Read a Classic, Save a Landmark

ReadingGroupGuides.com contributor Jennifer Hart made a suggestion for book clubs in a recent post on her Book Club Girl blog: read a classic work by Mark Twain or Edith Wharton and have each member bring $10-20 to donate to the respective literary landmark --- the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, and The Mount (right), Edith Wharton's estate in Lenox, Massachusetts, both of which are in danger of closing due to financial difficulties.

If you live in the Hartford area, or if you're inspired to take your book club on the road for a literary getaway, the Mark Twain House & Museum (left) is hosting the fundraiser "Writers Reading for Twain" on September 23rd. The event features an impressive line-up of a dozen authors --- including ReadingGroupGuides.com guest bloggers Kristy Kiernan and Jon Clinch, who has his own Twain connection. Clinch's debut novel, Finn, is a spin-off of Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, imagining the life of Huck's father.

For a reading suggestion, consider Wharton's The House of Mirth. My book club read this novel about a young woman out of place among the moneyed elite of Old New York earlier this year, and we all agreed that it inspired one of the best discussions in our 12-year history. Last year we took on Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson, a mystery that showcases his trademark humor and social commentary.

It would be a shame to lose either literary landmark, each of which has a story to tell about its famous occupant.

--- Shannon McKenna Schmidt