Read All About It

“There are two ways writers can feel as if their stories come to life outside of their heads – first, by having one of their books made into a movie, and second, by being a guest author at a book club,” explains author Jenny Michelman. “Book club members are such passionate, devoted believers in a work. They weep at the sad parts, and chortle at the funny. Whenever I have the privilege of attending a book club, I inevitably tear up. My story is as real for these people as it is for me.”

As a lover of all things literary, I recently set out to explore Rhode Island book club culture. I found that despite its small size, the Ocean State boasts a high number of prose-worshiping gatherings. Throughout my research, I received 75 emails representing over 100 clubs. Readers are gathering in homes, libraries and restaurants, and some have been together for as long as 25 years. Members travel, Skype with authors, serve themed meals and have field trips to the movies when their favorites are adapted for the big screen.

One such gathering is Ladies Eleven, a book club based out of Newport. As their name suggests, the group keeps membership to an exclusive number. While they once depended on a list of discussion questions to keep meetings moving, after 16 years the conversation has evolved and improved. This is a special group of women with strong friendships who agree that without their monthly “Ladies Eleven” meeting, they would not be reading many of the books they do.

Next up is the book club at Rhode Island’s youngest library – the Exeter Public Library. One of its members shares, “The library is really our community’s center. The staff is the best! Not only do they know everyone’s name, but also they can hand you a book, and you know you’ll love it. It’s scary how well they know us!” (This club recently won a set of Sara Gruen’s At The Water’s Edge galleys and will be meeting with her via Skype).

The Governor Francis Neighborhood Association Book Club in Warwick is celebrating their eighth year together as neighbors who bonded over books. Together they have Skyped with authors, donated to charities, gone to Reading Across Rhode Island events and even attended Reading With Robin’s Adriana Trigiani event at the West Valley Inn. Their traditions include an annual meeting at the beach, a Thanksgiving potluck, tea parties and floral arranging initiatives themed around the books they are reading and discussing.

The ABC Book Club is still going strong after 25 years. In the beginning, all members lived in Barrington and the group was part of the Welcome Wagon Club. Despite the fact that some folks moved to Riverside, Warwick and Pawtucket, they still meet on a monthly basis at each other’s home to discuss a variety of books both fiction and non-fiction.

Cranston’s The Freesia Book Club decided on their name after reading Venessa Diffenbaugh’s The Language Of Flowers. Some of its members knew each other before the club formed and some made new friends who then joined the club. Half are retired teachers, others are from various careers and all consider it rewarding and are so happy to have found each other.

Sarah McCoy, whose 3rd novel The Mapmaker’s Children will launch in Rhode Island in a collaborative effort between Reading With Robin and the Center For The Study Of Slavery & Justice, says, “if great literature is the blood running through society, book clubs are the heartbeats. I’m continually astounded by my experiences with book clubbers across the nation and around the globe; their love and true championship of my novels. It may be a biased appraisal, but I believe some of the finest men and women I’ve ever met were in book clubs!”

Reading With Robin is on AM790 Fridays from 4-5pm. Robin has a set (up to ten) of advance reader copies for Everybody Rise by Stephanie Clifford up for grabs. This debut received a seven-figure book advance and film deal for what is being described as “Edith Wharton meets Bonfires of the Vanities.”

To enter your book club to win please email Robin at robin@readingwtihrobin.com with your book club’s story.