There are lots of reasons people love being in a book group. They read books that they otherwise might not have read…they hear perspectives that differ from their own…and they have fun expressing their own opinions in an open forum. Book groups are a form of community, a community of people who read together. You can find one to join in your area. Public libraries are a good place to start. If you don’t have the time for a real book group but would like to share the experience of reading books with others, you can join a virtual book group such as The New York Times Big City Book Club, (http://CityRoom.Blogs.NYTimes.com/Category/Big-City-Book-Club). For a list of national book clubs, go to www.Book-Clubs-Resource.com. It’s not the same as talking about books in person, but you get to feel part of a community that shares ideas.

Introduce yourself to a neighbor or someone in your community who you don’t know. It might seem awkward at first to talk to a stranger, but you will probably find that your gesture is welcomed. You’ll learn something new about someone—and expand the network of people you know. It feels good to wave to a neighbor…stop to chat…and know that you belong to a community.