Book Clubs: Stretching Our Reading...

...and Ourselves
Book clubs are a wonderful way to stretch reading capacity—at least that’s how I experience the two I currently belong to.

My original club began about 15 years ago and, over time, organically reduced to just three of us. One member eventually bowed out because she didn’t like the range of books we were choosing. I found that choice both curious and limiting, but the rest of us carried on.

My second book club formed during COVID. I advertised it as a neighborhood-based group, and for the first year we met virtually. At our peak, we had eight members. Since then, one person moved away and another was asked to leave. This month, we’re welcoming a new member—a reminder that groups, like stories, evolve.

Left to my own devices, I tend to gravitate toward familiar genres. Book clubs push me beyond that comfort zone. Some books land beautifully; others leave me scratching my head; a few become impossible to put down. Certain authors surprise me with their voice and insight, while others completely confound me. Along the way, I’ve come to appreciate audiobooks—especially for memoirs and nonfiction. The Book of Joy is a perfect example: listening to it added a depth and emotional resonance I don’t think I would have experienced on the page.

I’ve also found meaning in unexpected places—even in light, beach-read fiction. Some stories help me better understand complicated relationships with my mother and family, offering small but powerful insights when I least expect them. And occasionally, quite by accident, I select a book with very steamy sex scenes (some authors truly know how to build tension).

Book clubs offer many life lessons. Having a shared text gives people something neutral yet meaningful to talk about. Through that conversation, we learn about each other, hear differing perspectives, ask better questions, and discover how differently we each experience the same written work. Our life experiences act as a lens through which we interpret a story, and discussing it together invites growth—and sometimes a shift in perspective.

In many ways, we are each active participants in our own nonfiction story. We experience life as both protagonist and author, while others experience our story as supporting characters—or occasionally as co-authors. Conflict sits at the center of every compelling book, movie, or plotline. It’s what keeps us engaged, develops characters, and moves the story forward. When conflict shows up in our own lives, it’s not a failure of the narrative—it’s an opportunity to deepen relationships, respond with curiosity, and remember that others are experiencing our story through their own lens.

A book club brings different people together around a shared love of stories and written work. The most successful ones establish clear understandings—ground rules that create safety, invite participation, encourage respectful disagreement, and ensure that all voices and perspectives have space. In that way, book clubs don’t just help us read more widely; they help us live—and relate—more thoughtfully.