Bookfest Club brings readers together

It’s a sunny Saturday April morning outside the North Lake County Public Library. Inside the community room is abuzz with light conversation and the smells of donuts and coffee. 

Despite the name of the book they are reading, this group of women is anything but anxious, taking the time to talk about both life and the book before the official club meeting starts. 

The Bookfest Club is young – it hasn't even been around for a year – but the group interacts with such openness and rhythm that you would think they have been doing this for a lifetime. 

“I just think there is a big need in our community specifically to have reasons to get together and have great discussions,” said public service librarian Jenifer Groves on the smartly named Bookfest Club. 

This month, the book club read "Anxious People" by Fredrik Backman, a Swedish author most well known in the states for his popular novel "A Man Called Ove" (Tom Hanks recently starred in an Americanized version of the story for the screen).  

"Anxious People" follows a bank robbery gone wrong and the subsequent interviews by the police after attempting to uncover who committed the crime. The book dives deeply into themes of mental health, parenting and conflict to name a few.  

The meeting kicked off with a video from the author and then members immediately dove into conversation without much need for a prompt.

“I’d love people to be able to come and share all of their opinions and thoughts and have a forum to do that,” said Groves on the structure of the meeting. “I don’t want it to turn into school or something that they have to do.” 

In many ways this form of open communication seemed to be the club's greatest and most welcoming skill.  

Rarely was anyone talked over and in most cases, people were allowed to sit and listen or actively engage based on what they would prefer with many pulling others into the conversation if they hadn’t had an opportunity to speak. 

Within the active discussion, many laughs were shared over certain parts of the book including a few debates on whether they liked different characters or the style of Backman’s writing. 

However, the club did not shy away from the opportunity for more serious conversation. A few key moments in the book revolve around the idea of suicide. The group took this opportunity to be vulnerable and share some of their own experiences in their life with the topic and how the portrayals in the book affected them.  

Even after the official club time ended, many members stayed and talked with each other about the book or the next read. 

“Of course we love all demographics, specifically we would love to see more young adults join our book club,” said Groves when talking about what she hopes is next for the club. 

As for the next book, the club will be reading "Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt and meeting to discuss the book at 10 a.m. on May 10. 

For more information or to sign up for the club visit the North Lake County Public Library or call 406-883-8225.