If you love to read and would love to share what you've read and discuss it with others, then you, like Diane Luicana, can look forward to the first meeting of the Jim Thorpe Book Club on Valentine's Day, Thursday, February 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the Friends of the Dimmick Memorial Library House at 58 Broadway in Jim Thorpe.

"I like to read," said Luicana. "I'm social, so just reading quietly alone doesn't always do it for me. So I thought this would be a way to read something that other people might also like, and then have a chance to meet people who also like to read. I just thought it would be fun.""I kept coming into the Dimmick Memorial Library asking, 'Hey is there any book club?'" Luicana said. "They kept saying, 'no'. The third time I came in and asked, they said, "Why don't you start one?' So I did."Luicana spoke with Susan Sterling at the Dimmick Memorial Library and learned that his service had been set up through the Norristown Library so that between 25 and 30 copies of select books were available to book clubs. The list of select books contains about 100 selections available to be shipped to the library in support of the book club, and members of the book club can borrow the books from the Dimmick Library."I asked the library staff to go through the list of books," Luicana explained. "They chose several. I browsed through the books they selected."Luicana chose Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult. "The book is about a teenaged Amish woman" said Luicana. "I was hooked after three pages because she found herself pregnant and unmarried.""I think this first book will capture a wide variety of ages because the central character is a teenager," Luicana continued. "People of all ages can relate to it. Plus, in particular, it offers the appeal of understanding the Amish, and an insight into how that character would feel being Amish and being in that situation."If you're interested in joining the Jim Thorpe Book Club, go to the Dimmick Memorial Library and 54 Broadway in Jim ThorpeI, sign out a copy of the book, read the book by Thursday, February 14, and come to the book club meeting.Luicana, who hasn't previously attended a book club meeting, plans to prepare by going to the book clubs at Bear Creek Lakes and at the Palmerton Library. She is also researching the book and plans to start the discussion with several prepared provocative questions."Expect the meeting to run about an hour and a half," Luicana said. "Because it's Valentine's Day, will have light refreshments of chocolates and coffee. There is no cost to participate in the book club. Donations may be made to Friends of the Dimmick Library."After discussing the first month's selection, Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult, copies of the second month selection, The Year Of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, will be handed out. Also at the meeting, those attending will review the list of available books and make a selection for the third book in the Jim Thorpe Book Club series.In case of questionable weather on the evening of the book club meeting, contact the Dimmick Memorial Library at (570) 325-2131.