Breakfast Book Club meets in Reynoldsville by Peggy Zortman

A group of women huddle together in a small room trying to maintain the mandatory six-foot distance. You see arms swinging, hands gesturing and voices raised…in laughter.

These ladies are members of the Breakfast Book Club. They are meeting in the Reynoldsville Public Library and they are probably deep into a discussion of the latest book they all have read.

In July 2003 Sharon Bobal, now retired, was the Reynoldsville Library Director when current Library Director, Karl Rebon suggested she start a book club. They called together some of the avid readers who frequented the library and the group met at Fat Man’s Restaurant (the Broken Roads location now) hence the name Breakfast Book Club.

EAST OF EDEN by John Steinbeck was the first book they reviewed. Sharon, who is the only member to have been with the club all of its 17 years, said it took the new group two months to cover that book. Book number 200 – reviewed in July, 2020 – was THREE WISHES by Liane Moriarty. The dedicated readers have started the next 200 books by reviewing DEAD LETTERS-Delivering Unopened Mail from a Pennsylvania Ghost Town by Brookville Author, Jessica Weible.

Looking over the list of the 200 books they have reviewed you will see nearly every genre…romance, suspense, biography, nature, animals, history, mystery, books for young adults and nearly every other subject you can think of. All agreed that the most controversial book was the DA VINCI CODE by Dan Brown.

What happens at a book club meeting? First the meet and greet and eat (Snacks are provided by whomever chose the book being reviewed.) Then it’s down to business. The person who chose the book becomes the leader and gets the conversations started. Each lady takes her turn explaining to the others her view of the book. Discussions ensue…some like the book, some don’t.

What impressed me as new member was that each person was encouraged to say exactly what she felt and why. In that way the books are examined from all angles in a completely unbiased way.

Finally a new book is chosen and the group adjourns until the next month.

Current members of the Breakfast Book Club include, in alphabetical order; Sharon Bobal, Gayle Bowser, Marilyn Buhite, Karen Korb, Ellen Marshall, Karen Mowrey, Pat Panighetti, Kim Roman and Peggy Zortman.

Because of the current COVID-19 pandemic the Breakfast Book Club membership is limited. If you are interested in joining we invite you to call the library – or perhaps you could start your own book club. Call your bookish friends together and see what happens.