We have two book discussion groups that meet here at Western District Library. The McGuffey Readers meet August through May on the fourth Thursday of the month (except on Thanksgiving and Christmas). The Orion Page Turners meet on the last Tuesday of every month.
McGuffey Readers
The McGuffey Readers Book Club meets on the fourth Thursday of the month August - May.
The next meeting of the McGuffey Readers will be held on:
Thursday, February 23, 2011 at 9:30am.
Our next book selection is:
The King's Speech by: Mark Logue
Our discussion leader will be: Candy Swihart
Come join us for a cup of coffee and an interesting discussion!
Ask for a copy at our front desk.
New members are welcome.
Come join us!
Who Are The McGuffey Readers?
This group organized in 1986 under former library director, Betty Wahl, and has been meeting ever since! Originally, the book titles were suggested by former Black Hawk English teacher, Jane Schmidt, who also led the discussions. As time went on the members started to choose the book titles and lead the discussions themselves. That is the procedure that is used today.
Meetings are on the fourth Thursday of the month (except November and December) at 9:30 AM in the library. Coffee is always served and occasionally a treat. The attendance at these meetings ranges from ten to seventeen; meetings last about an hour and a half. There is no obligation to attend every meeting; members attend when they can.
The first meeting of the year is held in August. At this meeting, a committee of three members presents a list of 14-18 book titles for possible review during the following year (Sept.-May). Each member votes on nine titles and the winning titles then comprise the reading list for the following year. Nine members then volunteer to lead the discussion on a book of their choice from this list so our program is then complete for the year. No books are discussed at the August meeting but we do go out for lunch.
The Book Discussion leader is free to discuss the book of her choice any way she wants but the review is always opened with a short biography of the author. After the discussion is over, members usually check out the book that will be reviewed at the next meeting.
Library Director, Shirley Carney, and staff member, Debbie Nightingale, can answer any questions you might have about joining the group. It’s fun!
Orion Page Turners
The Orion Page Turners meet at 6:00 p.m. on the last Tuesday of the month. Some of the books they have read and discussed this past year include:
- The Help by: Kathryn Stockett
- Garden Spells by: Sarah Addison Allen
- Half Broke Horses by: Jeannette Walls
- The Jane Austen Book Club by: Karen Fowler
- Olive Kitteridge by: Elizabeth Strout
- One Hundred Years of Solitude by: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
- The Shining by: Stephen King
- Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by: Jamie Ford
- Winter's Bone by: Daniel Woodrell
- Postville by: Stephen Bloom
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by: Mary Ann Shaffer
- The Shipping News by: E. Annie Proulx
- So Big by: Edna Ferber
- The Zookeeper's Wife by: Diane Ackerman
- The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen
- Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay
- The Madonnas of Leningrad by: Debra Dean
The next meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 28th at 6pm-
- What's up next: The Ballad of Tom Dooley by: Sharyn McCrumb
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- Books are available.
- Just ask at the front desk.
Who Are The Orion Page Turners?
The Orion Page Turners were organized in 1999 and have been meeting ever since! This group meets in the evening at 6:00 PM on the last Tuesday of the month in the lower level of the library. Pat Morse, newly retired teacher (from Orion High School), started this group and leads the discussions. The attendance at these meetings ranges from four to eight.
This group is different from the McGuffey Readers in that those in attendance at one meeting will choose the book for the next meeting. Thus, a variety of books are chosen in different genres. Also, this group meets every month except December. If you have any questions, or would like to join this group, call Pat Morse at 476-1172. They have some very lively discussions!