On the importance of book clubs and building connection.

When I had the idea for this book club last December, I was honestly hoping to create the kind of space that I was craving and couldn’t seem to find in real life. I was looking for a community of people who enjoyed reading the same kinds of books as me, but also who I would enjoy spending time with. It felt like a tough ask from the universe!

I joined Booktok and was surprised to see so many content creators focusing on books, particularly romance, and I could tell that I was on the right track. I began finding people I could connect with, somebody mentioned the Fable app for clubs, and slowly but surely, our book club grew one member at a time.

Immediately, I was struck by the number of people who were looking for the same kind of connection that I was. It turns out that not every town has a romance book store (though they are growing in popularity!), romance book clubs, or places for women to connect with one another about what they enjoy reading. I was very happy to have built a space where we could connect over our love of reading no matter where we were in the world or how busy our schedules could be. The online platform itself really promised that time zones wouldn’t stop us from connecting, and there really wasn’t pressure to read at a specific pace because connection could happen at any time throughout the month.

The thing that surprised me, though, was ultimately how kind people could be. I expected that a book club could be full of enthusiasm about books, but I didn’t realize how much of the excitement and connection would spill out from the Fable app and into social media accounts. Women supporting women, especially their creativity, turned out to be the best part about the book club. Growing a community of people who enjoy interacting and bonding over what they love truly became the focal point of the space.

And honestly, now that the club has been around long enough to see people weather storms (big moves, illness, surgery), it’s becoming clearer to me that human connection and support was always the point. Giving people a space to share, create, and be themselves was always the point. And I feel truly grateful to be a part of something that brings people joy. The really good book selections every month are just the cherry on top.