Library offers social groups to release your inner critic

There may be some advantages to seeing a movie alone. For one thing -- and this is major -- you don't have to share the popcorn. For another, no one interrupts you at that critical moment when the murderer is revealed or an important twist in the plot is under way.

However, like most things in life, there is a down side. And when it comes to movies and books, the down side is this: with whom do you converse?

Let's face it, we love to share our thoughts, insights and opinions on movies and books. A good give-and-take dialogue about who did what and why, the quality of the acting (or lack thereof), the authenticity of the setting, the emotion, action, etc., is nearly as good as watching or reading.

If watching and discussing movies with others sounds like fun to you, or you like the idea of discussing books with fellow readers, come to one of the Schaumburg Township District Library's discussion groups at the central library, 130 S. Roselle Road, Schaumburg. You have a variety from which to choose, so here's the rundown of what's available.

The American Cinema Group meets at 6:45 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month, September through May, in the library's Adult Classroom. This year's theme, "American Film Institute's Greatest Films of All Time," will kick off with "Some Like it Hot" in September.

Members will view the movie and follow up with a discussion led by film critic Alan Grimm. Registration and a $20 fee are required for the series.

The Book-Film Discussion Group meets at 7 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesday of the month in the library's Rasmussen North Room. Group members view the movie at the first meeting and discuss the book and movie at the second.

Led by Grimm and fellow film critic Bonnie Antosh, this group will begin in September with "The Painted Veil." Registration and a $30 fee are required. The fee includes the cost of all books in the series.

Prefer to focus only on books? Try the Book Discussion Group, which offers three choices of meeting times in order to accommodate as many people as possible.

This group meets from 10 a.m. to noon the third Tuesday of the month; 7:30 to 9 p.m. the third Thursday of the month; and 1:30 to 3 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of the month.

All meetings take place in the Rasmussen South Room on the second floor. As with the other groups, meetings begin in September. The first selection will be "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. A $25 fee covers all the books in the series.

Did you know the library offers a discussion group just for our Polish speaking patrons? The Polish Language Book Discussion Group meets from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month in the Rasmussen South Room. Participants read books in the Polish language and discuss the plot, characters, writing style, etc. A $30 fee covers the cost of books for the year.

For the writers among you, there is something of value as well. Come and share your manuscripts, ideas and opinions, as well as give and receive constructive criticism, at the Writers Group meetings, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the first and third Saturday of the month. Please bring a page of your writing to the meetings.

Prefer to discuss the real world instead of fiction? Come to the library from 10 a.m. to noon on the second Monday of the month for Coffee and Current Events. Share your ideas on world and community events in this lively discussion group that meets in the Conference Room.

For more information or to register, call (847) 923-3347. Fees can be accepted via telephone with a credit card, or in person at the Information/Magazines Desk on the library's second floor.