Winter Break 12/23 to 1/1 - Access registration, payment, and financial aid services through the portal/self-service.

CCC Cares Book Club

The book club was revived by the CCC Cares Wellness Sub-committee from the original Book Club and Lunch started by Rose DeNardo. The Wellness sub-committee shares information and initiates activities that help employees live healthier lives by maintaining lower stress levels, healthy eating habits and mental health awareness.

Current Book

December 2024

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Summary: Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Date & Time: Friday, December 20, 2024 – 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Location & Registration: Via Zoom – Check your CCC email for the registration link.

January 2025

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

Summary: Julian Jessop, an eccentric, lonely artist and septuagenarian believes that most people aren’t really honest with one another. But what if they were? And so he writes—in a plain, green journal—the truth about his own life and leaves it in his local café. It’s run by the incredibly tidy and efficient Monica, who furtively adds her own entry and leaves the book in the wine bar across the street. Before long, the others who find the green notebook add the truths about their own deepest selves—and soon find each other In Real Life at Monica’s Café. The Authenticity Project’s cast of characters—including Hazard, the charming addict who makes a vow to get sober; Alice, the fabulous mommy Instagrammer whose real life is a lot less perfect than it looks online; and their other new friends—is by turns quirky and funny, heartbreakingly sad and painfully true-to-life. It’s a story about being brave and putting your real self forward—and finding out that it’s not as scary as it seems. In fact, it looks a lot like happiness.

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley
Date & Time: Friday, January 17, 2025 – 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Location & Registration: Via Zoom – Check your CCC email for the registration link.

All CCC Cares book selections are available through the Camden County Library System.
Or check your local library system for copies.

Advance registration is encouraged even if you are unsure about your attendance.
Registering in advance allows the facilitator to contact interested bookworms regarding schedule conflicts or reading progress to determine date/time changes, if needed.

Common questions and answers about the book club.

What is the purpose of the CCC Cares Book Club?

The book club was revived by the CCC Cares Wellness Sub-committee from the original Book Club and Lunch started by Rose DeNardo. The Wellness sub-committee shares information and initiates activities that help employees live healthier lives by maintaining lower stress levels, healthy eating habits and mental-health awareness.

How often does the book club meet?

The book club meets once a month including summer. Selections are revealed 4 weeks in advance via an email from CCC Cares.

Where are the meetings held?

All meetings are held virtually to allow employees from all campuses to participate.

Do I have to be visible on camera?

No, you are not required to use a webcam during meetings. You can participate with audio only.

How long are the meetings?

Meetings are held during lunch hours. During regular business hours the book club meets for one hour on Fridays. During summer hours the book club meets for 30 minutes on Thursdays.

Do I have to participate every month?

No, it is not necessary to participate every month. Not all books speak to everyone. You participate based on your interest the book title and as your schedule allows.

How are books selected?

The book club facilitator chooses the selections. When possible, titles are selected based on events occurring in a particular month (i.e. banned book week, mental health awareness month, and so on).

Do you accept book suggestions?

Absolutely! Readers can send their book club selection suggestions to Rose DeNardo at rdenardo@961381.com.

Do I have to buy the books?

No, you do not need to purchase the books. Each email notification will tell you how many print copies are available via the Camden County Library System. You may also check out your local library. Copies may also be available in other formats. Feel free to read the book in any format you feel comfortable – print, e-book, or audio.

What books have been read over the past year and a half?

June 2023

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Victoria Schwab

July 2023

The Fifth Letter

Nicola Moriarty

August 2023

Darling Rose Gold

Stephanie Wrobel

September 2023

We Need to Talk about Kevin

Lionel Shriver

October 2023

The Book of Cold Cases

Simone St. James

November 2023

The Recipe Box

Viola Shipman

December 2023

Elsewhere

Dean Koontz

January 2024

The Measure

Nikki Erlick

Febuary 2024

Girls Made of Snow & Glass

Melissa Bashardoust

March 2024

My Own Words

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

April 2024

It's All Relative

A.J. Jacobs

May 2024

The Prayer Box

Lisa Wingate

June 2024

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café

Fannie Flagg

July 2024

The Cousins

Karen M. McManus

August 2024

Reading with Patrick

Michelle Kuo

September 2024

The Women

Kristin Hannah

October 2024

The Mother-in-Law

Sally Hepworth

November 2024

The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade

Ann Fessler

For more information please contact, Rose DeNardo at rdenardo@961381.com.