VERO BEACH — Once a month, Cindy Deaver Perrone goes into hiding and “blitzs” the current reading selection for the next meeting of The Bookies, The Vero Beach Book Center’s venerable book club.
Sequestering herself for a good four days prior to The Bookies’ monthly meeting, Perrone immerses herself in the month’s work of fiction or nonfiction.
Wanting the book to be fresh in her mind for the Monday discussion, Perrone, 65, clears the decks for a straight shot of pure reading.
She says her husband understands that for those four days, she’ll be otherwise engaged.
“Based on my age and that I read a lot, I want this to be fresh in my mind. I read the book intensely, like 100 pages a day,” says Perrone, a retired motivational speaker.
Although each month, a different member of the book club is scheduled to lead the meeting, Perrone wants to be prepared just in case.
“Things come up at the last minute. Sometimes, I have to step in. So I make notes, turn down page corners, and prepare a biography of the author,” she says.
An avid reader, Perrone would probably read the selection closely no matter what. It’s her passion. She’s not alone. Vero Beach is a town of booklovers. The Bookies is one of 92 book clubs in town, many of which are on the barrier island.
Based on publishing industry literature, Cynthia Callander, The Book Center’s marketing and publicity director for the past 10 years, is optimistic about the future of books in all forms. Publishing industry sources credit the 32963 ZIP Code as being among the top five percent of book purchasing ZIP Codes in the nation, which may explain the extraordinary number of local book clubs.
According to Callander, the trend is only intensifying.”More people are reading more,” she says. Once a year, The Book Center hosts “An Evening for Book Groups,” inviting a publishing representative to speak to the public.
“We alternate among different publishing houses, ” says Callander. “For this past February’s event, it was a rep from Harper Collins.”
The events are hugely popular with over 100 in attendance. The Book Center takes reservations and serves refreshments.
Callander says that one reason for its popularity is the wealth of giveaways.
“The rep brings tons of books and we hold drawings throughout the evening,” says Callander.
Even better than the free books may be the lively discussion.
“The rep discusses a list of what’s new, what’s hot, what’s classic,” says Callander.
She notes that the representatives appreciate meeting with the various book club members too.
“They love the feedback,” she says.
Rosemarie Land, a Book Center employee for 14 years, works regularly with all the clubs and knows each one well. She keeps an ongoing monthly card for every book club.
“They give me their book lists either for a year or for several months at a time,” says Land. “When a member of a particular club buys one of the books from their list, they receive a 10 percent discount.”
The actual number of books Land orders depends on the club since some people share books and others prefer to read them electronically or to buy them elsewhere.
“I’ve been doing this for 12 years now, so I know each group,” says Land. “I estimate how many I need to order.”
The Book Center itself has one of the largest and longest running clubs in town.
The Bookies was started 10 years ago by a customer, new in town, who has since moved.
That one reader’s legacy now boasts 75 members. For any given meeting, about half the membership drops in for the discussion.
The Bookies is one of the few book clubs to convene year round.
Perrone thinks that one reason for its success is that it meets at the Book Center rather than in someone’s home.
“No one feels that they have to entertain,” says Perrone.
After the meeting, typically in the morning, members enjoy continuing their conversation over lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Another reason for The Bookies’ success may be its democratic nature. While some would call Perrone the club’s leader, she calls herself its fairy godmother.
“My goal as fairy godmother is to urge people to read authors, like a bucket list: books you should read before you die,” Perrone says.
Each new member receives a welcome kit from Perrone and monthly e-mails. She does not select the books, nor does any board or committee.
“Every member’s voice counts equally in choosing the books,” says Perrone. “Any member can suggest a book or lead a discussion.”
Since they choose books at least three months in advance, the members have time to discuss different choices and change their minds.
For Perrone, two of the best things about the Bookies are that everyone agrees to read a variety of books, realizing not every book will be a personal favorite, and that everyone participates in the conversation, no matter how big the group.
“The group has chemistry,” says Perrone. “We maintain wonderful respect for different points of view.”
Not every member is an ardent reader, but all value having quality books in their lives.
And reading only 12 books a year means that each must have real merit, says Perrone.
“We run a discussion based on certain criteria: characters, plot development, the depth of the imagery. Sometimes people resist a book as being too poetic or literary,” Perrone says. “I’ll just bludgeon them with the beauty of the book.”
Perrone’s coaxing works. Although the Bookies do not recruit, word of mouth brings new members every month.
There’s only one rule: focus on the book and only the book during the discussion, says Perrone.
“The rule is to keep side discussions on the side,” she says. “That’s for lunch.”
The Bookies meets in the Teen Loft of the children’s bookstore, the second Monday of every month at 10:30 a.m. Membership is free.
