Book Club
Find or start a book club! Check the library, local bookstores, and ask online to find a book club. Many people have started resistance-oriented clubs in the past year, but any group will encourage reading and build community.
If you can’t find one that appeals to you, starting a book club can be as simple as asking a friend if they want to read something at the same time as you, and have dinner afterwards. It’s a great way to finally read that book you’ve been meaning to get to, or to work through more complicated material.
How to do it:
Joining a book club is the simplest option, but what if you can’t find one that’s reading what you want to read? One easy alternative is to join a Silent Book Club. This is a national movement where people gather in a public place to read, quietly, together. You do not need to read the same book, and there is no discussion, but it gives you schedule to read and you might meet someone like-minded.
If you have a little more motivation and want a real book club, it’s not that hard to start one!
Simplest
Post an invitation on social media : “I want to read Book X. Does anyone want to join me and discuss it when we’re done?” If the group is very small, just meet up for coffee or lunch and chat. It’s okay if you don’t talk about the book that much. Book clubs are basically social opportunities vetted by mutual interests.
More formal
If you have more than 5 or 6 participants, you’ll probably need to establish some rules. How will you pick books, who can invite new participants, and the most dreaded one of all : when will we meet? Bookclubs.com offers guides and free tools to help you establish an in-person book club. You can also create a virtual book club on Facebook.
What to read
Reading anything long form pushes back on our short-attention-span culture. Like any skill, if you never use it, it atrophies, so don’t feel guilty about that “beach burner” you enjoyed! If you’re ready to leverage reading for resistance, we recommend reading civil rights era histories or books about activism. A very good first choice would be Maria Ressa’s “How to Stand Up to a Dictator”.
