Despite the fact that reading allows you to live thousands of lives at once, it is often viewed as a solitary experience. It doesn’t have to be, though—books can bring you closer to the people you already have connections with. One of the ways I actively enjoy being in a community of readers is through my family book club, where all of us ladies meet on Zoom to hang out and discuss our latest reads (we even dubbed ourselves the “Overbooked Book Club”—cute, right?). I can say from experience that joining any such group can be fun and beneficial!
They can make you fit reading into your schedule.
If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it a thousand times: If you make reading a priority just like you do any other task, you’ll actually make it to your book by the end of the day. Since a book club requires you to keep up with the rest of the group, you’ll probably find more time to crack open the pages on a daily basis.
It is the perfect opportunity to pair socializing with de-stressing.
To crack open a book is to gain a few moments of peace and quiet, and hanging out with friends is a recipe for energy and laughter, so why not do both at the same time? Both are wonderful outlets for stress and together can create the perfect balance of escaping the world.
They can help promote the library’s public services.
If your local library offers clubs, then you might have the opportunity to join Friends of the Library, an international organization that has been around for decades upon decades. Since their birth in the early 1900s, they have donated their services, money, and publicity to their local libraries in order to raise awareness of what they offer the community!
They can make you a better reader and writer.
Unless you’re an English major, you probably don’t get the opportunity to share your thoughts on what you’ve read recently. Take it from me, the tense, intriguing, and comedic discussions that can take place around the smallest of bookish details can be so thrilling. It can open your eyes to new perspectives and ignite your imagination!