Looking for a new book to read or just want to discuss books with a good group of people? The Falcon Book Club is the place.Karen Wood, who is currently leading the book club, said she wasnít sure when the book club started. However, Kathy Hare, ìThe New Falcon Heraldísî former book reviewer, said the earliest reference to the club she remembered was in 2006, when Rosemary Martin recommended ìKite Runnerî to the group. Hare was attending the book club meetings back then.Wood said after meeting on Zoom during the pandemic last year, they are now meeting monthly at Meridian Ranch Recreation Center.The Falcon Book Club reads a variety of genres, Wood said. ìPeople give me suggestions and then I type them all up, and every couple months weíll take a vote on them,î she said. ìWhatever the top four books get the most votes, those are the books weíll read the next few months.îThe genres they read can range from mystery and suspense to memoirs and historical fiction.Recent favorites have included ìThe Day the World Came to Townî by Jim DeFede and ìDriving Miss Normaî by Tim Bauerschmidt and Ramie Liddle.When the book club meets, every opinion is welcome and they talk openly about what they liked and didnít like about that monthís book.ìBooks just create a lot of conversation among a group of strangers who like to read,î Wood said.Wood invites anyone to come to the meeting and just sit in on the conversation. Visitors donít have to read the book ó they can try out the group and see if it fits them.Sometimes the group highlights local authors, and the author has often been a guest at the meeting and answered questions about his or her own writing and publishing processes.ìMany people say that a book club forces you to read a variety of books,î Wood said. ìBecause if not, a lot of people will get stuck in one genre. In our book club, we read a great variety of books, and I just think itís important that we respect everybodyís options and choices or opinions on different books.îThe Falcon Book Club meets the fourth Tuesday of each month. For more information on the book club, email Karen Wood at krwoodco@msn.com.
