Book clubs are becoming more and more popular, and you can see why – a reason to put reading ahead of other jobs (“I have to finish this, the book group meets tomorrow!”), a chance to discuss your views and opinions with others, an opportunity to get together for drinks, nibbles, dinner…all excellent reasons to join a book club. The Library acts as a hub for several or you can start your own.

But what happens if you can’t agree on a book to read? Or if you can’t all get copies in time? Some of the library staff, who meet to chat about books, have solved these problems by changing the ground rules. Instead of choosing a single book for everyone to read, we choose a subject or a genre and read any book we like that fits.

For the first meeting, we chose Romance – specifically, any book from the Tea Tree Gully Library with a green dot on the spine. Not only did we end up with a fantastic range of books to talk about – everything from Mills & Boon to Janet Evanovich – but we found ourselves discussing all aspects of romantic literature from Jane Austen onwards, and having a great evening doing it. Our next genre (chosen by pulling suggestions out of a bowl,  supplied by a bemused but kindly waiter) turned out to be Historical Fiction…stay tuned for further blog entries on the result! And remember, if the ‘normal’ sort of book club doesn’t work for you, alternatives (like the truth) are out there…

  Romance novels: 

Jane Austen, Harlequin, and everything in between….