The cold winter months are perfect for curling up with a good book with a warm blanket and hot cocoa at your elbow. At the end of a good book, it is just added fun to talk about it with a group of your soon-to-be, close friends at the Wood Cross Book Club. The Book Club has been facilitated by Alison Dart for 10 years and takes place one evening every other a month in the Wood Cross Multipurpose room at City Hall. It is only an hour long but is packed with conversation about life and books and participating in a book and cookie exchange. Even if you haven’t read the book, come and decide if you want to read it. You could score a free copy of the book under discussion in the book exchange. 

The next meeting will be held Thursday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. This February, the book being discussed is “An Instant” by Suzanne Redfern. The book has been nominated for an award on Goodreads and is based on the“instant” that a car rockets over a cliff told from the perspective of a girl who doesn’t survive the accident but lingers near to help her family and others.The books are announced in the City Newsletter which comes by email and in the city bill. Books discussed at the club are varied including biographies, mysteries, historical fiction, and romance. In the past, the club has read books that are current movies. By popular vote, club members said the books are always better than the movies.

Even if the current book is not something you would enjoy, come to the club so you can participate in the discussion choosing the next book to be highlighted. At the very least, you will come away with a reading list of books loved by those in your community. Participants are invited to say what they like and dislike about the book and to decide if they would like to read another book by the same author. 

Dart has always loved to read. “It is a great way to meet new characters, go on new adventures,” she said. She has studied elementary education and is currently the librarian at Woods Cross Elementary. Dart loves reading children’s books for her current job and more mature books for the book club. “Book Club is fun,” Dart said. “It’s a great place to find new friends, read amazing books and have a treat (the cookies are not just for exchanging). 

The Davis County Library often has several copies of books chosen for the club. Attending the previous meeting gives you first dibs on the hard copies. If you have a library card you can set up a library account online and reserve the book to be picked up at your closest library. The library allows you to reserve books from all the branches in the system and will personally deliver them to your chosen library branch and give you a window to come and pick the books up. The Libby app is also available to check out books in other mediums. After downloading the Libby app, you put in your library card number and password (the last four digits of your phone number) and thousands of books are available to read or listen to on your phone, tablet, or computer. Some book club members order the book new or used online. Often used books are very inexpensive using this resource. Some book club members pass the same book around among members. With two months between meetings, it is easy to read the book and pass it to a neighbor inviting them to book club also. Before COVID, the book club attracted about 20 people, but now it is a little smaller. 

Woods Cross City Hall is located at 1555 S. 800 W.