Library introducing Reading Challenge Book Club
A book club with a twist is coming to the St. Marys Public Library, and the first session is set to be held later this month.
The library recently announced their new Reading Challenge Book Club, which will meet for the first time on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 5:30 p.m. Unlike typical book clubs, the Reading Challenge Book Club does not require participants to read a particular book. Instead, participants will be given a prompt each month and can read any book of their choice that fits the prompt.
As an example, the challenge for the club’s inaugural meeting is for participants to read any book of their choice from the Jenna Bush Hager Book Club.
Subsequent prompts will be chosen at random.
According to St. Marys Public Library Director Leslie Swope, the Reading Challenge Book Club was the idea of staff member Dara Benjamin.
“In 2020, her family started to do a reading challenge where they would write down different prompts for choosing a book and blindly pick one. She really enjoyed the books she might not have read if not for the challenge and thought it might appeal to the community,” Swope said.
For those interested in participating in this month’s meeting, Swope noted that the library currently has a display of books that are part of the Jenna Bush Hager Book Club to help readers find something of interest. However, participants in the Reading Challenge Book Club are not required to borrow a book from the library’s collection.
Swope also encouraged those interested in learning more about the club to attend this month’s meeting.
“If someone wants to attend to see what the book is about, or to get book recommendations, they are welcome to come,” Swope said.
The prompt for March will be drawn at the end of the meeting, and participants will have time to browse the library’s collection for books, if they choose, as well as to offer recommendations to other members.
“This program is for adults, and members do not need to come every month,” Swope said. “A typical meeting will last about an hour, depending on how conversation goes.”
During each meeting, participants will have the opportunity to talk about the book they read and offer their opinion on it.
“It is okay to not like a book, and oftentimes, the books we do not like lead to great conversation,” Swope said. “This program will be about sharing books with others. From conservations we’ve had with patrons of the library, sometimes they are the only one of their family or friends that is a reader, and they want to share what they think about books with other book lovers.”
Additional information on the Reading Challenge Book Club can be found at the library, as well as on the library’s website at http://www.stmpl.org/.