By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

AUBURN – A Twin Cities book program is as much about talking as it is about reading, according to One Book/One Community organizers.

The Twin Cities kicked off its third annual community book reading program Monday in Auburn, encouraging people to pick up and read “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America,” a book by Barbara Ehrenreich.

“Pick up a copy of the book, read it and discuss it with your friends, your co-workers – even perfect strangers,” said Auburn Library Director Rosemary Waltos.

The book, which documents the working poor in Florida, Maine and Minnesota, should generate plenty of discussion, according to Lewiston Library Director Rick Speer.

“Reading is usually as solitary as it can be,” Speer said. “But this event is all about community. We’re challenging the community as a whole to read.”

Copies of the book are available for loan at the Lewiston and Auburn public libraries and can be reserved by calling either library. Copies are available for purchase at a 20 percent discount at the Book Burrow, Mr. Paperback and Waldenbooks.

Local librarians began offering a communitywide reading program in 2003. That program focused on two books: Richard Russo’s “Empire Falls,” and Stephen King’s “The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.”

“Two books proved to be too much, really,” Speer said.

The program focused on David Guterson’s “Snow Falling on Cedars” last year. This is the first year the group has selected a non-fiction work. Speer said there is no single kind of book organizers look for.

“Previous years both had a tie to Maine, and the book this year does as well,” Speer said. Author Ehrenreich worked as a housekeeper and nursing home maid in Maine as a part of her research for the book.

“But I think every year, we’ve tried to focus on something that has some bearing on the community,” Speer said. “We’ve tried to pick titles that will really encourage discussion.”

Events include an April 12 discussion with local experts about challenges that some individuals and families face as they try to get by working at low-wage jobs. The discussion, at 7 p.m. April 12 at Lewiston-Auburn College will be moderated by Rex Rhoades, executive editor of the Sun Journal.

One Book/One Community is a partnership of the Lewiston and Auburn public libraries, Lewiston Adult Education, Auburn Adult Education, the Sun Journal, Book Burrow & Caf, Mr. Paperback, Waldenbooks and University of Southern Maine/Lewiston-Auburn.

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