Book Club

THE MEMBERS OF the Pumphrey-based Ebony Eyes Book Club are always searching for a good book. But The School on 103rd Street - and its California-based author - found them. Writer Roland S. Jefferson e-mailed the club's spokeswoman this year and asked for a copy of the club newsletter. "He said that he was an aspiring author who likes to read book club newsletters," said Lisa Hammack, the spokeswoman. "So I sent him a newsletter and he sent me the book." And now that book has been named the club's Book of the Year.

An interview with Carol Stretmater, member of the Highland Book Club. What book are members reading this month? They're reading The Best American Short Stories 2001 edited by Barbara Kingsolver. How did you come to choose that? A different member picks a book each month. The person who has the meeting tells you what to read the next month, and then they lead the discussion that month. Does your group read any nonfiction? Ah yes, we just read Seabiscuit. ... They all liked it. It's well written, and it's written so that it's really easy to read.

The Glenwood library, 2350 Route 97, Cooksville, will hold a meeting of its Contemporary Fiction Book Club at 7 p.m. Aug. 5. The reading is The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney. Registration, which is required, will begin Monday. "Beach Bash," a program of stories and songs about summer and the beach for children ages 3 and older, will be offered at 7 p.m. Aug. 13 and 10 a.m. Aug. 14. Registration will begin Aug. 6. "Spooky Tales," a program of stories and songs around the campfire for families, will begin at 7 p.m. Aug. 19. Young children must be accompanied by an adult.

An interview with Ruth Bland, president of the Twelve in Twelve Book Club. What book are members reading this month? This month, we're reading "The Millionaire Next Door," by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko. This is subtitled "The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy," and that gives you some idea of what it's about. [It's] nonfiction. We read primarily fiction, but we also read biographies, nonfiction, self-improvement. Which books have members liked? It's interesting that [members did like]

The Savage branch library, 9525 Durness Lane, is offering an After School Book Club, for ages 11 and older, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday. The group will discuss Before We Were Free, by Julia Alvarez. The library's Third Wednesdays Book Club will discuss The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression, by Andrew Solomon, at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Books are available at the branch. Information: 410-880-5980. A Checkers Club for ages 11 and older will be offered at the library from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. March 22, and April 5 and 19. No experience is necessary.

An interview with Lorri Roth, 28-year member of Columbia Book Club. How long has your club been around? Well, Columbia began in '67. ... I would say soon after that - perhaps, by 1970. Having been around so long, what do you think of the latest boom in book clubs? Oh, I think it's wonderful. I think it's indicative of the intelligence of the community and also the desire to meet with other people and get their opinions. Stimulating, I think. What book are members reading this month? "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver.

An interview with Maurice LaJune Crouse of The Book Club, a reading group that has been in existence for more than 20 years. How did your group get started? Originally, a group of friends got together because of a love of books, and they were frustrated at the time: There were no book discussion groups, that they knew of, in Columbia. They would get together and discuss books on their own and finally they decided to form a club. The membership has always been eight so that people can talk and everyone can get their opinions in. What book are members reading this month?

An interview with Suzanne Bourg, founding member of Read 'Em and Eat book club. How did your group get started? I believe it was in 1984. A few of us were interested in reading books, and I think there were five or six of us. We didn't really have any place to meet, so we started to have dinner at each other's houses. And then we got tired of cooking and bringing food, so we started meeting at restaurants. How many members do you have now? We have approximately 10 people right now. Usually we can only get eight books from the library, but sometimes someone is out of town or something, so, so far we seem to have had enough [books]

An interview with Virginia Pausch, 10-year member of Word Weavers book club. What are the demographics of your group? I think seven out of the 12 are former teachers or media persons or librarians. Everyone's retired. Two of our members are docents at the Baltimore Museum of Art, and one is at Walters [Art Gallery]. It's all women. What book are members reading this month? This month, we're reading a fairly new book, Stolen Lives: 20 Years in a Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir and Michele Fitoussi.

MEMBERS OF the Pumphrey-based Ebony Eyes Book Club are making their mark on the Baltimore area's literary scene. In addition to playing host for appearances by authors at their meetings and at local bookstores, they have been asked to serve as the focus group for author Van Whitfield's new book.Members will also be volunteering at the Baltimore Book Fair in September.The club was organized six months ago by Pumphrey sisters Lisa HammAck and Pamela Jones for women to explore the works of African-American writers.