You're my new "Book Bestie" 8-)

One of the wonderful things about working in a library is that the majority of people who work there are avid readers.  This means that at any time you may find yourself animatedly discussing books with a coworker.  Library workers are encouraged to try books from different genres and sample non-fiction from a variety of topics.  That means that when you have a new favorite author or book to share, they tend to be good listeners.
One of the regular duties librarians have is picking out the book of their choice to for the library's book discussion group.  Sadly, we don't have time to read every single book that our co-workers pick out, but we try to be familiar with them because they will eventually be made into book discussion kits that are loaned out to the public.  Picking out a book for your book discussion group can be intimidating.  As with all questions about readers' advisory, the people at the desk are eager to help with this decision.

In April, our local library group discussed Wingshooters by Nina Revoyr. This is a riveting read set in northern Wisconsin during the 1970's.  Parts of this story are loving and poignant.  They make the reader recall fond childhood memories of visits with their favorite grandparent.  The author details the difficulties that the main character faces as a child of an American man and Japanese woman who has been left in a small town to live with her grandparents.  The loving relationship with her grandparents is sharply contrasted by the racism and prejudice that the young girl is dealt every day by the children and adults in Deerhorn, WI.  Racial tensions increase when a young black couple move to into town.    What follows changes the town and the loving relationship between grandparent and grandchild.

The great thing about having a variety of people pick out discussion books is that the library now owns a very diverse selection of book discussion kits.  There are kits with books on history like Founding Brothers or Assassination Vacation.  Memoirs range from A Girl Named Zippy:  growing up small in Mooreland, Indiana to Dewey:  the small-town library cat who touched the world and all manner of joyful and sad stories in between.  Fiction selections run the gamut from classics like Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice to A Thread of Grace and lighter fare like The Hindi-Bindi Club.  We've discussed our Fast Food Nation,  The Greatest Generation, and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
Why join a book discussion group?  Books can connect us with complete strangers as we're waiting for the elevator or sitting in the doctor's office.  An inviting book cover can lead to the discovery of a new "book friend" with whom you can share your guilty pleasure-books.