Library Celebrates Book Clubs

More than a dozen book clubs in Newtown sent representatives to the C.H. Booth Library 75th Anniversary “Celebration of Book Groups” held Thursday evening, March 1, at the library. From mystery book clubs, to literary clubs, to self-improvement, fiction, and nonfiction clubs, the variety of interests served by the many book groups around town was obvious.

Following an introduction by Gordon Williams, sporting a T-shirt given him by Friends of the Library volunteer Peter Stern that read “My Book Club Can Beat Up Your Book Club,” Rachel Basch took the floor. Ms Basch, the featured speaker of the evening, is the author of Degrees of Love and The Passion of Reverend Nash. She lives in Newtown with her husband and three children. 

She has been a visiting writer at Trinity College and has taught fiction writing in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at Wesleyan University.

As much as writing is a part of her life, so too are books, although she confessed that she was a reluctant reader. She did, however, refer to books as a “400-page party” that she can discuss with friends. Ms Basch has spoken to local book clubs, most recently the Mayflower Book Club.

Each book club had time to speak about its club and members discussed their involvement with it before closing remarks from library director Janet Woycik and the announcement of the NewtownREADS selection, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. (See related article.)