20-Somethings Swap Books at Library

Cookies sit on the table to the side, a water pitcher next to it. Five females and one lone male, all with clipboards on their laps, chat quietly about whether or not higher heels will help burn more calories while walking in the city.

This was the laid-back scene last week at the at the a club run by librarians Jackie Ranaldo and Jessikah Chautin, which allows people to 'swap' and recommend books for each other.

“Jessikah and I believe that the 20-somethings were underrepresented in the town,” Ranaldo said. “We wanted a program that would interest them."

This title swap was themed ‘chick lit’ - however, the books did not stay in that theme. Ranaldo started off the title swap by speaking about a novel, titled The Cypress House, which she mentioned is in the running for the book discussion for November. Chautin followed with another book discussion idea, The Little Brother, for September.

The Title Swap title ideas ranged from Dork Whore, a memoir of Iris Bahr’s backpacking trip through Bangkok, Saigon, and Delhi to explore the world and lose her virginity, to Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights, a cook book written by super model Sophie Dahl. Any book title was welcome at the club.

Ranaldo said that it is a great group for college students who come home to meet others with their interest in reading.

Lena Tumasyan, 27, admitted that the reason she is involved in the book club and attends the events is because she likes the openness of the group. 

“We can talk about sex and drugs and porn,” Tumasyan said. “We are all exploring ourselves. I find it interesting in being involved in a group of people who are exploring themselves.”

The other books that were mentioned at the Title Swap were Bossy Pants, The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuicine, Eat, Pray, Love, and There’s Cake in My Future.

The book club will be discussing Brave New World by Aldous Huxley on Monday July 11, 2011 at 7 p.m.