Book Groups As Community
As British author Cailin Moran so artfully writes, “A library in the middle of a community is a cross between an emergency exit, a life raft and a festival. They are cathedrals of the mind; hospitals of the soul; theme parks of the imagination.”
The Edgewater Branch of the Chicago Public Library offers all these experiences and more for all ages. With a thriving Friends of the Edgewater Library group, a knowledgeable, helpful staff, and partnerships with Edgewater Village Chicago, the Edgewater Branch hosts many opportunities for the neighborhood to engage in free learning experiences via books, digital research, speakers and story times, collaborative arts and crafts programs and multiple book groups.
The No Book Club is one of these book groups; it meets in person and virtually via Zoom. And it’s just like what it sounds—informal meetings to discuss what an individual is reading instead of discussing one particular book.
The No Book Club in -person showing off some of their favorite books. See one you like? Get it at your local branch of the Chicago Public Library.
David M., who participates in the in-person meetings, said, “The No Book Club is a unique twist on traditional book clubs, and I look forward to getting together with folks each month. It’s a wonderful way to hear and ask about a wide range of books and socialize. And, if you didn’t get a chance to finish a book in time before the next club meeting, no pressure. Just come, listen, and enjoy!”
In-person meetings of The No Book Club
The in-person meetings of The No Book Club meet at 10 a.m. on the second Friday of each month at the library. Over the past 18 months, the post-pandemic group has drawn over 40 individuals to meetings, with an average monthly attendance of 15 readers. We’re a multi-cultural, inter-generational, gender-inclusive, welcoming group who love to read and share with others the literary gems (or escapes) we’ve enjoyed.
As member Ginger W. shares, “I’m not a fan of regular book clubs, as I don’t like being required to read specific books. My attention span doesn’t last for a long discussion of one book. Thus, The No Book Club format works for me. Also, I like The No Book Club because it has led me to read books I never would have read.”
While mysteries, especially “cozy mysteries” are popular with a significant subset of readers, the group also has been delightfully transported to reading some of the great 19th and 20th century fiction classics. Thomas K., who regularly attends the in-person meetings, shared his perspective on this topic. “I believe the following five novels are important pieces of literature,” he said.
Maya Angelou spins a story through rhyming and rhythm in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Charles Dickens takes us on a journey to London and Paris in A Tale of Two Cities.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee paints a beautiful tale of Atticus Finch defending a Black man wrongfully accused in a coming-of-age story set in the South.
A chilling account of the Chicago stockyards is the setting for the story of immigrant Jurgis Rudkus in Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle.
Mark Twain takes the reader on the journey of a young boy and a former servant as they travel the Mississippi River in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Thomas notes that of these five books, only A Tale of Two Cities has avoided being on a banned book list.”
More than fiction
Not to be outdone by fiction, non-fiction writers were well represented with books highlighting AI, mitochondria, doughnut economics, local, national, and global politics and cultures, and even the public art installation of the beloved Cows on Parade. Reader Carol C. gave the group glimpses of the American political psyche from the 1770s to the present with John P. Duggins’ John Adams, Gary W. Gallagher’s The Union War and J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy. Rich N. has shared multiple enlightening books dealing with 20th century Chicago political history.
On a lighter note, avid reader and member Raymond L. shared an audiobook titled Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon, which is narrated by Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam, and Paul Simon, who periodically picked up his guitar to musically demonstrate a point he was making during lengthy conversations. As Raymond recounts, Miracle and Wonder’ makes me understand for the first time the rich possibilities the genre of audiobooks offers.”
Perhaps, the most popular subject read is about the magic found in libraries and bookstores. From the early 1920’s private libraries, through Europe’s two world wars, to the modern day, like magnets, these buildings of books pull avid readers and bibliophiles into a welcoming embrace and their stories draw the reader into their charm.
The in-person meetings of The No Book Club offer a welcoming embrace as well. As Ginger W. said, “I like that this group meets in person and is conducted in a warm and welcoming atmosphere!”
The library’s reach extends beyond the walls of the physical structure with The No Book Club group convening online on Zoom at 1 p.m. on the last Monday of most months. These sessions attract readers who prefer the convenience of their own homes and who may live outside the neighborhood—even outside the state.
The No Book Club is a partnership with the Edgewater Branch Library, Friends of the Edgewater Library, and Edgewater Village Chicago, and meets the second Friday of every month in the Betty A. Barclay Community Room on the second floor of the Edgewater Branch Library, 6000 N. Broadway.
— Jill Brown, co-host of The No Book Club in-person meetings
Would you like some reading suggestions? Download the list of some of the books that more than one reader from The No Book Club recommends.
A recent gathering of in-person The No Book Club. See a book you like? Get at the Chicago Public Library in your neighborhood.