The Fellowship of Readers
For bibliophiles, a close runner up to the pleasure of reading is the pleasure we derive from connecting with other bookworms. I’m dubbing these interactions the fellowship of readers.
Chances are, if you love reading, you enjoy sharing your bookish experiences. This seems to hold true whether we discuss, dissect, agree, disagree, or agree-to-disagree about a particular work. We love to talk about books.
An estimated 5 million Americans are members of some type of book club. These groups come in assorted styles, sizes, and modes of operating: public, private, in-person, virtual. Each group has their method for choosing which books they will read and discuss. If you want to know more, this white paper describes U.S. book club trends along with a bit about their inner workings.
Along with traditional book clubs, a different kind of club, the Silent Book Club®, has grown into an impressive volunteer-led group where everyone is welcome. This global community has 1,000 chapters in 50 countries with a private Facebook group of more than 80 thousand members.
During the Silent Book Club in-person gatherings, members silently read whatever BYObooks they wish. It’s a separate, yet together, sort of reading communion.
Each quarter, I have the joy to zoom with three fellow bibliophiles from our respective parts of the country. After some social catch-up, we take turns sharing about the books that we’ve read since our last meeting. Among the four of us, we read an array of genres, subjects, and authors, which then guides us on to all kinds of related works. We each have occasional periods when our reading mojo has been off. That’s fine too; this is camaraderie, not competition.
On the surface, reading may look like a solo sport. But, even if we read in solitude, there’s a kind of reader’s sympatico, aka, the fellowship of readers that connects us.
When I read in public, a stranger sometimes surprises me with impromptu book talk. I recently loitered over dinner on the patio of a local restaurant; my nose stuck in a book. A woman came outside and said, “I’ve been trying to see your book cover for about 20 minutes. I couldn’t see it, so I just had to ask what you’re reading.” We continued on to a robust exchange about the books that we were reading at the time. I’ve often been amazed at how quickly an acquaintance can develop into a friend when we discover our mutual reading passion.
Choosing which books to read is like many of our choices. It’s easy to veer toward the familiar and stay within our comfort zone. My discussions with other readers help introduce me to books I have not heard of and otherwise would not know that I want (or need) to read, many of which I add to my to-be-read (TBR) list. I’ve accepted the sad truth that I’ll never have enough time to finish the entirety of books on that ever-growing list.
Meanwhile, I keep reading.
“It’s a particular kind of pleasure, of intimacy, loving a book with someone.” (Writers & Lovers)