JENNIFER BUSKE / Stafford County Sun
Published: January 23, 2008

STAFFORD - It didn't take self-proclaimed bookworm Amber Fields long to implement her plan on how to get more teenagers reading.

After pitching her idea during Borders' first adult book club meeting Tuesday, store officials granted her request to begin her own group, which will be geared toward the students of Stafford County.

"A lot of teens just don't read and I want to change that," Fields said. "A book club would be a place where people can hang with their friends and learn something at the same time."

Fields, who encouraged her friends to join her at the meeting, already selected a book for the group she is spearheading. Although a date for the meeting is not set, the group will be reading, "The Amulet of-Samarkand" by Jonathan Stroud.

"It's more of a guy book," Fields said. "-I think girls read more than guys, but I'm trying to change that."

While Fields' book club plans continued to unfold Tuesday night, about 20 other Stafford residents gathered in the Borders caf- in order to learn more about the store's first book club.

"We hope this brings another source of entertainment to the community and gives people a place to relax and meet other folks," Borders Sales Manager Sonja Shoemake said. "Lots of people are interested in book clubs and we just didn't have one."

Although Borders is a chain, Shoemake said it is up to each store as to what kinds of extra activities it wants to offer.-

Because of local demand and the growing interest nationwide in book clubs, officials from the North Stafford store decided to bring a 7 p.m., once-a-month club to the store.

"I don't read enough and don't know what to read, so this gives me a reason to read and something to read," Stafford resident Danielle Dash said, adding that she is also interested in meeting new people. "I also crave interaction higher than a third-grade level. I have three young kids."

During the book club's first meeting, the group picked its first read - "Atonement" by Ian McEwan. Group members must complete the book before the Feb. 19 meeting in order to discuss everything from storyline and characters to what they enjoyed and disliked about the book.-

"I read excessively but want to be able to talk to someone about what I read," Stafford resident Kim Altemose said about joining the group. "I read fast and I hope this will also get me to slow down and take it all in."

Nivedita Banersee, operations supervisor at Borders, said the club will read different genres of work each month. The book suggestions she gives the group are generated by watching what people pick up in the store and by researching what books are found at other clubs, including Oprah's Book Club.

"I'm doing this so I can break out of my rut of reading the same genre over and over," Stafford resident Emily Rideout said. "I usually read historical fiction."

Soon-to-be Stafford resident Kira Clark said she came to the club in order to force herself to hit the books.

"I'm one of those people that always says I am going to read more books, but it never happens," Clark said. "I also came to meet people. Stafford needs more things like this to get people out of the house to meet their neighbors."

Shoemake said she believes more people are turning to books in some form, especially with the cost of movies these days. She said the Harry Potter craze, the Oprah book club and the new e-reader, which allows people to download books to their iPods, have all put reading in the spotlight once again.

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