The MRC Book Club is beginning its’ 11th year and in September 2009, we will read our 84th book.
The Book Club started in June 1999 with about 8 friends through church, whose sole criteria for membership in a book club was their love of a good book. Our first book was “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” by Rebecca Wells. It had been suggested to us that it might be fun to read a book about women’s friendships since that was what brought us together in the first place.
Over the years our group has welcomed new members, friends of members, and sometimes relatives of members. We have lost some members to work schedules, moving from the area or just finding a new interest. But the core group is still intact and the mission continues to be to read and discuss a new book every month from September through May.
The Book Club reads mostly popular fiction but we also try to include some non-fiction, the classics, and mystery. This year we’d like to tackle some short stories and/or a biography. Some of our favorite books have included, “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert, “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortensen, anything by Wally Lamb and “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini. Although not every book is a winner, it has been fun to talk about why we disliked a book so much. Discussions are always lively and we still enjoy a great friendship.
After reading “Three Cups of Tea”, the Book Club decided to become more active in collecting food for our local food bank. In September 2009, we sponsored a lunch after church to raise money for Greg Mortensen’s Central Asia Institute. We were able to donate $2,000.00 to help build schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Let’s hear it for the inspiration of a good book! If you have any questions or want to find out more about the MRC Book Club, please contact the Church Office.