There was a time in my life, not too long ago, when my brain rebelled against deep, thought provoking books. I grew up with the message from my teachers and extended family that one should not fill up one’s mind with irrelevant things. One should always read unabridged classics, books on history, science, philosophy. Books that will enlighten, inspire, expand your knowledge. In other words, read with a purpose. So I savored my Amar Chitra Kathas, comic books, Mills and Boons romances in secret – away from public eyes. Fortunately, my mother did not care what I read. I also had a couple of fabulous teachers who introduced me to poetry and prose that broadened my horizon, taught me how to think, enjoy, and appreciate written words. When I went to college to study English, I met very well read peers. They helped me with my reading too. I read serious, thought provoking books to keep up with the conversation, to show off and yes, to enrich my mind. Even as an adult, I read to learn something. I read to escape, empathize, decipher and of course, be entertained. I was and still am a fan of literary fiction.
Then Covid ravaged the world and my life. During those difficult days, I picked up literary fictions only to put them down again. I think I experienced the biggest reading slump that I have ever experienced in my life during Covid and especially after my parents died. One day, I picked up a lighter book and found myself turning the pages. I think the book was The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman. I finished the book in two sittings, enjoyed the story and thought about it for a while. The book was funny, well-written, and most importantly, hopeful. It was a romance but it was more than the formulaic romance that I used to read at age 16. I started reading more books that were light but full of of grace and hope. I wondered if there were people out there who have had enough of angst and sadness. We could get plenty of those if we opened the newspaper or turned on the news channels on television. I wondered if I could gather some people together to read and discuss lighter books in a book club. The caveat being the books needed to be uplifting, hopeful, and meaningful enough to generate conversation.
My bosses at work were willing to let me try out a book club like this. I gave myself 6 months and decided that if nobody came to the book club, I would move on to something else. My supervisor encouraged me to go for it so I did. On March 16, 2023, Light But Not Fluffy book club was born. Within the first 2 weeks of opening up registration for this book club, all the spots were filled and people kept calling to register. We opened with 18 people.
It has been a year now that we have been meeting. The book club has grown even larger. We range from 20 to 23. I have been facilitating book clubs for the last 8 years now and my mantra for facilitation is ‘be a guide, not a hero’. I ask a question and let the conversation grow organically without too much input from me. I am comfortable with silence (silence that neither of my book clubs have very much). I think silence is important to let people collect their thoughts. I watch out for interruptions and make sure everyone gets a chance to speak. Some want to listen and I respect that too. I was a little apprehensive at the beginning with such a big group that people will break out into private conversations and I will have to be that facilitator who has to bring the house to pay attention to the speaker. But the ladies who joined me never did that. Each one of them is respectful, attentive, and willing to listen. They are never shy to offer their opinion. They don’t always agree but they listen. What more could a facilitator ask for? We came together for the conversation and we stayed for the laughter.
Today is the birth month of Light But Not Fluffy book club. This book club is special to me for a couple of reasons. First, it came at a time when I was very sad and did not know how to get out of the quagmire of grief. Books helped. The hope that books provided and the people who gathered to talk about such books helped. The laughter helped. Second, in our endeavor to teach at the library, we sometimes forget about fun. This book club is just for entertainment. And that is all we get out of this book club apart from a camaraderie of strong, opinionated, and fun people. Perhaps we come away with some new thoughts about the book or life in general. We learn a bit about each other too. No research of the setting or culture or author is done in this book club. We simply read the story and talk about how the story made us feel, what did the characters do, did the plot make sense, what are the anomalies?
So happy birthday, book club. May there be years and years of laughter ahead, may there be hope, may there be grace, and yes, also snark. What is life without a little snark?
If you want to use any of these books for your book club, here is a list of all the books that we have read this year:
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan
One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
Dear Mrs. Bird by A. J Pearce
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
The Hired Girl by Laura Schlitz
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
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