Why I Started a Book Club – When I Kind of Hate Book Clubs

Historically, I’ve been a real turd whenever anyone has asked me about being in a book club. I’ve usually said something along the lines of, “I don’t like reading on someone else’s timeline” or, “Reading is my ‘introvert activity.’” I didn’t want to share it with anyone or have anyone else’s opinions about a book influence my own and vice versa.

Here’s the thing I was missing though. It’s not about the books. I mean, it is. Readers really love to talk about books. But there was something I was missing.

In a post-COVID world, where people have grown accustomed to isolation and convenience, it seems like people are having a harder and harder time finding community. Maybe they’ve lost the stamina for social situations, simply lost touch with the people and places around them or moved to a new city during the pandemic giving them little opportunity to get to know their surroundings.

Since COVID completely shifted our behaviors, it’s become more apparent to me that people need to have a reason to leave the house and be among people. I’ve even had people say as much to me. It needs to be trivia night or their friend’s band must be playing. Going to a neighborhood bar for a beer and to see your friends and neighbors is not something people do as commonly.

With less time spent in offices, there are less happy hours with co-workers. Working from home provides a big incentive to stay in comfy clothes and drink the bottle of wine you got while doing your weekly grocery shopping. Alone. While sending your favorite TikToks to your friend who is probably doing the exact same thing.

This isn’t a bad thing. Lazy days and nights in are necessary. As someone who identifies has an introvert, my time spent alone is rejuvenating. But when does it bleed into loneliness and when does loneliness bleed into increased likelihood for things like depression?

For months, conversations about books in my bar led to, “You should start a book club” comments. Already feeling stretched thin, my response to those people was always, “You are welcome to start your own book club and meet here.”

I didn’t want to do it – not only because I never really liked the idea of a being in a book club myself but also because my free time is so limited, and I already struggle to make space for things I should for my own physical and mental well-being. Like exercise and getting enough sleep.

Owning a business is a dream life in many ways, but it is no walk in the park if you haven’t heard.

When I was considering starting a book club, I had a great example of what a low commitment adult extra-curricular might look like. In 2018, I joined Choir League in Denver after searching for years to find the right fit to return to singing with other people. It’s a choir composed largely of adults in the 25 to 45 age range open to all skill and experience levels. During each 6-to-8-week cycle that include one 2-hour rehearsal each week and a performance at the end, attendance is not monitored, and it is understood that sometimes, you may be late, need to leave early, or miss a rehearsal entirely because we are all adults with varied responsibilities. Resources are provided to aid in learning at home. The primary goal has always been having fun and building community while making music together.

Taking a page out of that book, I started the Western Sky Book Coven – embracing some of the witchy themes of our bar’s name.

We’ll have meetups once a month to discuss that month’s pick. The books are selected months in advance, so that readers don’t have any sort of strict timelines to stick to. And if they don’t really have an interest in the book for that month, no big deal. No offense taken.

After our first meetup, here’s what I realized. While readers are excited to talk about books, they’re hungry for real connection, community, and shared experiences. Face to face.

So, keeping that in mind, that will always be my primary goal as a business owner – to create opportunities and provide a space for connections to be made and an avenue for conversations to start.

I tried to choose books that I believed would be natural discussion starters and books people have likely at least heard about. Here’s our list for January to June. Grab them from bookshop.org or your local indie bookstore and read with us!

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