Virtual Book Clubs 📖

The weather has been beautiful for days now, but we Midwesterners know better than to trust it to stay that way. 🌤️

Soon, the rain will likely force us back indoors, to once again pull our quilts up to our chins in search of warmth and comfort. And what better way to spend a rainy day than with a good book in hand? ☔📖

And after a year of limited social interactions, you might be yearning for a deeper connection. Or perhaps you'd like to expand your circle of friends. A book club is a great way to do both. 🧑💬📚👩

Area libraries and bookstores have plenty of virtual book club offerings. 💻 Here are a few you can join, along with tips on how you can start your own book club, courtesy of Kansas City Public Library's Director of Readers' Services, Kaite Stover. 📚

Kansas City Public Library

🔹 As its name suggests, the Whenever Book Club allows readers to participate any time they’d like. The discussion takes place on a virtual bulletin board service so that participants can post responses, questions and comments whenever.

🔹 The Kansas City Public Library's FYI Book Group is coordinated with the Kansas City Star. Contact Kaite Stover to sign up. Meetings are virtual and take place about every six months. The next book hasn’t been announced publicly yet, but KCUR's Adventure email subscribers get a sneak preview: It’s "Little Devil in America" by Hanif Andurraqib. 📖

🔹 The Kansas City Public Library also hosts book groups at branch locations. Even if you don’t live by one of these branches, or even in the library district, you can sign up for these discussions.

Johnson County Public Library

Johnson County Public Library offers several book groups for residents of Johnson County:

🔹 Tween Book Club
🔹 Kids Book Club
🔹 Community Matters Family Book Club
🔹 American Girl Book Club
🔹 Adults

According to the Youth Services Library, each club meets monthly on Zoom, with staff members facilitating discussions. Each club is open to about 20-25 participants.

You can register for sessions in advance, which are broken down by season: Spring, Summer or Fall. Next month, registration will open up for Summer sessions in June and July.

Mid-Continent Public Library

Mid-Continent Public Library has an assortment of virtual book clubs, including a Stay-at-Home book group, in which attendees share what they're reading and hear what others are reading, too, instead of focusing on one single book.

MCPL also has a Facebook readers' lounge where people can interact with others about what they're reading.

And, for independent book groups, the library system keeps 10-book kits on hand that are available to check out all at once for groups of 10 and under. 🤓

Bliss & Dear Reader

Bliss Books & Wine opened in Kansas City just as everything closed last year, but it's kept active online through its Wines & Spines Book Club. 🍷📚 The club meets virtually on the first Wednesday of each month, and everyone is welcome to participate. Bliss' Facebook page is also a great resource. (The shop was even mentioned in Oprah's magazine a few months ago!)

Another local club to check out is the Dear Reader Book Club. 📖 Patience Randle launched this book group in 2019 with the intention of having a digital component even before it was necessary. When the club is able to meet in person, it’ll meet at various Kansas City bookstores. 🤓 Click here to learn more and sign up.

Starting Your Own

Kaite Stover’s guiding tip is to be mindful of people’s time and mental energy when starting a book discussion group. ⌛ Here are a few more of her suggestions:

📕 First, find out who's interested and decide who will lead the Zoom meetings or host an outdoor, socially-distanced gathering.

📗 Next, Stover recommends scheduling the meetings quarterly or seasonally — don't start with monthly right out the gate.

📘 Choose a book that will appeal to a wide variety of readers, but don't choose a book just because it's on bestseller lists; current bestsellers have long waits at the library and might not necessarily have discussion-worthy content.

📙 Books on awards lists, however, are often safe bets and will give people plenty to talk about.

📕 Ensure the book you'd like to include is available in paperback, which is less expensive, and check that it has audio and digital versions available to fit your group's preferences.

See the Johnson County Library's list of suggestions, too.

More Adventures in Kansas City

Paddy's Day Pints on the Patio

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with live music, food and Irish beverages at The Irish Center of Kansas City. 🍀 Social distancing and masks required, and a virtual celebration is available for those unable to attend in person.

Nelson-Atkins' Art Course

Mini-golf is headed back to the south lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art! ⛳ The museum's mini-golf Art Course will reopen March 19. Museum members can reserve tickets in advance online.

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Photo Credits:

1. Kansas City Public Library
2. Johnson County Public Library
3. Mid-Continent Public Library
4. Bliss Books & Wine
5. Melanie Deziel | Unsplash

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