Chat Between Chapters: Book Clubs

For this discussion post, we are joining the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Billy of Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer.

This week’s prompt: Do you belong to a book club? If so, how many members do you have? How long has it been going on? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver’s Review)

 

 

 Julie:

I find it curious how we started this blog from a book club, and yet we haven’t had a discussion post about book clubs. So, now I shall share my history of book clubs since the inception of this blog.

Chapter Break was started in 2013, when I lived in the Houston area. This was before motherhood when I had time to myself. At that time, we were part of the YA for Adults book club, where this blog was thought up by our former co-blogger and co-founder, Rose. Later, a fellow book club member replaced her, so that’s where you meet Lynn. Believe it or not, the YA for Adults book club is still alive and well and has been run by Lynn virtually across states since many of us moved. There are only 2 or 3 people who attend, though (and I’m the “or 3” most of the time).

Then there are all the other book clubs I have been a part of over time. In Houston I was in the “North-West Houston Book Club” and the “Creatures of Nyght” book club. I dabbled in joining some other meetup book clubs but more than 3 became a lot to handle. Creatures fizzled out, we moved and going to the YA book club became difficult after I had a baby because it was held on the other side of the city. I tried to keep going to the NW Houston group, but I had to bring the baby a lot because military life and the husband never being home and all that, and he was just such a needy terror that I couldn’t keep him quiet. So, I stopped book clubs for years.

Later, many years later, when we were stationed in Hawaii I joined a book club. I went to a few meetings, which were fine. Then I had to bring the kid again to a meeting because Dad had to work late, and he, again, was an unruly terror. I was so embarrassed I stopped going. Then Covid happened, and they switched to virtual, so I attended a few of those before that group fizzled out.

So then I was book club lonely for a while until we moved to Virginia and I immediately joined the local town book club. I only got to attend my first meeting and after that my son got into karate which was held on the same night, and I got to be the lucky one to drive him, so I left that book club. Then I joined the spouses club, which had a book club sub-club. That worked out very well with meetings on a weekend and due to the nature of the assignment being a course, my husband was home more (mostly working on his research). But anyway, the kiddo was older and could play in his room while hubs worked in another room and I could go to book club. When we moved to Alabama, I found another spouses book club and have been going to that. I enjoy book clubs because I get to meet other bookish people and bookish people are good to meet. I also enjoy going since that is the only way I meet people – working remotely like I do.

I don’t attend every meeting, and I don’t even attend every club I join. Yes, there are a few clubs I have joined (like am in the Facebook group) but never went to a meeting. I like book clubs to keep me reading and finding out about great books. Otherwise I get stuck with either too many review books, or a reading slump.

Wow I wrote you a whole essay!

 

Lynn:

Wow. Julie did write a whole essay! Yes – our book club is going strong-ish with 2-3 people on the regular. Virtual book club is fine with me!

I do sometimes think about joining another book club. But most of the ones around me are during the day on weekdays. Who the heck has that kind of free time? Also, it’s intimidating to join an already existing book club. They already have their vibe in place. And reading two different book club books in one month doesn’t leave much time for pleasure reading.

I am a fan of book clubs for sure – meeting people who I at least have books in common with gives us similarities and a starting point for conversations. Maybe I’ll find another book club to join at some point. Who knows!

 

What about you?

 

 

We are also linking up our discussion posts with the 2025 Book Blog Discussion Challenge hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight!

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