Members

My name is Lyn. I'm a charter member of our book club. Several patrons expressed an interest in starting a book club and once we had the OK from our library director to use the library to meet, we began. Unfortunately, our very first meeting had to be canceled due to a snowstorm but we've only had to cancel one meeting since that time....even meeting by candlelight and flashlight during a summer storm power outage. I don't have one favorite author but do prefer books with character development. I especially like those books that tell a story from the different character's viewpoints. To me these books are like entering a small community and getting acquainted with everyone there. Once I become immersed in the lives of the individual characters, I am often sorry when the book ends and I have to say goodbye. Of course, there is the next book with the new characters waiting for me to join them and learn their stories.

I enjoy spending time with my family, my job at the library, our book club discussions, boating and gardening; but my idea of bliss is lying out in my hammock by the river's edge, listening to the water lap at the bank while I open a book to become acquainted with a new cast of characters.

Hi my name is Debbie DP. I have been a member of Spring Bay Bookies since January of 2002, I love to read, scrapbook and travel with my family. My favorite author is Robert Crais. I love murder mysteries but the book club has helped to broaden my reading horizons. After joining this group I have read several books that I would have never chosen and have enjoyed sharing with the other members of Spring Bay Bookies. . …Oh by the way, I am the member that choose Black Glass (worst book ever it was given zero’s even by me) and they let me stay. What a great group we have.

Hi my name is Roberta: As a retired librarian who has always enjoyed reading, a book club is perfect for me. I joined this one shortly after they read the infamous Black Ice. All of their reviews were so honest !! I also enjoy researching family history, going to cemeteries, and sharing my research with family and taking care of my granddaughter.

Hi my name is Nel. I was born and raised in Peoria. I attended Peoria High School, ICC, and ISU. I have worked for the Illinois Prairie District Public Library, at Spring Bay since August of 2013. I believe that I got the love of language from my very proper English grandmother.

It has been a joy meeting and getting to know the ladies in our book club. We have as much fun talking as we do discussing our books. Many of the books that we have read over the years are ones that I never would have chosen on my own.

My Name is Sandy.  I'm a fairly new member of the club.  Only a little over 2 years.  I retired a few years ago after 37 years and joined the book club shortly after that.
I live north of Spring Bay in the country.  I love gardening, cooking and of course reading.  What I really love about being a member of the book club is that I read books that I would probably not have chosen to read myself.  Everyone is great and I look forward to our meetings. My husband and I have 3 children and 4 grandchildren.  They all live close and we get to see them often. Hopefully my husband will be retiring soon and we will be able to do some traveling and volunteer work. 

Hi My Name is Marian.  I grew up in the south side of Peoria one of eight children.  We’ve always been a close family and we have a reunion every other year.  Mel and I have been married 56 years and we have 3children, 10 grandchildren and 5 great grandkids.  My husband and I ran a bar and restaurant for forty five years.  Mel’s parents started it in 1936. I love to cook and read.  I enjoy our book club and eat.

Hi my name is Betty S.  I am a new member to the Spring Bay Bookies.  I grew up down by the river where the East Peoria Boat Club is currently located.  My husband Jim and I raised our children in the Metamora area and have lived there since we both retired. Jim retired from Cat in 2003 after 30 years of service and I retired in 2014 from Illinois Lung Institute/OSF.  I have loved reading all my life and now that I have more time to read I really enjoy discussing my finds with fellow bookies.  My hobbies besides reading are walking and attending our grandchildren's many sporting events.  And of course my favorite place to be is a Florida beach with a good book.

Hi my name is Linda.  I have been a member of the book club since 2015, after retiring from 35 years of teaching, and starting work at the Spring Bay Branch library.  I’ve always loved reading and now  finally getting to enjoy one of my favorite hobbies.  This book club has expanded my literary horizons, engaging me in a variety of books I probably would not choose.  As an aside, there’s only been 1 book I could not finish.  It is very enjoyable and enlightening hearing the perspectives of the other ladies, and the desserts are so yummy, too. 

I’ve lived in Deer Creek and Morton since moving to the area in 1979.  I have 3 children; who are located in Phoenix, St. Louis, and Washington, and have 3 delightful grandkids. Besides loving on the grandkids, I also enjoy biking, walking, and Christian music.  Having grown up on a farm, I enjoyed vegetable gardening until we relocated to a condo.

Previous Members
Hi my name is Debbie B: I've lived in the Germantown Hills area for over 5 years. I grew up in Peoria and went to Holy Family Grade School and then on to Bergan High School. A girlfriend and I travelled out East when we were 19 and lived in Maine for about 4 months. I met my ex-husband there and later moved up in the Bangor area and lived there for 10 years. I loved living there and miss the ocean and the summers and the beautiful scenery. My husband, Terry, and I have a travel trailer and like to do as much travelling as possible. He has a daughter out in Boise, so we head out West when we can. We love upper Idaho in the Stanley area and Jackson Hole, Wy. I've loved travelling my whole life and we hope to get away 4 or 5 months out of the year after my husband retires (hopefully) in a couple of years. I work part-time (really part-time at the moment) and do some volunteering on the side. My husband works for URS at Cat in Mossville. I have two sons, John & James. John is a teacher down in San Antonio and James lives in Peoria. He has a full-time job, but would like to drive a semi full time. My husband has 5 children and all of them, except his daughter, live in Illinois. He has 5 grandchildren with one on the way and one great-grandchild. I have 4 sisters that live throughout the midwest and we have a lot of fun when we get together. My parents live out in the country in Edelstein. I was in a bookclub at the Pekin Library when we lived in the Groveland area and I started with the Spring Bay bookclub about 3 years ago. I really enjoy the way they do their meetings with each member taking turns picking out a book to read and handling the questions and bringing a treat that corresponds with a food in the story. The women are great and after the questions have all been answered and discussed, we usually end up talking about anything and everything. I'm glad I found them!

Hi my name is Anna  I've lived "on the river" and been a patron of our library for 30 years, but didn't join the Bookies until last year (after I retired from Caterpillar).  This is my first book club experience and I love it.  It's fun to meet with other readers to explore and discuss books I might never have read!