With less than a month to go before the Savannah Book Festival kicks off, one Richmond Hill book club is getting a sneak peek from the festival’s secretary and board member Lesley Francis tonight at 7 p.m. at the Richmond Hill Public Library.
“We always go to the book festival in February, so we wanted to learn a little more about it,” explained Wine and Words Book Club member Connie Pittman. “There are so many authors in attendance, and we figured Lesley could give us the lowdown on who to see and how to navigate the festival.”
Francis, who lives in Richmond Hill, will provide insight into the festival’s authors and behind-the-scene operations.
“I’ll be giving them an inside track on how the authors are approached and how some of them approach us,” said Francis. “I’ll also talk a little bit about the practicalities — like how to get tickets, how it’s funded and where the best venues are.”
The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will be followed by a Savannah Book Festival ticket and book raffle and a discussion of festival presenter David Baldacci’s novel “The Forgotten.”
The Wine and Words Book Club — so named because members often supplement their discussions with a glass of wine — was founded by former reading teacher Sara Thomasson in 2005. The group, which Thomasson said is comprised of “serious-minded readers,” meets once a week and reads books across all genres — though not typically bestsellers.
Thomasson said the club is open to new members, but is not actively seeking them.
“We’re not adverse to adding new members, but we like to keep it pretty small since we meet in people’s houses. We have a very compatible group, and we want to ensure that continues.”
The Richmond Hill Public Library offers two book clubs that are always looking to add to their membership.
Carol Yarley, a library employee who studied literature at Armstrong Atlantic State University, leads the library’s main book club, which meets at 11 a.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of the month.   
“We read two books a month. We usually read fiction, and I try to switch off between heavier themes and lighter ones,” she said. “I’m really interested in promoting new and interesting authors.”
The club will meet on Feb. 6 to discuss “Big Fish: A Novel of Epic Proportions” by Daniel Wallace and again on Feb. 20 to discuss “The Healing” by Jonathan Odell.
Library director Kate Barker also hosts a monthly book club that caters primarily — though not exclusively — to seniors at 2 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month at Magnolia Manor.
Both library clubs are free and open to the public, and all book selections are available through the library. The only membership requirement is a library card. To join or learn more, contact Carol Yarley at 756-3580 or caroly@strl.info.