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HOLDEN, Mass. — The newly reinvigorated Open Genre Book Group at the Gale Free Library has been thriving once again in recent months, and residents are invited to join in on the lively and stimulating literary discussions.

"We've met three times, and we're really looking to let people know that it's started again," said  Kerry McGuirl, part-time reference librarian at the Gale Free Library in Holden.

For around 12 years, the library's book club had been a popular activity led by former Jane Dutton, who left for the Netherlands last April.

Now McGuirl has taken over the reigns of the club, and after leading successful discussions of books like Michele Young-Stone’s Debut Novel, The Handbook For Lightning Strike Surviors,  and Sea Change by Jeremy Page, the librarian and avid reader hopes to get more residents involved in the new group as well.

 "To me it's kind of incredible that this is part of my job," said McGuirl. "I love working in libraries, and that I get to pick a book for people to talk about — it's kind of a dream come true."

Held in the library program room, the book group meets every other month, with two sessions for each book — once in the morning and once in the evening.

Generally, the discussions range from what was liked or disliked about the book before delving deeper,  but in the most recent meeting last Thursday, author Michele Young-Stone actually conference called with the group to talk about the book.

"I know people appreciated how Jane used to get authors to come and actually talk, so that was very fun to do that," said McGuirl.

Furthermore, last Tuesday, even though Young-Stone was under the weather, she Facebook chatted with the group.

McGuirls also brings in books that have to do with the topic in discussion, or books that she's come across while working at the library.

"I think people will like that as well, finding out about a book they may not have known about, that aren't necessarily new, but sort of little gems on the stack," she said. "I know that when I go looking for books here, I'm always going 'oh, that one looks interesting, too."

Yet the social aspect of the group is important as well.

"One thing I've noticed is that on top of reading books they may not have chosen to read, I find that it brings together people that might not have otherwise come together," said McGuirl. "So yes, we talk about the book, but people have interesting lives and things to bring to the conversation."

The next book the group will be reading and discussing will be How to Read the Air by Dinaw Mengestu, and the meetings will be held on Tuesday, April 10, at 6:30-7:45 p.m.,
and Thursday, April 12, 10:30-11:45 a.m.

Also, the Classics Book Group will meet on Thursday, March 15 from 6:30-7:30 pm to discuss Charlotte Bronte's Villette.