Book Clubs Can Lead to Lasting Friendships

BY KATE JACOBSON

The first time I attended a book club, I was unprepared. I didn’t know anybody in the group, and I hadn’t done any research — I hadn’t even finished reading the book! I was nervous. But I shouldn’t have worried because, as I soon discovered, book clubs are just as much about making social connections as they are about discussing books, whether you’ve finished them or not. I was welcomed with open arms to the magic of a book club.

When you join a book club at a Cobb County Public Library branch, you’ll not only get to read a wide variety of books, you’ll meet new friends.

“The best part of a book club is the shared experience,” said Helen Cauley, who leads the North Cobb Regional Library's monthly discussion of Sherlock Holmes stories and recently organized the Make Mine a Mystery! group. “The discussions start with the book, but often they spin into other fascinating topics. And it never fails to surprise me that I overlooked something another reader caught or that someone looked at a situation in an entirely different light. Having others' viewpoints makes reading so much more dynamic.”

The bonds that form through this shared reading experience and exchange of ideas are meaningful. For longtime book club member Matilda Mestre, the beauty of book club is not only being exposed to different books but also the relationships she has formed. “I have met amazing people I now consider my friends,” she said.

The four libraries making up the system’s West Cobb region offer eight book clubs. New members always are welcome.

Kemp Memorial Library

4029 Due West Road, Marietta, 770-528-2527

• Around the Library Book Club: 1 p.m., second Monday of each month. No required reading. Instead, a new genre or theme is selected each month, and club members choose any book that fits. February’s theme is “Any Book with a Red Cover.”

• Book Chat: 1 p.m., second Thursday of each month. Features fiction and nonfiction.

February’s selection is “The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation” by Anna Malaika Tubbs.

North Cobb Regional Library

3535 Old 41 Highway, Kennesaw, 770-801-5320

• The Game is Afoot! Sherlock Holmes Story Discussions With the North Cobb Irregulars: 6:30 p.m., second Monday of each month, led by Helen Cauley, writer and president emerita of the Atlanta Sherlock Holmes Society.

• Wednesday Afternoon Book Discussion: 1 p.m., third Wednesday of each month. The group reads mysteries, thrillers, romances and fiction. February’s selection is “All Her Little Secrets” by Wanda M. Morris.

• Make Mine a Mystery! Book Club: 6:15 p.m., fourth Monday of each month. Led by Helen Cauley, the club focuses solely on mysteries. February’s selection is “The Club” by Ellery Lloyd.

• Cover to Cover: 2 p.m., fourth Tuesday of each month. Members read a variety of fiction. February’s title also is “All Her Little Secrets,” and the author will host a book talk at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 28.

Stratton Library

1100 Powder Springs Road, Marietta, 770-528-2522

• Afr ican American Book Discussion: 6:30 p.m., second Monday of each month. Features books by African American authors. February’s selection is “Sisters in Arms: A Novel of Daring Black Women Who Served in WWII” by Kaia Alderson.

West Cobb Regional Library

1750 Dennis Kemp Lane, Kennesaw, 770-528-4699

• Fourth Monday Book Discussion Group: 6:30 p.m. Members explore a variety of literature, including fiction, nonfiction, classics and new releases. The February selection is “The Personal Librarian” by Marie Benedict.