Urbandale Librarian Creates Ultimate Chick Book Club

Julie Wells' book clubs at the Norwalk public library had a loyal following, so after settling into her job as director of the , Wells is starting a Jane Austen book club.

What better time than February to start a program that Wells acknowledges will probably attract "mostly women"? Cuddle up with a cup of tea, a fuzzy blanket and "Sense and Sensibility" to follow the opportunities for love for sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood.

Every other month, the club will read one Austen novel. The programs will always be on Tuesday nights: the first will be a discussion of the book; the second members can watch a movie of the the story; and the third will feature a discussion of some aspect of the world Austen wrote about, from tea to English gardens to manners.

The programs are all free, but you must preregister.  A schedule of the programs is on the library website. Wells said people can sign up for as many, or as few, programs as they want.

"If this goes over well, I'd like to pick a different author each year," she said.