History
This book group has been going since 1968! Seattle is said to have more book clubs per capita than any other city in the country, and this is probably one of its earliest. Some original or early members are still active.
Founding member Judy Brown got some friends in Seattle, Washington, to study the “Great Books in the Schools” discussion method. They were preparing to volunteer at a local school. They had so much fun using the method with 5th and 6th graders, they decided to start an adult book discussion group using the same approach.
What We Have Read
Thanks to Kathy Allen and Lois Loontjens for assembling these reading lists.
Oral History
Members remember and retell stories of when the discussion got out of hand — WAY out of hand. When excited, sometimes they all talk at once.
Once the group split over the principle of discussing only the book, not what it means to society or us as individuals. As a result, a number of members left to start a new book club.
Once in the middle of a month, the group decided to read a different book than had been scheduled. There was some good reason. Two people who had already bought and read the original book were quite disgusted and refused to read a different book.
By tradition, if you haven't finished the book, you are not supposed to participate in the discussion. Book club night came and the two refused to sit silently at the discussion of the substitute book. They sat in the kitchen and discussed the book they read. This episode is known as the rump parliament.
We could tell you more tales, but you can spend your time better by reading a novel.
