BOOK CLUBS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR SOCIETY
Back in the late 60’s, James Naisbitt wrote a book, Megatrends, in which he coined the phrase High Tech, High Touch. He was predicting then what has become enormously true today that the more we become dependent on technology for our communication, the more we will hunger for real human interaction that moves beyond information exchange and superficial exchanges.
Book clubs, both formal ones and the informal discussion group, have become one of society’s attempts to feed our hunger for human interaction that goes beyond the superficial. Their advantage is that they not only bring you into face-to-face contact with others, but they also massage your mind as well. In groups that are interested in the spiritual aspects of life, this dimension can also be added.
THE VALUE OF FICTION AND NONFICTION
Both non-fiction and fiction books make valuable contributions to this endeavor. Non-fiction books can educate a group around a chosen interest. Fiction has the advantage of stimulating the imagination as well as stretching the mind. In discussing either within a group, you have the opportunity to increase your interaction with other humans. In addition to exchanging information, you interact on an emotional level and are stretched by the creative ideas of the author.
FINDING THE RIGHT BOOK
The major challenge of a book club is to choose the type of reading material that will feed your intellect and emotions as well as stimulate interactions within the group. Most people enjoy having their minds stretched and hearing how others respond to a topic, but the book must introduce the subject in a way that a variety of people can quickly grasp. You want people to be eager to return to the book after hearing other people’s perspectives.
A MYSTERY WITH A SPIRITUAL EDGE
While my novel is a mystery, it also introduces the symbiotic relationship between sexuality and spirituality. A Star and a Tear, amzn.to/1aTDdgs, tells the story of a pastor who emerges from a period of personal grief to assist the police in tracking down a serial rapist with a religious fixation. In solving the mystery, the pastor must not only use his intellect and trust his faith but also come to terms with some uncomfortable incidents in his own past. So the novel invites the reader to reflect on how we respond to grief, are affected by our past, live faith with integrity, deal with conflict and respond to the powerful forces of sex and religion in our society.
If you think such a discussion might interest your book club, I invite you to take advantage of Amazon’s Look Inside feature or their free sample download. amzn.to/1aTDdgs. I particularly think this might interest adult church groups, clergy support groups, and others who are interested in discussing what makes for a healthy attitude about sex and religion in our society.
