Book Club

After recently leaving an event, I had a quick exchange of words with a friend who loves books. When I say she loves books, I mean she really loves books. And so do I, don’t get me wrong, but no one loves books the way that she loves books! As we were leaving, we got the idea to do a book club. But this would not be an ordinary book club because we both don’t like spending money on books and having to read so many pages by a certain date. We wanted a book club where girls can just gather and talk about the book they are currently reading and why they are reading it. Just a few short weeks after this idea was planted into our heads, we had a date on the calendar and a cute little flyer to send out to our friends.

My goal was to have about five girls gather and talk about our current books and why we are reading them. For us to have just a night to be real, meet other girls in similar stages of life, to relax and talk about books. I know I am not alone in the sense that I will be reading a really good book, but it’s not really common conversation to bring up what you are reading. It’s about movies, music, podcast, sports or politics. Come on world, let’s make reading cool again! This book club would be a night to speak to other people who care about what you are reading and to exchange in dialogue or even exchange books. So, we invited almost every female we knew between the ages of 20-30 to come experience book club.

Once the night finally arrived, I was so nervous for how it would turn out. I have never been to a book club let alone host one at my house! Seven smart, strong, and beautiful women decided to give book club a try. My dining room table was full of snacks, drinks and our hands were holding our books! We introduced ourselves and got right into telling each other about our books. This incredible group of women talked about books for about two whole hours. The best part about it was that everyone’s book was so different from type, theme, author, genre and even why we were reading it. No matter what the book was we could all relate and learn from the book and the reader explaining the story line.

It was such a good time of laughter and relaxation! The night went on as if all the ladies had known each other for years but the joy in the room was so fresh. There were so many big take-a-ways but the biggest thing that we took away was that it was okay to read at different paces, where some ladies have a goal to read three books this year and others have a goal to read 19, and we all read different genres for different reasons. At the end of the night we decided that we enjoyed it so much that it should be a reoccurring monthly event. We all agreed that the second Friday of each month could work and that we would bring a few books to possibly exchange if someone in the group wanted to read one of our books.

Maybe book club will turn into monthly book exchange? Who knows! All I know is that life is too short not to regularly gather with like-minded people. Books are too rich to leave closed and never read. People are too important to not ask them what their dreams and goals are! Living rooms were made for living, laughter and fun. I am so thankful that I stepped out on a limb and hosted a book club…and not a normal book club. It was worth it and then some!

 

If you are a female in Valdosta, GA and would like to come to book club the second Friday in May please reach out to me!

Just some books that were brought and talked about: Basilica by R.A. Scotti, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Why Her by Nicki Koziarz, Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker, White Awake by Daniel Hill, For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn, Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist, The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon, Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst, A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, all of Bob and Maria Goff’s books and others!

What are you currently reading?

 

Keep your head up high and your words filled with love,

Your friend Colleen Howard!