Respectful, queer/LGBT-friendly, easy-going bunch who want an excuse to get out more and talk about books. And have some snacks. Meetings take place on the first Monday of the month at 7 p.m.

This month we'll be reading Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

Fair and long-legged, independent and articulate, Janie Crawford sets out to be her own person no mean feat for a black woman in the '30s. Janie's quest for identity takes her through three marriages and into a journey back to her roots.

One of the most important and enduring books of the twentieth century, Their Eyes Were Watching God brings to life a Southern love story with the wit and pathos found only in the writing of Zora Neale Hurston. Out of print for almost thirty years—due largely to initial audiences’ rejection of its strong black female protagonist—Hurston’s classic has since its 1978 reissue become perhaps the most widely read and highly acclaimed novel in the canon of African-American literature.

We also have a google group, where people post info about the books and sometimes social events. You can find us at http://groups.google.com/group/westernmassbookgroup or write to westernmassbookgroup@googlegroups.com Copies of the discussion books are available to check out at the main desk most months, unless the title is in too high demand.