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Books

A Complete Joy Book Club

Our book club was established in 1995, and many names were considered over the years, but only recently did we settle on this one.

We meet once a month on a rotating basis in the homes of our members, and every August we meet at Emilio's Tapas restaurant in Hillside, where we plan our reading list for the coming year. (Owner) Emilio Gervilla has become sort of an honorary group member.

Our members were originally all from either Hinsdale or Riverside, but now some have moved to Clarendon Hills and downtown Chicago.

We loved "How to Hold a Woman" by Billy Lombardo, "The Country of the Pointed Firs" by Sarah Orne Jewett, "Once Upon a River" by Bonnie Jo Campbell, "Jim the Boy" by Tony Earley and "The Island of Lost Maps" by Miles Harvey.

We loved the writing style and general storyline in "How to Hold a Woman," and we have a special place in our hearts for the local author, who inadvertently gave us our name when he answered an email from us thanking him for attending our meeting by saying "It was a complete joy."

We didn't like "State of Wonder" by Ann Patchett; the idea of a pregnant 70-year-old is not funny.

We try to enhance our reading with supplemental activities. When we read Miles Harvey, one of our members arranged for a tour of the map collection at the Newberry Library. We also try to spend at least one month each year concentrating on poetry.

Last year, in celebration of meeting on the auspicious date of 12-12-12, we wrote our own sonnet to commemorate our traditional holiday gathering at a little log cabin in the garden of one member's home. The sonnet traveled around via email, with each member adding their own line before passing it on. A traveling sonnet, if you will.

If someone hasn't read the book, we have another glass of wine and advise that member to read the book or not depending on the evening's conversation.

Up next: "Behind the Beautiful Forevers" by Katherine Boo.

Editor's note: Entries are edited for space and content.

Copyright © 2015, Chicago Tribune
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