Help us spread the joy of reading throughout our community by donating gently used books to the Garner Woman's Club Book Drive!
Collection Date:
Thursday, September 10th at 6:30 PM
Garner Woman's Club Clubhouse
Books may be dropped off during the September club meeting. If you are unable to attend, Amanda Baright is happy to coordinate a pickup before or after the meeting date.
All donated books will be used to stock Little Free Libraries throughout Garner, with additional books kept in reserve to help replenish the libraries as needed.
Children's picture books
Middle grade and young adult books
Clean adult fiction and nonfiction (no spicy or explicit content)
Please ensure all donated books are gently used and in good condition.
Every book you donate helps put stories into the hands of readers in our community. Thank you for supporting literacy in Garner!
Questions or need to arrange a pickup?
Contact Amanda Baright at amandab@garnerwomansclub.org.
Our GFWC-NC Zoom Book Group continues this September, with Daughter of Egypt by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Benedict. As Good Reads claims it is “an extraordinary story of the woman who helped uncover Tutankhamun's tomb and the mystery behind Egypt’s first woman Pharaoh.” A shout out and thank you to Judi Stankovich for recommending the book.
There will be two sessions on Tuesday, September 15th . The luncheon meeting will begin at 11:45AM, and you can join at 11:30AM. The evening session begins promptly at 7:00PM., and you can join at 6:45PM. Please email Lynn Wiss at wisslynneso@gmail.com for a reservation and indicate which session you wish to attend. A link will be sent to you a couple of days prior to the book group. Our GFWC-NC Zoom Book Group is open to all GFWC-NC members, not just ESO members.
Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. Held in the last week of September or first week of October, the annual event highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas.
The next Banned Books Week will be held October 4–11 2026. The theme of this year’s event is Let Books Be — Protect the Freedom to Read.
For more information, visit the official website at https://bannedbooksweek.org/about/.
For ideas on books to read, see the attached list of commonly banned, censored, or challenged books. As a reminder, one of the Book Bingo Challenge squares is to read a banned book! This week/month would be the perfect time to complete this square.
Due to busy summer schedules, two members of the Garner Woman’s Club gathered at Steep Right Up for our August ESO meeting to discuss The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain. Though small in number, the conversation was thoughtful and engaging as we explored the novel’s themes of motherhood, secrets, guilt, justice, and redemption. This selection also marked our third book in the Patterson Honoree Authors category, leaving just one more book to complete the challenge! If other club members would like to discuss the book, you are more than welcome to reach out to Amanda B. to schedule a coffee chat or lunch and continue the conversation.
Four women of the Garner Woman's Club gathered for Click & Connect: ESO Edition event! This helpful session provides a refresher on what ESO is, how the program works, and the basics of tracking your reading using the ESO Reading Log. Members can also get one-on-one help finding the best way to log their reading based on their preferences and devices. Whether you’re brand new to ESO or just need a quick refresher, this event is designed to help make participation simple, accessible, and fun for everyone!
Members of the Garner Woman's Club ESO Book Club recently attended an author event for Summer State of Mind featuring Kristy Woodson Harvey at Quail Ridge Books. Amanda and Bev enjoyed an engaging evening hearing Kristy discuss her writing journey, inspiration behind her novels, upcoming projects, and insights into her creative process. One highlight of the event was getting to ask whether readers might someday revisit the beloved character Babs from The Wedding Veil. The evening concluded with personalized book signings, making it a memorable experience for our club and a wonderful opportunity to connect more deeply with an author whose work we’ve enjoyed together.
Five members of the Garner Woman's Club gathered at Lorraine’s for our April ESO meeting to discuss The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey. Though small in number, the group shared a wonderful and engaging conversation centered around family heirlooms, personal memories, and connections to present-day events. Members also enjoyed discussing the Vanderbilt family and reminiscing about visits to Biltmore Estate—with excitement building around the possibility of a future club outing there together!
Five members of the Garner Woman's Club ESO Book Club gathered to discuss Bootlegger's Daughter by Margaret Maron, and the conversation was full of lively debate and differing perspectives. Some members thoroughly enjoyed the book, while others didn’t quite connect with it, making for an especially engaging discussion. The group explored the secrets of a small Southern town and Deborah Knott’s determination to uncover the truth, leading to thoughtful conversation and a fun exchange of opinions.