The Women's National Book Association (WNBA) is collaborating with readers, publishers, trade organizations, bookstores and libraries during October for its second annual National Reading Group Month to promote reading groups and to celebrate the joy of shared reading.
"Reading groups are to the literary world what slow food is to our fast food nation," said WNBA national president Joan Gelfand "They encourage people to slow down and think deeply about themes, characters, and plot. They encourage discourse in a culture where most communication is by text message."
The National Reading Group Month signature event, sponsored by the WNBA-Seattle Chapter, will be held at University Book Store on October 20 and spotlight authors Nancy Pearl, Diane Hammond and Nancy Horan, along with Mary Ann Gwinn (Seattle Times book editor), Cheryl McKeon (Third Place Books), and Rebecca Willow (Parkplace Books). For more information, contact Henriette Anne Klauser, henriette@henrietteklauser.com or Anna Johnson, anna@picturebookoriginals.com.
Other events of note:
October 25: WNBA-Boston at Hotel 140 with event co-sponsor Village Books, Roslindale, Mass., will include a readers’ round-robin with Joan Anderson, Ann Harleman, Judy Gelman & Vicki Levy Krupp, Jennifer Haigh, Judith Nies, Deborah Noyes and Gina Ogden. Contact Laurie Beckelman, lbeckelman@aol.com, or Katherine Dibble, kdibble@att.net.
October 25: WNBA-Los Angeles at Book Soup bookstore with David Fuller, Yxta Maya Murray and Lisa See. Contact: Kelly Sullivan-Walden, kellygq@mac.com, or Ruth Light, ruthabc@ca.rr.com.
Oct. 27: WNBA-New York City at the New York Center for Independent Publishing, featuring Judy Gelman & Vicki Levy Krupp, Anisha Lakhani, Alice Mattison, Dalia Sofer, Elizabeth Strout and Anya Ulinich. Contact Valerie Tomaselli, VTomaselli@mtmpublishing.com or nrgm@wnba-nyc.org
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Reading Group Choices has just published Reading Group Choices 2009: Selections for Lively Book Discussions: Selections for Lively Book Discussions,
the 15th anniversary edition of the book group and recommended reading
guide. This year's version includes more than 75 new titles from such
authors as Leif Enger, Barbara Kingsolver, Sue Miller, Richard Russo
and Ann Patchett as well as some first-time authors.
Some 16,000
libraries and bookstores receive copies of the guide. Other recipients
are all Women's National Book Association chapters celebrating National
Reading Group Month, participants of the annual Book Group Expo and
many attendees of state and local book festivals. Thousands of reading
group leaders and members purchase the guide every year to enhance
their book discussions.
To order a copy of Reading Group Choices 2009, go to readinggroupchoices.com or call 866-643-6883.