Autumn pick-me-up: Book clubs

I know I'm weird. Fall rushes in with its wet chills, overcast skies, and for you "normal" people a looming sense of seasonal boredom. This is when I get happy; this is when that annoys you. The briefer the daylight, the better I feel. I once convinced my 8-year-old I was a vampire (until he noticed I eat garlic).

What to do during the "ick" season, knowing you can't indulge fantasies of slapping the smile off me? If "read" doesn't sound social enough, try adding "talk." Become a critic. It's free and fun to play intellectual.

Join the book club at your local library.

With initial reluctance I did. Something of a loner, I tend to curl up with a book and keep the experience to myself. So disinclined to "share" I'm surprised I passed kindergarten. Anyway, years ago I ventured out with the club at the Post Falls Library and one of my all-time favorites: "A Lesson Before Dying" by Earnest Gaines. Nice, down-to-earth group. Turns out sharing is fun; who knew.

If you haven't tried it here's how it works. A book is selected, often a bestseller, at each monthly meeting. Some libraries, such as Coeur d'Alene's, order enough in advance so buying is optional. For the next 30 days you read, then meet again to discuss it and pick the next book. Sometimes it's nice just to have the incentive to finish a book amid busy schedules.

Book clubs at Kootenai County libraries:

• Coeur d'Alene "Pageturners" - Fourth Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m. September: "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien (library orders 20 copies in advance). Information: David Townsend (208) 769-2315

• Post Falls - Last Tuesdays 6 to 8 p.m. (September book not posted). Information: Gayle (208) 277-4627

• Hayden "Panhandle Pageturners" - Last Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. September: "The Reader" by Bernhard Schlink. Information (208) 772-5612

• Harrison - Third Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. September: "Elegance of the Hedgehog" by Muriel Barbery. Information: (208) 689-3976

• Athol - Third Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. September: "Legendary Lake Pend Oreille" by Jane Fritz. Information: (208) 683-2979

• Rathdrum - First Tuesdays at 3 p.m. September: "Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake" by Aimee Bender. Information: (208) 687-1029

• Spirit Lake - Second Tuesdays at 6 p.m. September: "Help" by Kathryn Stockett. Information: (208) 623-5353

Thanks to reader Bev Moss for the topic suggestion.

Sholeh Patrick, J.D. is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network who is still working on sharing. E-mail sholehjo@hotmail.com