I’m a recovering bookworm. I’m actually only in recovery because #momlife and also probably because law school caused me to lose sight of the joy of reading for pleasure for a time, but I digress.
As a kid and as a teen, I carried a book with me everywhere I went. Whereas my kids are likely to ask to watch somebody’s phone if we’re out to dinner (I’m certainly not winning any awards for my supervision of screen time), during my own childhood, you could find me at a restaurant table with a book in my lap.
I still love to read, but it’s not something I found myself making a priority in recent years. Enter – the idea to start a book club!
I learned my love for reading at least in part from my own mom, so it’s only natural that my book club began as a joint effort with her. We put our heads together and extended the invitation to several of Mom’s friends and several of my own. The book club was born.
The concept was fairly simple, and what I imagine most book clubs look like. We pick a book, we choose a location, and we get together approximately once a month. For every person who shows up to the meeting having read the book, you’re just as likely to find another person who didn’t. It’s okay, she’s invited anyway! Half the fun of the book club is just having an excuse to get together regularly for good food, friendship, and drinks.
It’s been especially fun to watch our book club evolve through the years because it began as a multi-generational group. We started with a group of “my friends” (mostly in their late 20s and early 30s) and then mixed in some of my mom’s friends (and I’ll let you imagine their ages so no one gets angry with me! Ha!). Over time, the group has grown and we have women bridging the gap between the two generations, too. The variance in age demographic has proved really interested in some of our conversations about the books. A wide variety of perspectives keeps things interesting!
I love having a book to read each month, whether I actually end up reading the book or not. It gives me a goal each month to attempt to read the designated book – and many times, it’s a book I would never have picked for myself. I love the variety of reading material!
If you’ve ever considered starting a book club, I highly encourage you to take the plunge and go for it.
It doesn’t have to be a complicated or rigid thing – in fact, I’d argue that ours is more fun because it is not. Attendance fluctuates, our venue changes monthly, and the number of women who read the book each month widely varies. However, our commitment to having a great time and respectfully sharing opinions is unwavering.
In case you’re interested, here are 5 of my favorite’s that we’ve read over the last few years!
Kim’s Top 5 Favorite Book Club Picks
- The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
- Finding Anna by Lisa Scottoline
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
