MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -- Readers gathered for the monthly book club meeting Dec. 10, 2014 at the base library to discuss this month’s book. The book club is free to those with library access and typically meets on the second Wednesday of every month.
The books selected by the book club are available through the base library and are available for purchase online or on electronic devices.
The readers each said they enjoyed the book club because it gave them the chance to discuss books they may not have read otherwise. One of the members, Kristen Lindell, a physician at Tripler Army Medical Center, said because the books that are chosen are ones someone might not typically read, it exposes you to different genres and authors.
“(Most of the time), it may surprise you and make you say, ‘I really liked that book, but I would have never chosen it if I didn’t have to read it for the book club,’” Lindell said. “You don’t even have to read the whole book, there’s no pressure. However, if you really get into the book, you like it and you want to talk about it or you’re excited about it, (the book club) is a good outlet for that. Even if you didn’t read it, you can come and listen in.”
Aimee Hardy, a book club member, said it’s a good community to discuss books and what each member likes about them.
“It holds me accountable to make sure I’m reading and (discussing it) helps me make sense of what I’ve read,” Hardy said. “There’s good socialization, not just reading the book itself, but to talk with people in the community that you normally wouldn’t see. It’s a nice diverse group, I think, even though we’re a smaller bunch. It’s a very relaxed and welcoming, and it’s nice to just be able to chat. I’ve even turned up having not read some of the books and it’s still nice to hear the feedback.”
Crystal Brookover, a club member and information and referral specialist with Marine Corps Community Services’ Marine and Family Programs, said being a part of the book club encourages her to read more.
“I was always a reader as a kid,” Brookover said. “I was always that bookworm who could just escape in a book but now that I’m in my daily grind with work and everything, I don’t. It’s something I really enjoy and it kind of goes by the wayside. Now that I have a goal and a reason to read, it pushes me to focus and get that back in my routine.”
Brookover said attending the meetings provides members with insightful, mature conversation. She added that it also brings forth new ideas one might never have thought before.
“The book club is for people who love books,” Brookover said. “You can always enjoy a book by yourself, sure, but most of the time, you can’t go into work and be like, ‘Oh man, I just read this book!’ because not everybody is dialed in or interested. It’s nice to be able to (talk) and (share thoughts) with people who also enjoy reading. It’s exciting and I always come away thinking ‘I want to look that up’ or ‘I want to check that book out,’ outside of the books we’ve selected. It opens up a lot of new, exciting things.”
Each of the members said they enjoy reading because it’s a way to explore parts of the world, people and situations.
“I like reading because it gets you out of your everyday world,” Hardy said. “You get so wrapped up in the things you have to do and it’s nice to just stop and be transported somewhere else or look at things in a way you never would have.”
Brookover said she’s hoping more people attend the following meetings because it’s always nice to see new faces.
“We have a nice, intimate group, but it would always be nice to have a few more people,” Brookover said. “We’re a relaxed group so we welcome whoever – it’s nice to have diversity and hear different points of view.”
The next book club meeting will take place on Jan. 14 at the base library and the group will be discussing “A Tale for the Time Being” by Ruth Ozeki. For more information regarding the book club, contact Meri Healey, the supervisory librarian, at 257-1314.