The book discussion group currently meets the second Wednesday of each month, at 10:15 AM in the Board Room of the Library. Anyone who loves to read and talk about books is welcome to join in.
When Barbara and Wayne Zurl moved to Maryville in 1994, Barbara looked in vain for a book discussion group. When she approached Kathy Pagles at the library, Kathy said, “Why don’t you start one?” So Barbara did and invited several friends to join her in discussing Amy Tan’s “The Joy Luck Club”. That first meeting was in May of 1994.
Barbara continued as facilitator of discussions for the next six years. She always did an excellent job of researching the book and the author, and insured that discussions stayed focused. All ideas were accepted as valid, especially when there was disagreement. When Barbara moved on to co-ordinate the Ex Libris program of reaching out to assistive living facilities, the members took over, obtaining books on their own and rotating discussion leadership duties.
Mary-Anne Lovato coordinates the current group of about 30 participants. They start suggesting books during the spring of each year and compile a list of candidates by June, then vote on them and identify final choices by July. They don’t necessarily read best-sellers but look for books that will generate discussion, may even be controversial.
| Date | Book | Leader |
|---|---|---|
| August 8 | A Star for Mrs. Blake by April Smith | Janice Antonowicz |
| September 12 | Foothills Voices edited by Brennan LeQuire et al. | Jane Bennett |
| October 10 | The House Behind the Cedars by Charles W. Chesnutt | Martha Cook |
| November 14 | A Wolf Called Romeo by Nick Jans | Doris Matousek |
| December 12 | What’s Bred in the Bone by Robertson Davies | Jan Bower |
| January 9 | Educated by Tara Westover | Bonnie Holmes |
| February 13 | Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng | Jane McManus |
| March 13 | Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith | Shella Fuhrman |
| April 10 | A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World from Prehistory to Today by William J. Bernstein | Pam Ragon |
| May 8 | A Death in the Family by James Agee | Barbara Hudson |
| June 12 | Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston | Kim Stubbs |
| July 10 | The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood | Dolores Philpot |
| August 14 | Our 50-State Border Crisis: How the Mexican Border Fuels the Drug Epidemic Across America by Howard G. Buffett | Doris Matousek |
