at 7:00 p.m: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Open Book Discussion Group (meets at irregular intervals on varying days and times) 

Sunday, October 5th was the last Open Book Discussion.  The book discussed was   Maus : a survivor's tale by Art Spiegelman.

Check back here later for the next Open Book Discussion date and the title chosen.  

--For a list of past books discussed in Homewood Library Book Groups, see this comprehensive list.--

Start Your Own Book Group

The following list of books serve as a introduction to help you with starting your own book group. Be sure to check out our other great resources on reading and reading clubs in the Reader's Services reference collection upstairs, and our selection of book guides in the 020's in the non-fiction collection. For more information, call the Adult Services--Readers Desk at (708) 798-0121 ext. 232.

A year of reading : a month-by-month guide to classics and crowd-pleasers for you and your book group
by H. Elisabeth Ellington   028.8 ELL PB

The Book group book : a thoughtful guide to forming and enjoying a stimulating book discussion group
by Ellen Slezak   028.8 SLE PB

The readers' choice : 200 book club favorites
by Victoria Golden McMains   REF 028.1 MCM READ.ADV

The reading group book : the complete guide to starting and sustaining a reading group, with annotated lists of 250 titles for provocative discussion
by David Laskin   028.8 LAS PB

Book Discussion Guides Online

Book Club leaders generally prepare a list of questions or "talking points" to get a group started in its discussion. Here are a few Web sites offering sample discussion guides:

Amazon.com Reading Group Guides
Amazon provides this concise do-it-yourself guide to starting a book group, with discussion guides organized by book topic and links to books with reading club guides included.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/292203/104-3412561-9398301

Random House Reading Group Corner
Do you want to enhance your understanding of a book? This site offers a database of book discussion resources such as book summaries, sample questions, author biographies and interviews, and information about book tours.
http://www.randomhouse.com/vintage/read/

Random House Reading Group Guides
Discussion guides for various titles from the following publishing groups: Anchor, Ballentine, Bantam, Dell, Doubleday, Knopf, Pantheon, Random House, Schocken, and Vintage.
http://www.randomhouse.com/reader_resources/browsetitle/

Reading Group Choices
This site offers suggested titles for book clubs, a searchable database of discussion guides, and advice for starting and leading your own reading group.
http://www.readinggroupchoices.com

ReadingGroupGuides
An excellent resource for readers offering synopses, book discussion questions, and author biographies.
http://www.ReadingGroupGuides.com

St. Martin's Press Reading Guides
Reading group guides for titles published by St. Martin's and Picador USA.
http://www.stmartins.com/smp/rgg.html

W.W. Norton Reading Guides
Discussion guides for various W.W. Norton titles.
http://www.wwnorton.com/trade/rgg.htm