Linda Davis loves books - but simply reading them isn't enough.
Davis, a retired school teacher at Penn-Lincoln Elementary School, serves as moderator of Teatime Tales, a book club that meets once a month at Barnes & Noble bookstore in Altoona to discuss what they liked, disliked, loved or loathed about a particular book.
"One thing a book club does is get you to read books you wouldn't ordinarily read on your own," Davis of Altoona said. "I enjoy hearing about how everyone feels about a book. We're such a diverse group, and that creates many different perspectives."
Turnout for the Teatime sessions typically ranges between 10 and 12 people, and includes retired teachers, a retired nun, homemakers and people who just love to read and talk about books, she said. And that includes books of all genres.
"Sometimes, we just tell everyone to go to the store and pick a book of interest," Davis said.
For bookworms with a penchant for socializing, book clubs are the perfect excuse to dig into a popular novel, a tantalizing tell-all memoir or a fact-based historical tome and critique its content with like-minded people.
Some folks join simply to cultivate friendships.
"I like to read but I'm here for the socialization - to meet people," said Jan Orr, a retired Altoona Area High School teacher. "When you teach school for 30 years, it's difficult to actually get out and really meet people. With this group, you feel a closeness. I honestly feel that if I had a problem, I could call one of these gals and they'd give me a hand. I really do."
Crystal Crissman of Hollidaysburg has a passion for mystery novels. That's why she decided to convene a group called Mystery and Mayhem, which meets once a month at the Hollidaysburg Area Public Library.
''It's a lot easier to run a successful book club when you like what you read," said Crissman, adult circulation manager at the library. "You need to know what you like to read."
The club, typically comprised of between eight to 15 members, ranges in age from 40 to 75, she said.
As moderator of the group, it's Crissman's job to facilitate discussion. That means re-igniting a stagnant conversation, or re-directing one that's gone too far off topic.
''There's no official protocol, in terms of how we discuss books,'' she said. ''A lot of book clubs do question-and-answer sessions. We just discuss the book - what people like or didn't like about it.''
And that doesn't exclude books that might polarize members.
''Personally, I try to pick titles that generate a little controversy,'' she said. ''That's what gives you something to talk about. It makes a very boring book club when everybody likes the book.''
Crissman cited "Plain Truth" by Jodi Picoult, "The Shack" by William Young and "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury as prime books to incite good book club drama.
"I've been reading books since I was a little girl - things like "Nancy Drew," "The Hardy Boys" and "The Bobsy Twins. Then in my teens I got started with Agatha Christie," said Donna Riggen, Mystery member and part-time clerk at the library. "I thought joining this club would be a good opportunity to read other authors I'd never heard of."
She also enjoys the fellowship that comes from discussing books - even when there's a difference of opinion.
"Sometimes it's just as fun to talk about a book you didn't like," she said. "But I can't say our book discussions have ever gotten heated. We always maintain civility and politeness."
But if things would take a turn for the worse, it's the moderator's duty to step in and defuse any potentially volatile discussion - and get it back on its proper course.
"We've had different political viewpoints in our club, but we've never had things get out of hand or become confrontational," said Janet Eldred, who moderates the Best of Times book club, which culls its titles solely from the New York Times Best-Sellers list. "But if it did, it would just be a matter of bringing the conversation back to the book. It's the moderator's responsibility to change the subject."
Sonia Keiper, assistant director at the Altoona Area Public Library serves as what she prefers to call "host" of the library's Book Discussion Group. She deems the designation of "moderator" a bit too authoritative for what she does.
"I'm just there to see that no one monopolizes the conversation and that everyone has a chance to offer their opinion," said Sonia Keiper, assistant director at the Altoona Area Public Library and host of its Book Discussion Group.
Keiper cited diversity as an integral part of any book club's success.
"We have a couple of housewives, college students, retired teachers - men and women - and working women, but we definitely would like to see more men coming out," she said. "We try to offer a wide variety of books to suit different tastes. We welcome you to give us a try."
Mirror Staff Writer Jimmy Mincin is at 946-7460.
