It is the month of June, The month of leaves and roses, When pleasant sights salute the eyes, And pleasant scents the noses.” —Nathan Parker Wills

Book Groups Rule!
LIVE Author Chats with book groups!
Chapter 2 book group expo Afterword

The great adventure called Chapter 2, book group expo is over and it was fantastic! But, I guess, all good things must come to an end.

Khaled Hosseini (A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Kite Runner) kicked off the expo on Friday night. Anna Quindlen (Rise and Shine, Blessings, Black and Blue, Object Lessons, One True Thing) graced the expo on Sunday morning.

Over 1,000 book group members and 24 Literary Salons with 3 or 4 authors in each one – one big LIVE Author Chat. I had the pleasure of moderating the Kicking Butt: Against All Odds in a Man’s World salon. Donne Woolfolk Cross (Pope Joan), Anita Amirrezvani (Blood of Flowers), Janis Cooke Newman (Mary), and Samina Ali (Madras on Rainy Days) discussed women’s issues in their novels and in the world today. It was interesting that all four novels are set in different time periods and different countries but all have the same issues that we still have today. You go, girls!

Lalita Tademy (Red River, CaneRiver) and Michelle Richmond (The Year of Fog) discussed brief passages of their books with book group members in the Instant Book Group salon. Lauren Zina John (Librarian Extraordinaire) led the salon and I added some  advice and recommendations for book group members.

I learned a great deal and met so many authors, reading group members, and reading group aficionados! Kira Stevens (Good Books Lately) and Diane Lovely (The Book Club Companion) were there to moderate salons and discuss successful ways and ideas to run a book club.

The founders of this great event have discussed the idea of a traveling book group expo. I believe that would be an excellent idea. Then, the reading groups from all over the nation would experience the same incredible party. I will let you know more, if it is to be.

Raise the flag on July 4th! We live in a country when we have the opportunity to read whatever we desire!

What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this issue.

And thank-you for keeping the joy of reading alive,

Barbara
bmead@readinggroupchoices.com