Boudreau Bookies

This summer we began a series of posts on book clubs meeting in and around Cambridge.  But what about those that meet  right at the branches of our amazing Cambridge Public Library system?  There are over ten of them and eventually we hope to cover them all.  We begin with Boudreau's Second Wednesday group.

It began back on the second Wednesday of October in 1995 with Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Dorris, and it's been going strong ever since.  They don't have a catchy name or a theme to their book choices, but Linda Haines, Branch Manager and leader of the group, says that she can usually count on the group for a good discussion.

Jane surprised herself by
enjoying reading and discussion
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand.
It was a book she never would
have chosen for herself.

Books are chosen informally by the group, and Linda makes it a point to have titles in mind if no one in the group can come up with a suggestion.  She usually gets her ideas from co-workers or "best of" lists. (She could even start checking out this blog for our reader's TopTen lists!)  Jane, who has been a member for about four years, appreciates the wide range of choices.  She says, "It gets me reading books I'd never pick on my own."

Linda recalls Stones from the River, one of the groups recent selections, and Tearing the Silence:On Being German in America, both by Ursula Hegi, as having led to particularly lively meetings.  The group's  next book is The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. 

The group usually includes ten to twelve women and Bobby, the lone male member, who came with Jane a while back and has never left.  In fact, the group has been so popular that Linda has put a cap on membership and started an "overflow group" on Tuesdays.  If you're looking for a good book club, the Tuesday group would love to have you!

You can find all of the books listed above at our Cambridge Public Libraries. To read more about the times and locations of book groups meeting at the library branches, click here .
There are always great things happening at the library! For more information on how you can get involved with the Friends and help to support our Cambridge libraries click here.