Paging all Newport readers

Curling up with a good book is one of the great pleasures of life on this Earth. But reading does not have to be a totally solitary activity, especially when the Great Oregon Book Read comes to town.

Presented by Oregon Age-Friendly Communities and hosted locally by the Newport 60+ Activity Center, this statewide shared reading initiative invites Oregonians to read a single book, gather to discuss it, and engage in solutions that make communities more livable and age-friendly.

This fall, the program is inviting participants to read “Together, The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World” by Vivek Murthy, MD, Surgeon General of the United States.

Murthy discusses loneliness as a public health issue and a root cause and contributor to many of the epidemics sweeping the world today — from alcohol and drug addiction to violence, depression, and anxiety. His message about the importance of human connection and the power of community is timely and hopeful.

The program invites readers to join one of two cohorts: Cohort 1, which started in mid-September and runs through November 2; or Cohort 2, which runs from November 14 through December 19. After picking up their books, readers will be invited to attend three discussion sessions with other members of their cohort.

All members of both cohorts will then be invited to celebrate together at a Great Oregon Book Read wrap party on December 21.

To sign-up or for more information, call 541-265-9617 or email Helen at beamanh@careoregon.org.