The tradition of book clubs meeting in living rooms across the country has a long history. From small beginnings as far back as the 1800s, those first group gatherings were the genesis of the many clubs that exist today. Neither the tradition nor the simplicity of those early meetings have ever changed. I recently joined such a club, whose function largely mirrors those of the past. It consists of seven, gender-mixed participants who regularly meet in the household living room of our host, where, over a tipple of sherry, we discuss and distil the contents of the current book which we are reading. Our simple gatherings are the same as those of long ago: those rooted in the fulfilment achieved from gathering together with like-minded book lovers. Today, the only variables from one traditional club to another are perhaps the choice of refreshments, attendee numbers and the gender element. While traditional book clubs such as mine continue to enjoy considerable favour, they are no longer the single standard in the group-reading domain. They are joined today by “tweaked” versions of the original which have, in many ways, been a boon to the book-club scene overall. Nobody knows the exact date nor the names of the originators but, at some point in the not-too-distant past, a book-club trend emerged based on the simple equation of pairing group reading with another activity of shared interest. As it turned out, it was a concept that generated immediate enthusiasm and a new breed of book clubs was born. It’s unlikely that the initiators had any notion of the significant impact and positive acceptance that their “tweaking” would ultimately have on the group-reading community. While book reading remains the core activity of the popular new trend, the inclusion of peripheral activities has taken off and continues to grow. The scope and diversity of these supplemental interests have been, at the very least, remarkable. While traditional book clubs continue the practice of living room gatherings, the “new trend” groups are meeting in places that provide dual entertainment. Such venues are chosen for meeting viability, as well as relevance to a group’s additional interest or passion. As it turned out, the “new trend” clubs are meeting everywhere. Bookworms who are simultaneously arts and culture lovers are meeting in museums and galleries. Others are meeting in libraries, a venue that sometimes includes author visitations and librarian-led discussions. One Edmonton library invited its book club attendees to prepare a dish inspired by the book that they were currently reading. Bookloving foodies are meeting in restaurants, while wine and beer aficionados are pairing their reading sessions with visits to wine bars, pubs and breweries where activities such as professional mixology lessons and Book Clubs Are on the Rise Popular new trends in group reading are driving the increase. By Donna Carter 36 | www.snowbirds.org Lifestyle
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