deeper dive: Reading Life

First, Laura Tremaine’s online book club, in the paid Secret Stuff Community, meets monthly, but I can pick and choose which meetings I attend. Since it’s large and she’s a public figure more than a close friend (although she’s so awesome that she feels like a buddy!), I can be an active participant by unmuting and talking and/or writing comments in the chat. I can also be a quiet observer and simply enjoy what everyone else is saying. This is the book club that stretches my reading selections as Laura and I are not book twins. She picks books I wouldn’t usually choose, but I like that! It’s good for my reading self and I love the discussions and discovering new genres/authors.
Second, I host the free Once-in-a-While Book Club in my home. We meet approximately two times a year so it’s good for those of us who can’t commit to monthly meetings, but we still get that fabulous book club conversation and connection with fellow readers. I pick books for this club, but members (who vary from meeting to meeting) have a strong influence on my selection. So far, we’ve read literary fiction.
Third, my cousins and Auntie Darlene just started a book club on Zoom because we love reading and want to stay in touch. We are all avid readers, but the real benefit of this book club is that I can connect with beloved relatives who live far away.

It’s fun. Take a friend. If I go with my husband, I consider it a date.
For LA locals, I like Pages and Zibby’s.
My absolute favorite bookshop is Fabled in Waco, Texas. You can visit Magnolia while you’re there.

What Should I Read Next
Currently Reading Podcast
Sarah’s Bookshelves
10 Things to Tell You (This is Laura Tremaine’s podcast and it’s not exclusively about reading, but she does great monthly book reviews, and I really enjoy all of her content.)

I use my Kindle for travel since it’s convenient, but prefer holding a book in my hands.
I can do audio for memoir and nonfiction (occasionally), but can’t for fiction. I prefer to use Libby for audio and Kindle since it’s free through your local library.
I love a hardback from the library with that crinkly plastic protective cover.

I keep two lists in the front of my daily planner.
- TBR (To Be Read)
- Books Read by Month. I just write the title and give a 1-5 star rating (or DNF—Did Not Finish).
I’ve tried to keep reading journals (this is a good one) and/or use Good Reads or reading trackers like this one, but I’m not consistent. I guess I want to read more pages than record data about what I’m reading.