Book clubs offer new reads for the new year

“People can come into the library to gather and see each other, but we’ll also have a Zoom element for those that either don’t feel comfortable or who have retired and moved away from Pacifica as a chance for them to stay involved,” said Huysentruyt.

Aaron Schlieve described a similar setup for the book club that he hosts at his bookstore, Florey's Book Co. in Pacifica. “Some folks are now meeting back in person here at the store, and we still also have Zoom available,” he said. “One group member moved to Southern California, but she still likes our store and our group, so she’s staying connected that way.”

The book club at Florey’s has an omnivorous taste. Its reading list for 2023 includes heavy literary hitters such as “The Remains of the Day” by Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro along with “Thirst,” a memoir by the record-setting hiker Heather Anish Anderson, and the dark thriller “The Reunion,” written by French author Guillaume Musso and translated by Frank Wynne.

“They have chosen all sorts of different books over the couple of years that they’ve been meeting,” said Schlieve. “They even did one graphic novel.”

The Sanchez Book Club chose classics “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury and “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë for 2023. Another novel on the list is “The Madness of Crowds,” a satisfying whodunit by Louise Penny. The group’s nonfiction picks include “Braiding Sweetgrass,” a bestselling collection of essays written by botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Stephanie Saba, branch manager of the Pacifica libraries, leads the Walk and Talk Book Club. She said her group will be discussing a lot of novels on their monthly walks between the Sanchez Library and San Pedro Valley Park. Two titles that made the cut are “Clark and Division,” a murder mystery by Naomi Hirahara set in 1944 Chicago and “Harlem Shuffle” by Colson Whitehead, which tells the story of a family living in New York City in the early 1960s. A memoir and a biography are also in the mix. “Crying in H Mart” is Michelle Zauner’s exploration of her Korean heritage, and “A Woman of No Importance” by Sonia Purnell tells the true story of Virginia Hall, an American woman whose espionage helped win World War II.

Discussions at book club meetings tend to be free-flowing. “We generally start just by asking, ‘How did everyone like the book?’” said Saba.

Schlieve said his group usually appoints a discussion leader to spur the conversation along. “Sometimes either the person has already read the book previously or they are familiar with the author’s other works,” said Schlieve.

Huysentruyt said the person who initially suggested the book is asked to act as moderator. “I recommended the book for February and so I’ll be on the hot seat,” she said.

“The group is very good about making sure that everybody has a chance to speak and add their thoughts about the book,” she added. “The conversation usually flows pretty naturally.”

In addition to introducing members to plots and protagonists, book clubs offer meaningful social connections.

“It can be hard to make friends as an adult,” said Saba. “I think book clubs are a really wonderful way to meet new people. You can hear about other people’s opinions about books and about their life experiences.” 

Schlieve said belonging to a book club helps readers stay well versed in different genres and authors. “I think it helps people appreciate books and maybe find books that they might not have chosen on their own,” he said. “People are introduced to authors or topics that may be outside their comfort zone.”