How to start your own "That was really successful. Not everybody liked it. But it pressed a lot of hot buttons -- vegetarianism, hormones, what's happening with our food supply. It's quite a hip novel, kind of sexy. We talked about it and there was shouting and laughing. And two people said, 'That's it, I'm not eating any more meat.'" book club Perhaps it's because we feel swamped by all the information that bombards us these days. Maybe we want a chance to think about things that move us, and talk about them with others. Or maybe we just can't remember the last time we had a good conversation. Whatever the reason, book clubs are hot. In the five years since Oprah Winfrey started hers and helped reshape North America's reading habits, they have gone from strength to strength, sparking impassioned discussions and springing up like wildflowers. They're everywhere. "I know of at least thirteen, but there are many, many," says Olivia Anderson, programmes librarian at North Vancouver District Library. Such is their popularity that if you want to join one you might find yourself on the end of a long waiting list. No pioblem. You can start your own. There's no shortage of potential members. "Talk to friends, friends of friends, people at work," says Anderson, who recently ran a workshop on the subject. "You could also put an ad in the North Shore News or on one of the bulletin boards." Most members will probably be women, which Anderson attributes to the number of women starved of intellectual stimulation. "Invite people you'd like to spend an evening with. But to ensure a lively discussion makes sure they're of different ages and come from different backgrounds." Twelve is the ideal size. How the meetings go depends on how the group responds to the books. Strong characters and good stories work well, Anderson says. So do believable situations. "We haven't had a lot of success with magic realism." Genre books tend to be predictable, while the classics can be intimidating. · So what should you read? To help clubs get hold of suitable material, the North Vancouver District Library has special book club collections, with a dozen or so copies of each title.Three novels come to Anderson's mind as having worked well: * The Fifth Child, by Doris Lessing Contact: Location: "Powerful and strange and disturbing. I often recommend this for clubs just starting. It's very short. It's about a family. And it speaks to a lot of women -- what is my child going to be like? Is it going to be OK? Am I going to like it?" * Captain Corelli's Mandolin, by Louis de Bernieres "Excellent, well written, vivid. People come away from it feeling they've learned something." *My Year of Meats, by Ruth L. Ozeki Get e x p o s e d W e e d to know where to rent artwork for a movie backdrop? Learn Morris dancing? Hire a puppeteer? The answers to these and many other questions are in the 2001/02 edition of Arts Exposed, the definitive - well, almost - guide to arts and culture on the North Shore. Get exposed today, at the Arts and Culture Commission's office and at libraries, rec centres, and hotels across the North Shore and beyond. CD a r t s e X p o s e d The North Vancouver Community Arts Council presents LIFE DRAWING SESSIONS 6 sessions - $50 Drop-in - $10 p e r session W e d n e s d a y s , N o v . 7 - D e c . 12 6:30 p m - 9:30 p m North V a n c o u v e r C o m m u n i t y Arts C o u n c i l C i t y S c a p e C o m m u n i t y Art S p a c e 335 Lonsdale Ave. North Van. BC November | December 5 T e l e p h o n e : 604.988.6844