Maple Grove Author Featured in Plymouth READS 2024
It’s “Plymouth READS” month, which is an event that encourages local residents to rally around a single book. This year’s book, “The Book Haters’ Book Club,” has local ties.
CCX News spoke to the author, Gretchen Anthony, during a recent visit to the Plymouth Library to learn more.
Delane Cleveland, CCX News:
Q) What is Plymouth READS?
Gretchen Anthony, author:
A) Plymouth READS is an annual event, and it’s funded and hosted by the Friends of the Plymouth Library, and it’s a month-long celebration of books and readers and all things good.
Delane Cleveland:
Q) I understand that you are playing a big role in this year’s Plymouth READS event, tell us a little bit about your involvement.
Gretchen Anthony:
A) Well, I was actually honored to learn that my book, “The Book Haters’ Book Club” was chosen as the 2024 community read pick. Which essentially means that everyone in the community of Plymouth and surrounding areas is invited to read my book and then come together in discussions of it. And it will culminate on April 25 with a presentation by me at the Plymouth Community Center. I’ll answer all kinds of questions about the book. I’ll tell the story behind the book, and the characters, maybe share little gossip about the book. We’ll have some fun.
Delane Cleveland:
Q) What do you want people to know about the book? Why should they pick it up?
Gretchen Anthony:
A) Well one of the things I think that readers naturally love [about] this book is that it is the story of a fictional bookshop in Lyn-Lake, Minneapolis. All of my books so far have been set in Minnesota, and this particular Lyn-Lake bookshop is a bit of an icon, and yet it is about to go under. It’s about to go out of business and the story is about trying to save it. And yet, one of the things that librarians and booksellers in particular love about the book is that it is full of real book recommendations and readers have really resonated with that too.
Delane Cleveland:
Q) We are at the Plymouth Library, and there is a fun fact about you and the Plymouth Library, tell us about that.
Gretchen Anthony:
A) Well it was funny, when they chose my book, the committee didn’t know I was actually local. In fact, even though I live in Maple Grove, I’m literally two houses in from Plymouth. And so I quite often come to the Plymouth Library for a change of scenery and many of the scenes in my book have been written right here.
“The Book Haters’ Book Club” by Gretchen Anthony is this year’s Plymouth READS book selection.
Meanwhile, the next Plymouth READS event takes place on Thursday, April 18, at 6 p.m. at the Plymouth Library. There, people can learn more about the origin and history of Little Free Libraries.
On Saturday, April 20 at 12:30 p.m., the Plymouth Library will host a discussion on “The Book Haters’ Book Club.”
On Thursday, April 25 at 7 p.m., the Plymouth Community Center will host a Q&A and book signing with Gretchen Anthony.
Related: Plymouth READS Picks Mystery by Author with Plymouth Roots
