Marion Library Giving Away Free Books for County-Wide Book Club

Book clubs are often comprised of a small group of friends that all share an interest in reading and a caffine addiction — two things I am guilty of, for the sake of fairness.

But what if book clubs were larger than just a group of friends? What if it expanded beyond a social circle to an entire county?

This is exactly what the Linn Area Reads program is, according to Director, Doug Raber. People from around Linn County have just started reading and discussing the book Righteous Porkchop: Finding a Life and Good Food Beyond Factory Farms, a book that takes a critical look at the factory farm industry.

The program kicked off last Thursday, where patrons of the Marion Public Library, Hiawatha Public Library and the Cedar Rapids Public Library participated in the "kick-off party" that took place at all three locations simultaniously.

The weekly book discussions will take place at the Cedar Rapids Barnes and Noble each Thursday at 6:30 p.m., starting this Thursday and lasting until March 29. There will be a panel discussion on factory farms at the Marion Public Library April 14, followed by a farm to market vendor fair at the Cedar Rapids Public Library on April 22.

The author of the book, Nicolette Hahn Niman, will be speaking at the Kirkwood Hotel on May 11.

Raber said the Marion Friends of the Library have helped raise funds to give away copies of the book for free, which are still available.