I joined an Online Book Club

I’ve always been a huge fan of book clubs. Not because being social is easy for me, but because I get to hear what other people think about books. I was in a book club of coworkers from my bookstore days and those were some of the best get togethers I’ve attended. We were a group of people who got to nerd out with books. And our community knew us too! We used to gather at a local eatery to discuss our reads and sometimes people would recognize us!

But when the bookstore closed down, it became harder for people to set time aside to meet. And of course I was now 8 hours ahead of everyone… So I could never attend. Last year I was able to compete the Goodreads challenge by reading 52 books in the year. But somehow it felt like an empty achievement. I had plenty of fun reading the books I wanted to but I felt like I was missing something. And it was a sense of community. So when long time Youtuber Jenn Im created her online book club, Curl Up Club, I jumped on board immediately.

I’ve watched Jenn for years and admired her ability to remain relatable. I’ve unsubscribed from dozens of other channels over the years. I couldn’t connect with them anymore. And it’s fine to grow and change, I understand that it’s important for people. But I still get excited for an upload from Jenn and that’s what matters to me. She had toyed with the idea of starting a book club and took the chance on making one when the quarantine hit. No one could get together anyway, why not make an online club for the world to join in? So far it’s only on Instagram but the response has been fantastic.

The book of the month is announced the first Monday of the month and we get plenty of time to read. Our first book was World War Z and this month we’re tackling When Breath Becomes Air. At the end of the month Jenn schedules an Instagram Live session for readers to tune into. She posts questions encourages viewers to connect live and discuss with her. It’s such a heartfelt moment to see the joy in a fans eyes when Jenn answers their call. I was a little late to the first meeting but it was such a great experience that I can’t wait for the next one.

It’s difficult for people to connect with the way the world is today. So having a platform where everyone is equal and welcome is such a breath of fresh air. This is my first online book club and I can’t recommend the experience enough. It’s great for people who want a community but are too shy or unable to find a local club. I fit into both categories right now and I love what Jenn has done. I found other online book clubs before but they never seemed a good fit for me. It’s safe for me to say that I may have found a new home!