89R MAIN STREET, ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS

Andover Bookstore Book Groups

These are some of our morning Book Group members, Summer 2003.

Two of our book groups have been meeting around the fireplace for 10 years now. Both began with five or ten members and were open to everyone. Now they are thriving, and meetings are attended by enough people that we have a long waiting list for joining our Wednesday evening or Wednesday morning groups.

Each group meets once a month. We all make suggestions of books we’d like to discuss, and we vote to choose our reading list in a raucous and exciting meeting once a year. Karen Harris from the bookstore coordinates two of the groups. Susan Lenoe also attends the morning group. We try to keep the discussions focused on the book and are usually successful (this is not an easy task). Members take turns leading the discussions and gathering author information and reviews.

Evening Book Group, Summer 2005.

In December, when many of us are busy with the holidays, we each find something to read as a “gift” to the group. Sometimes members read their own writings. Often we share a treasured passage. This has become one of our favorite gatherings — and during the year we are “on the lookout” as we read to find something that will be just right to share. This meeting sometimes leads to one of our choices for the next year.

Gathering for book discussions draws us together in a very powerful way. We learn to interpret books not only from our own perspective but through the richer and deeper experience of shared reading. Over the years we’ve developed a group history of reading the same titles — somewhat like a family feeling of knowing the same characters and stories.

Andover Bookstore Morning Book Club Reading List 2007–2008

Andover Bookstore Evening Book Club Reading List 2006–2007