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Book Club Forms, with Meetings at Sunnyside Bar

Pat Burke, co-owner of the Courtyard Ale House

Aug. 19, 2014 By Christian Murray

A group of Sunnyside residents have formed a book club and meet at the Courtyard Ale House once a month.

The club was formed in July and the members meet the first Monday of the month at the bar, located at 40-18 Queens Blvd.

At the first meeting 16 people attended and the group decided to read “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern.

Sinead Curran, a bartender at the Courtyard, formed the club after she discovered that many of her customers enjoy reading and talking about books. She said Pat Burke, an owner, supported the idea.

“People are always discussing books—debating whether they are good or bad—as well as their favorite authors,” Curran said.

Curran said that it made sense to have a club where people could spend an hour to discuss a book and enjoy a drink. She said many people, however, go home when the meeting ends, since it’s a Monday night and people have to work the next day.

“It’s a good way for people to get to know each other a little better,” Curran said, adding that “Sunnyside brings people together from all walks of life.”

At the second meeting in August, 12 people attended—with some being away for summer.

The group selected “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski.

Details:

Time: First Monday of the month, at 8 pm

Location: Courtyard Ale House, 40-18 Queens Blvd.

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13 Comments

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43rd & 43rd

Good luck to them! I happened to not enjoy either of the two books mentioned, so I’ll skip this meeting. Please post updates with the monthly book — if I liked it or if I haven’t read it, I would be happy to check out the club!

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SuperWittySmitty

CB resides IN Celtic Park WITH her dog, so Celtic Bark is a clever little play on words.

She basically said that reading this book and being in this book club “Sure beats watching the rubbish on cable TV.” How can you POSSIBLY argue with that?

If you are in thin book club, I can only imagine how much fun it will be when someone expresses an opinion that you do not agree with.

“Have some champagne”

“Sure beats drinking crappy wine.”

“What the hell does that mean?! All wine is not crappy! blah blah blah.”

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Avery

Cb refers to Celtic bark, what’s the point. When someone says “beats rubbish on cable” you can’t reinterpret. No one is huffy, it’s a matter of reading what someone says as a statement that has no validity. I do not not watch rubbish on cable, so why imply that everyone who watches has only poor choices. I simply state that people have taken the idea of an article about a book club and are commenting on it beyond all connection to the article.

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SuperWittySmitty

Avery- I think the point is that so many people sit home and watch rubbish on TV- cable and “regular.” It’s always better to read a book, even better to go out and talk about it with other people in a social setting.

Here in Celtic Park, there are many book-readers. We know what CB meant. Don’t get all huffy about it.

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Concerned Hipster

I’m out. “The Night Circus” won’t download on to my Kindle for some reason.

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Melissa

Date, time, location and the book they’re reading seem a little like an invitation to me so I may check it out! Thanks Sunnyside Post for the story!

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longtime resident

I’m in a book group. It would beyond rude for random people to show up at the next book group without informing the organizer they want to attend. (Never mind that once a group reaches a certain size, meaningful discussion is impossible. 16 people is an awfully big group, and would probably need to be broken down in to two groups to facilitate a meaningful discussion in which all members were able to contribute.).

If the point was to inform people there’s a book group that meets at The Courtyard they can join, the point was missed since no information was provided for how to *actually join the group.*

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JustPaula

I did not get the vibe that it is a group not open to new members. The artIcle mentions different attendance rates at each previous meetings, and the bartender behind forming the group talks about how many customers have discussed their love of reading with her – surely and was not exclusively referring to the dozen or so people who have shown up so far. Let us also assume that if it were a closed group we would not be reading about it here. We should probably give the Sunnyside Post a little more credit than that. Also, the story indicated the location, days, and time of future meetings, PLUS the name of the book they will be discussing next meeting. Other than some less-than-perfect news writing, I cannot figure out how one would read this and think this is some seeeekritt, closed group…. at a bar, no less. Well, I sure hope I am right as I am interested in attending in the future.

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Avery

TAKE IT EASY PEOPLE!
To cb, what the hell does that mean? All cable is not rubbish or you are looking the wrong place. What about regular TV?

Roxy, what does THAT mean? Book clubs are held everywhere. Try reading a book and joining a club.

LR, this is a local news/community update paper, not the NY Times. Relax!!

It’s time you people write meaningful, purposeful comments. Not just drivel to fill up your submit box and try to outdo each other with you banal remarks.

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longtime resident

Can I ask why this is on Sunnyside Post? It doesn’t appear that they are open to new members since that’s not included in the story. It’s nice that there’s a book club run by a bartender that meets at the bar once a month, but how is this news?

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