Once a month at the Advocate, literature lovers gather to engage in book discussions, and more….
There are snacks, sometimes with a connection to the book discussed, as when we sampled delicacies inspired by the Hotel Metropol in Moscow (A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Tole). Or more recently we indulged in cherry pie (Tom Lake by Ann Patchette) and enjoyed challah (The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride).
There are snacks, sometimes with a connection to the book discussed, as when we sampled delicacies inspired by the Hotel Metropol in Moscow (A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Tole). Or more recently we indulged in cherry pie (Tom Lake by Ann Patchette) and enjoyed challah (The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride).
A note of playful fun accompanied our discussion of “Ode to my Socks,” a poem by Pablo Neruda, when we modeled our favorite colorful socks. Last fall, when we gathered to discuss Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits, John Gillespie serenaded us on guitar with an original love song inspired by the story.
The Readers’ Roundtable gathered for the first time nearly ten years ago, outside, on the Advocate lawn, and discussed Beloved by Toni Morrison. Since then we have enjoyed many primarily fiction genres, and many and diverse authors. Just a sampling of authors we’ve read includes Zora Neale Hurston, Ursula K le Guin, Octavia Butler, C S Lewis, Louise Erdrich, Margaret Atwood, Geraldine Brooks, Yaa Gyasi, Kristin Hannah, Haven Kimmel, and many more.
The Readers’ Roundtable meets on the third Wednesday of the month, six or seven times a year. We meet from 7:00 pm until 8:30, in the parish house. During Advent and Lent we engage with the rest of the parish in spiritual or theological reading. We also do not meet in July and August when many families travel.
The next discussion will beon June 19 we will discuss Louise Erdrich’s book, The Night Watchman. Sallie Moore will facilitate the discussion.
The current Roundtable coordinators are Martha Wheeler and Julee Herbert. They are now accepting book suggestions for the fall reading list. Please include a short blurb about your proposed book. Voting will take place online later in June.