A chance online discovery has led a local book club to join together with another club based out of England.
The Red Deer Public Library Fireside Readers is twinning with the Red Deer Readers in Sheffield, England for the months of September and October.
“It’s just incredible,” said Mary Neely, co-ordinator of the Fireside Readers.
“Internet technology allows people from all over the world to meet online and share information without leaving their house.”
The idea to merge came from Gareth Johnstone, a member of the Red Deer Readers, who stumbled across the Red Deer Public Library website.
“I was very interested to see a book club with a name similar to ours, and I thought it would be great to join our clubs together for a few meetings,” he said.
The Red Deer Readers chose their name after the 186-year-old Red Deer Pub in Sheffield, which is where they’ve been meeting for more than 14 years.
Each club selected one book to read — Black Diamonds’ by Catherine Bailey will be discussed in September and The Day the Falls Stood Still by Catherine Marie Buchanan in October.
The Fireside readers will also talk with Buchanan via Skype Nov. 16.
Comments and questions about these two books will be posted on a blog on the Red Deer Public Library website at www.rdpl.org.
The blog will be open to the public.
“It’s been fun getting to know them,” Neely said of the Red Deer Readers. “My only regret is we can’t actually travel to Sheffield to see the pub and meet the members in person. Maybe one day.”
Fireside Readers Book Club meets the third Wednesday of every month from September through June at 6:30 p.m. in the Waskasoo Kiwanis Room in the Red Deer Public Library.
For more details on this and other library programs and services check www.rdpl.org
ptrotter@www.reddeeradvocate.com