I love to read and have found joining a Book Club can be a great way to make friends as I’ve moved around the country. While book people are some of the best people, I’ve found that Book Club Clubbers share some common traits that make me feel like I’ve met them before. Here are 5 People You Meet at Book Club-
1. The person who always reads the book
This friend is informed, organized and reliable. She’s got the titles of the year’s books in her Google Calendar and has reserved her copy of the new best seller at the library so she’s not panicking and buying the hardback version a week before Book Club. She always comes to Book Club prepared and though she doesn’t mind that you’re only 3/4 of the way through, she takes the *tiniest* bit of satisfaction know her Book Club completion score is a solid 100.
2. The person who never reads the book
This friend claims something to the effect of, “There’s nothing you can get from a book that you can’t get from a movie faster,” and even though you love to read, you have to give it to her that there have been some great film adaptations of Pride and Prejudice. You do not begrudge her watching the movie, because sometimes we all have our hands full! Other times this friend may have started the book, but didn’t finish and you love her so much because she doesn’t care if you spoil it, she’s not going to read it anymore anyway!
3. The person who’s just there for friendship
This friend may be a newcomer to the group and is semi-shocked to find out that this Book Club actually reads books! Her last Book club started as a Book Club, may have been derailed by wine, then evolved.
Her old Book Club was truly living it’s best life as a once-a-month ladies night called “Book Club” at everyone’s favorite restaurant and no actual books were allowed. She thinks you are kind of wild by actually reading books and then using discussion questions to keep things on topic, but she’s willing to try your idea, once she finds her library card.
4. The person who’s there for the food
This friend connects to books through food. When they host, they decide to try making food from the book even they have absolutely no experience making the dish. They give it their all making Nigerian Pepper Soup for Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor and they think they get extra bonus points because you could smell the aroma of soup from two houses away. This friend loves a good food themed night and serves incredibly fresh Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies and green muffins when discussing the rabbit filled book, The Green Ember by S.D. Smith.
The foodie friend loves to connect with the culinary delights of the book of the month, but is equally happy eating good food with good friends that has nothing to do with the book.
5. The person who’s read every book
This friend asks you if you’ve read a book and when you say no, they ask if you’ve read a different book by the author.
After you say no again, they try a different genre. Continually striking out, they invite you to follow them on Goodreads where they have 387,489 books on their Read list last year and “just barely” met their goal.
You think about never coming to Book Club again, but you love it with your whole heart, so you tell yourself to keep your chin up. Your single digit reading goal isn’t bothering anyone and you plan to be a Book Club Clubber for life.
Which one are you?!
