Of all the clubs we join, there may be no group commitment of time like that of a book club. Whether it’s a romance genre session, science-based nonfiction or something in between, book club members share a passion for discussing the written word. Given Wesley‘s culture of conversation and academic achievement, it isn’t surprising to find formal book discussions on our campuses, with more in the works.
Wesley at Tehaleh has two distinct book reading and discussion groups, “One More Page” and “The Book Club,” which cover fiction and nonfiction, respectively. Both are managed by resident Pat Theonnes.
“‘One More Page’ has about 20 members,” Pat says. “We discuss the themes, what characters you like and what about the story you didn’t like. We also have people coming in from outside the campus, sitting at the table and joining us in the discussion. ‘The Book Club’ was formed from ‘One More Page’ members who were interested in reading nonfiction. Our next read is the Girls of Atomic City, women who worked at Los Almos during WWII.”
Pat prefers books that raise interesting questions about the human condition, history and the present. Her interests are shared by members of both Tehaleh book clubs, books with meaty subjects that inform and make for great conversations during book club and, often, for days to follow.
“The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, about immigrants in the U.S. who have a store and how they’ve adapted to changing culture, is one example,” she says. “The discussions are very lively because these books may draw from the past but are easily relatable to the present situation. Wesley residents have so many different backgrounds and points of view. I have found the people who come to Wesley have life experiences that make for fascinating perspectives.”
Making each book selection can be challenging, given that 20 people make suggestions monthly. “One More Page” picks their selection from a hat. “The Book Club” often prints out research from the Internet about a potential book’s subject. There are also former professors who add a scholarly opinion to selections.
Pat says she has made many new friends from the book clubs. She praises both clubs for getting people involved and adding another activity outside of their apartments.
“‘The Book Club’ meets every week,” she says. “‘One More Page’ meets every other week. We would like to involve more people from Catered Living in each group.”
Though they haven’t started a book club yet, “We have a very well-read community,” says Wesley Lea Hill resident Barbie Whorton. “Informal book discussions are happening all the time here. I’ll overhear a neighbor saying, ‘I read an excellent book last week,’ and then they’ll discuss what they read for a long time. I have these conversations all the time. They’re nice because they don’t have the homework aspect of a book club. I think every serious reader wants to share what they have been reading.”
Barbie would know. A retired librarian, she managed the corporate library at Boeing’s Renton location. It was one library among dozens at Boeing centers around the country. Barbie manages the Andrews Library at Lea Hill, one of several resources for residents to borrow books. She credits the resident bibliophiles with keeping the titles current in the library. She notes there’s a significant demand for large print books. The King County Library also visits regularly, providing residents with a request format for acquiring titles. She thinks both libraries mesh well, calling the Lea Hill library more of a browsing library.
Barbie’s current mission is to establish one or more community book clubs.
“We haven’t established our start date,” she says. “We will initially meet with anyone interested in a book club, and let our members decide what direction we take.”
The budding book club will be another way for Lea Hill residents engage with fellow residents.
Barbie and Pat, along with Leslie Winchell, who manages the book club at Wesley Bradley Park, each understand the power behind the written page. They also admire how Wesley residents share their personal stories and educated insights across a spectrum of Wesley activities. Wesley book clubs offer an excellent forum to socialize, learn, and share a love of reading with others. Best of all, they are open to all members of the community.