{"id":33896,"date":"2025-09-20T22:00:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-20T22:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/33896\/"},"modified":"2025-09-20T22:00:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-20T22:00:07","slug":"beyond-the-page-statesboro-book-club-finds-friendship-and-fun-in-literature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/33896\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the Page: Statesboro Book Club finds friendship and fun in literature"},"content":{"rendered":"

One local book club has blossomed into something far more profound than just a gathering to discuss literature. It’s a space where friendships are forged, perspectives are shared, and a monthly tradition brings joy and a sense of community to its members.<\/p>\n

On August 12, 2025, at Orchid in Statesboro, Georgia, an engaging group of women gathered to review \u2018The Great Alone\u2019 by Kristin Hannah. The afternoon was about more than discussing a novel, though. It was about continuing a tradition that started with a simple idea and has grown into something far beyond the pages of any book.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a world increasingly filled with screens and schedules, there\u2019s a quiet revolution happening once a month. Over lunch, laughter, and literature, this book club has become a place of connection, friendship, and discovery,\u201d shared member Lynn Deal Futch.<\/p>\n

The club began modestly when Marsha Deal decided it was time to stop driving at night. \u201cI thought, why not start a lunch club?\u201d she recalls. \u201cNo homes to tidy, no elaborate meals to prepare, just good books, good company, and a rotating schedule of restaurants to keep things fresh.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"statesboro-book-club-food\"
\nFood for one of the group meetings | Photo Courtesy Lynn Deal Futch\u00a0 <\/p>\n

What started with Marsha Deal, Cathy Spacher, Armenda Barnes, and Liz Underwood soon grew to include Lynn Deal Futch, Linda Hube, Autumn Redmond, and Janice Rushing.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though we didn\u2019t all know each other in the beginning,\u201d Marsha says, \u201cit just clicked.\u201d<\/p>\n

The group keeps things simple: each month, a different member chooses both the book and the restaurant, moving in alphabetical order by first name. That system has kept the meetings fresh while also nudging members to explore new genres.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve read books I would never have chosen on my own,\u201d Underwood\u00a0admits. \u201cAnd I\u2019ve discovered new authors I would never have found otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Lynn, the magic goes beyond the reading. \u201cWe all have different personalities and different things going on in our lives, but we mesh fine,” said Futch.\u00a0“The meetings are more than just book talk;\u00a0they are a space to connect, unwind, and explore new perspectives. They\u2019ve allowed us to get to know people we didn\u2019t know before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sometimes the fun takes a creative turn. When the group read The Whip\u00a0by Karen Kondazian, Armenda brought cowboy hats for everyone. During West With Giraffes, Marsha gave each member a tiny giraffe figurine. Once, they\u00a0welcomed guest author William Rawlings Jr., a resident of Sandersville, known for his Southern stories who shared insights from his novel The Rutherford Cipher.<\/p>\n

The discussion came alive as members asked questions about his experiences as a writer.<\/p>\n

\"statesboro-book-club-photo-cowboy-hat\"
\nCowboy hats for the book \u2018The Whip\u2019 at Uncle Shug’s; Pictured in front: Marsha Deal, Armenda Barnes;\u00a0Back: Lynn Deal Futch, Cathy Spacher, Liz Underwood (the original group!) | Photo Courtesy\u00a0of Lynn Deal Futch\u00a0 <\/p>\n

The group agrees that its smaller size keeps things meaningful. \u201cLarge groups make it harder to connect,\u201d says Linda Hube. \u201cHere, everyone has a chance to talk.\u201d Janice Rushing adds, \u201cI like that it\u2019s not just answering stock questions;\u00a0we have real discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the books are important, the friendships matter most. Autumn Redmond puts it this way:\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s fun and interesting to hear other people\u2019s perspectives about books and characters. If anyone needs that little push to start reading regularly, I highly recommend joining a book club.\u201d<\/p>\n

The recipe for a successful book club? According to Cathy Spacher:<\/p>\n


\n\tGather interesting people who love to read.
\n\tAlternate who chooses the book each month.
\n\tUse the library or share copies.
\n\tLet the book picker choose the restaurant.
\n\tCome ready with thought-provoking questions.
\n\tEnjoy each other’s company and HAVE FUN! <\/p>\n

Dr. Seuss wisely said: \u201cThe more you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you\u2019ll go.\u201d This group has proven that those \u201cplaces\u201d can be shared right around the lunch table.<\/p>\n

Liz Underwood summed it up best, \u201cGood company plus\u00a0good books plus\u00a0good food equals good times.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Grab a few friends, a book, and a table, friends. Your next Senior Moment\u00a0chapter awaits!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One local book club has blossomed into something far more profound than just a gathering to discuss literature.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":33897,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[489,156,111,139,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-33896","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-books","8":"tag-books","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-new-zealand","11":"tag-newzealand","12":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33896","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33896"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33896\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}