There is something inherently addictive and fascinating about the lives of others. Whether we think they are more glamorous and exciting, more tragic and depressing, more adventurous and fulfilling, or just different in a way we can't quite seem to pinpoint, we love every chance we get to imagine or experience the world of another person. . . another couple . . . another family - and know that while it may be as far from our own reality as could possibly be, it's not a far reality for someone else. It's why we share stories - why we meet by the water cooler - why we turn on the evening news - why we flip through tabloids in the supermarket - and why we love to read juicy memoirs.

And so, the theme of our Spring Book Discussion Series is Dysfunction Junction: The Lives of Others. We have chosen four of our favorite, most compelling, and discussion-worthy true stories of people who have been through it all and have lived to brilliantly write about it all. Come by the Library to pick up your copies of each of our selections, and then join us in March, April, and May to discuss it all. 

Lit by Mary Karr Tuesday, March 9 at 7pm	The Bolter by Frances Osborne Tuesday, March 30 at 7pm	The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer  Tuesday, April 20 at 7pm	The Kids Are All Right by The Welchs  Tuesday, May 4 at 7pm

This spring, we'll also be offering a complementary series of sessions, Book Group Savvy & Knowledge @ Noon, to enhance your book group readings and discussions, whether you're joining our series or running your own gathering - or both! We're happy to offer you tips for making the most of your experiences and will demonstrate ways to make use of the Internet, databases, newspapers, webcasts, podcasts, and more!  

Book Group Savvy
Monday, March 8 at 12pm
Whether you're interested in starting a book group or just looking to add some pizzazz to your existing book group, we can help! in this workshop, we will explore interesting book group web sites along with some tried-and-true techniques for improving your book selections, including how to find book reviews, criticisms, and author information from our Library databases. Learn how to make discussions more stimulating, and pick up some novel ideas for enhancing your entire book group experience.

Knowledge @ Noon
Monday, March 29 at 12pm
Meet with our librarians in the Main Reading Room, located on the 2nd floor, for an introductory tutorial to three of our most frequently used databases: Biography Index, Culture Grams, History Resource Center. Find out how these can augment and expand your book discussions.

Knowledge @ Noon
Monday, April 19 at 12pm
Join our librarians in the Main Reading Room, located on the 2nd floor, to explore Darien Library's Newspaper databases: Proquest & Historical Newspapers. Learn how these can quickly expand your search for information on a particular date and time.