By Carol Stiffler
What are you doing on February 27? Do you know where you’ll be? Who will you be with?
You have been cordially invited to attend the inaugural meeting of Book Club is My Alibi, a brand new book club making its debut on Thursday, February 27.
The club is the brainchild of Newberry resident Tina Tuyo, an avid reader who simply wants more “book friends”. She plowed through 94 novels last year and hopes to hit 100 books this year – she’s already 10 books in. Establishing a book club was on her list of goals for 2025. She’s already got a year’s worth of meetings scheduled.
February’s book, selected after club members voted to pick a thriller for the first read, is The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia. Tuyo describes it as a psychological thriller – no bloodshed, but plenty of plot twists.
Book Club is My Alibi will gather in the meeting room at Timber Charlie’s at dinner time – 5:30 p.m. Readers can order from the full menu, though they don’t have to – they can skip eating and simply chat. Tuyo will also have snacks at every meeting, and for the first meeting, she’s ordering book-themed cookies from the local Sugar Heaven bakery.
“You are welcome there,” Tuyo said. “Even if you did not read the book, it wasn’t your genre, you are still welcome to come there. I want you to be there to help pick our next one.”
Tuyo reads to learn and explore “other worlds”. She often reads thrillers, romantasy, or horror novels, but wants to get nudged out of that rut through diverse recommendations from other book club members. She promises to read anything – unless the dog dies. She can’t stand books where animals die.
“My goal is to read a Kristin Hannah book,” she said. “It’s so out of my wheelhouse. Everybody raves about her, loves her. She’s so out in left field from my genre of reading.”
Tuyo is hoping to establish a cozy space at Timber Charlie’s, with table coverings and warm lighting. She encourages people to bring a blanket and get comfortable, and to participate at whatever level they like. Join the conversation or just listen; attend live or ask for the Zoom link she’s going to create and tune in from home.
The first meeting will include a lot of listening and learning so Tuyo can adapt the group to meet members’ needs or wants. Meeting more than once a month is possible, if members want to, or discussing more than one book at a meeting.
“I’m going to run a lot of ideas by people at the first book club to see what I can add that people want to see,” she said.
Tuyo is eager to meet other people who love to read, and the Facebook page she created for the book club already has more than 80 members. The huge amount of interest surprised and thrilled her.
“I honestly didn’t think it would get this much interest,” she said. “I’m excited to see where it goes; really, I am.”
Though it may be the first of its kind in Newberry, book discussions are held monthly at Curtis Public Library during the winter, and twice a month during other times of the year. The public is always welcome to attend.
