Book Clubs Respond: Continued

5. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

6. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.

7. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

8. Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

Least favorites

1. The English Patient

2. Beloved (I loved it but everyone else HATED it)

3. I Know This Much is True

4. A Map of the World

5. The Time Traveler's Wife We now run from Oprah books and will have nothing to do with them. In the summer we lighten up a little and read more lighthearted things. This summer we're scheduled for 2 Nicholas Sparks books, making me wonder how he'd feel knowing we describe his work as "fluff".

One more thing that is a strong tradition is our Christmas cookie swap/book exchange. That one is held at someone's home, the fire is going, we eat great food and bring a book we've read and loved, for someone else to read and love.

Thanks for your time,

Paula Keller, Cathy Hammerstrom, Linda Cutillo, Meghan Heaton, Sherri Koch, Kim Shaver

_______________________

Our book club hails from Olney, Maryland and we've been meeting for close to five years. Ours is a neighborhood club. We took an informal vote and identified as the book that sparked our group's best discussion The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. This was one of our first "serious" books and almost everyone liked it a lot. However, it had a lot of competition for top spot including from I am Charlotte Simmons (although some of our members really didn't like this book) and My Sister's Keeper, which incited a hearty ethical discussion.

Thank you.

Andrea Glaser

_____________________

Hi, I sent your editorial to our book club and asked them which book had sparked our best discussion EVER? By popular vote, our members chose: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. Our book club has been meeting since 1999 and our first book was "The Reader" - we are the "Norbeck Grove Book Club"

in Olney, Maryland, and we have grown to almost 18 members (all ladies from the same neighborhood) - we look forward to our monthly book club discussions, the laughter, the friendships, the memories, and even the occasional field trips. Thanks for your great articles from: Linda-Jo Block, Norbeck Grove Book Club Member, Olney, Maryland