Love of books and a desire to share that passion among friends led to a commitment that has already lasted twenty-five years. At first, a group of us teachers got together to read and discuss best-selling and award-winning books in a pleasant, social setting. It didn’t take us long to realize we had created something wonderful. We even gave ourselves a name. We became Teachers Under Cover. TUC.

     We read book reviews, best seller lists, library promotions, ask what our friends are reading, consult with our knowledgeable guy at the bookstore, or just browse.  Some books are appealing.  Others aren’t so hot.  But we have a commitment, so we stick with it.  After our discussion, we rate the book on a sliding scale from one (lowest) to five (highest).

     We have no officers or treasury, nothing but each other’s phone numbers in case someone needs a ride, will be late, or must cancel.  Life happens.

     At first we agreed on a book and a restaurant, had a glass of wine (or not), discussed the day’s events and eventually talked about the book.  To direct more time to books, we now take turns selecting the books and leading the discussions.

     Many new books include discussion questions.  So do web sites such as <http://www.readinggroupguides.com> and <http://www.amazon.com>. Questions from the web are usually long and involved, so we pick and choose and make them our own. It works. Of course, we value each person’s ingenuity, the greatest resource of all.

      Meeting locations have been interesting.  We’ve dined high on a cliff overlooking the Ohio River after reading James Thom’s From Sea to Shining Sea.  It was a perfect setting.

     At a state park we discussed Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter by Sharyn McCrumb.  We returned to that very nice park for Charms for the Easy Life by Kaye Gibbons. 

     We’ve dined in a “suits” restaurant for The Firm by John Grisham.  We’ve patronized a number of Chinese

restaurants for Amy Tan’s novels.  We don’t always try to match food to a book.  Sometimes we just want a good dinner.  Sometimes we have a covered dish dinner at someone’s home. And, of course, desserts on special occasions.

     Five stars are for books everyone definitely should read, such as The River Midnight by Audrey Niffenegger and A Thread of Grace by Mary Russell. These are exceptionally powerful books but not necessarily our favorites.

     Some favorites include Lonesome Dove (Larry McMurtry), A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving), Love in the Time of Cholera (Gabriel Garcia Marquez), and The Bonfire of the Vanities (Tom Wolfe).

     For “fast reads” such as All Over But the Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg and  Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, we

allow a month or so to read and then meet.

     For long books, Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver), London (Edward Rutherfurd), Ahab’s Wife (Sena Jeter Nashund), we prefer more time. We discuss half the book at one meeting and then the rest at the next.  There’s no need to cram, no final exam.

     Sometimes we fall in love with an author.  We’ve read four or five books by Margaret Atwood, Susan Howatch, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and John Irving.

     Belonging to our TUC group has exposed me to authors and novels that I would not have known.  Perfect Storm (Sebastian Junger) and Snow Falling On Cedars (David Gutterson) and many, many more.

     I exchange books with neighbors, family, and friends.  At family gatherings, we have favorite books to talk about and new books for our must-read lists. 

     My favorite experience was reading and discussing White Fang (Jack London) with my twelve-year-old granddaughter.  She was reading it, and I had a copy, so we started a summer book group of two.  It was great fun.  She chose the next book, and I learned a lot about peregrine falcons.

     Our TUC group has raised my awareness of reading and encouraged me to talk about books. It’s more than a social thing, although that is a big part of it.  Everyone has just read something wonderful and wants to talk about it.  It’s a time to get between the covers of a good book.