—Home
—Visitors
—Worship
—Religious Ed
—Sermon Archives
—Adult Study
—UU Denomination
—Famous UUs
—Contact Us
—Calendar
—Our History

BOOKCLUB: UU READERS AND THINKERS

Bookclub intro and spring schedule

The All Souls book club started several years ago by members of the Unitarian Universalist church who loved reading, discussing and sharing observations about good books. While the church is still our base, the book club is open to anyone interested in good books.

The club currently meets on the 4th Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. to share and discuss observations, insights and opinions about a book we read that month. Meetings are informal usually held in a member's home and last about one to two hours. Some meetings are also held at Dow Rummel Retirement Village and open to their residents. Following discussion of a few organizational issues and sharing a few treats, we are usually on our way home around 9:00 pm.

Leadership of each discussion is done by different members of the club who volunteer for a particular book -- often because of their knowledge or interest in this particular book or its author. Leaders are decided earlier in the year and thus have opportunity to determine the methods and format they wish to use in the discussion time.

Book selection is made several months in advance by the members during a special meeting in which members talk about a book they recommend we read. Usually there are more books recommended than we can read within a given time, so members vote for those books they wish to read. Once the particular books are selected we establish the order in which we will read them, the location for each meeting, and the discussion leader for each book. Often, the person who recommended the book will be the discussion leader for that particular book.

Past books selected over the years vary greatly in topic and content. They range from fictional best sellers to theological/philosophical readings. A value of this club, with its eclectic choices, is to broaden our minds by reading a wide variety of books, often ones that we might not select on our own but which broaden our horizons and increase the range and depth of our thinking.

We recognize that book purchases can be expensive and we try to minimize cost by utilizing a variety of resources and try to avoid members having to purchase expensive books they can't afford or don't want. We occasionally use the Siouxland Libraries "books to go" program that provides 12 copies of selected books for several weeks' use. We may wait to read/discuss a particular book until it is available in paperback or soft-cover editions. Some books may be purchased online at much lower prices or are available via electronic format (i.e. Kindle, Sony, or other electronic readers). Often members share a book between them. Frequently books may also be available in a used bookstore.

While there is no obligation to attend every meeting we encourage members to come often and offer their thoughts on the book under discussion as we can all benefit from each other's insights.

Questions or comments or inquiries about All Souls book club can be asked of any club member or directed to Tom Houle who currently coordinates club activities. Tom can be reached at 338-7578 or e-mail him at tghoule8@msn.com.

 

2010 SPRING SCHEDULE

March

Travel with us to the village of Gaborone, Botswana in Africa on March 22nd for the The # 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. Some of the books from this very popular series have been made into sound recordings and a TV series by the BBC and shown by HBO in this country. The stories of Precious Ramottswe and her friends have captured the imagination of readers around the world. Our focus will be on the first book in the series.

April

Were heading north to Stockholm and surrounding towns in Sweden on April 26th to discuss The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson a popular Swedish mystery writer. This book, with numerous plot lines is the first of a trilogy about a journalist and the very unusual young woman who assists him. It has also been made into a movie in Sweden. The series is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world..

May

ln May we go to Afghanistan for Greg Mortenson's book Three Cups of Tea. This book has been acclaimed by readers and critics alike for its portrayal of life in rural Afghanistan and the work this man has done to establish schools in numerous villages. Mortenson spoke at Augustana about a year ago and has been the subject of numerous media and governmental interviews. This is a 'books to go' (books in a bag) from the Siouxland libraries and our discussion is May 24th.

  

---

All Souls Church — PO Box 400 — Sioux Falls, SD 57101
605-338-8652 — www.sfuu.org