The Nontron Book Club was started by American Leigh Cowden in May of 2016, as a non-associated, non-profit, free-to-join, unofficial (aka: not encumbered by the red tape that is wrapped widely around these parts) book club that meets once a month on the (usually)2nd Sunday in members' homes at 17h00 to talk about books, munch on goodies brought by the members to share (either homemade or store-bought), and drink delicious wine, tea, coffee, and other fine things. The host/hostess provides drinks, plates, and cutlery. We usually gather around a dining table somewhere, inside when the climate requires, but outside as often as possible.
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| January 2019 |
Our group is open to people from all over the world, and we read in all genres, mostly fiction but occasionally non-fiction as well. Books are suggested on a rota basis by members and we try to have at least 3 books in the pipeline. Members who don't finish the book by the time the meeting arrives are encouraged to attend anyway! Visiting friends and family are welcome to attend too.
The atmosphere is meant to be relaxing, convivial, and thought-provoking. You might not like every book you read in this club, but you will learn to appreciate it on some level after discussing it with other book lovers. There is no pressure on anyone to be "literary minded" or overly serious about their reading choices. This is a club for bookworms, people who want to make time for more reading in their lives, and for readers who would like to branch out into less-familiar genres.
We read books that are available in English and French, but our discussion questions are in English, and the conversation is mostly conducted in English. We don't stick to a script; the conversation is free to wander anywhere (and it will!) English translations of books written in other languages are perfectly acceptable.
It doesn't matter if your English isn't perfect; everyone is welcome, even those who are just learning to speak the language. Non-Anglophone members are welcome to read in their native languages, but members of other clubs report that their English improved greatly by reading in English, so if improving your mastery of the language is your goal, I encourage you to try the English version first!
