OH, BOY!  Do I like this idea!

It’s called The Silent Book Club.  How can that be, you ask.  Book clubs are all about talking, sharing, opining.  So, what’s with the silent bit?   Well, there’s a great answer to that.

I was part of a book club in Dayton. Back then, book clubs were relatively new.  As is the norm, a member was invited to chose a book of her liking for the coming month.  My favorite book of all time, selected by a friend, was and still is: “Crossing To Safety” by Wallace Stegner.

We were a pretty relaxed group. If you read the book, great.  If you enjoyed it, even better.  If you had some relevant comments and questions about it, then, please share them. That book club still exists.  Many have moved; others have died.  Alas. But the memories….all good ones….. linger on.

There are many reasons to join book clubs.  They’re all good and I’ve just discovered another one. 

As mentioned above, it’s called the Silent Book Club.  Members arrive at the meeting with their very own book.  The one they’re currently reading. A book of their own choosing.  Not one chosen by the group. They settle in, read their own book for a half an hour or so, put it down and share with the others what they’ve just read and learned. And why that particular book was of interest to them.  How cool is that?

Nobody was asked to read an “assigned” book.  Nobody had to cram and read a quick review to keep up with discussion.  No one could say they didn’t like the book.  After all, they’d personally chosen the book they were reading. 

Through sharing personal reasons for reading that particular book, other members could get a glimpse into that person’s interests and way of thinking.  Further, they all learned of new books they themselves might want to explore. Seems like a win/win situation to me.

It’s certainly a unique and fresh twist on book clubs.  And, I like it.  A lot.