Get cozy this fall with these Denver book clubs and events
Book Club: last Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m.;
Pitch-A-Book: Tuesday, Sept. 29, 6:30Little Blue Pigeon,
1413 Larimer St.
Average size: 8-15 people
How to participate: RSVP online so the team can plan for food and drinks, but it’s free. Drop-ins are also welcome.
Frommer’s just selected this quaint bookshop as one of 25 independent bookstores it loves in the U.S., and it’s the only Denver bookstore on the list. What makes it special is its “all belong here” mentality, a vision of owner and founder Paige Dungan. The book club meets inside the store between the shelves, but on evenings with nice weather, you can find the group spilling outside into Larimer Square itself.
A typical meetup begins with socializing, but no name tags or icebreakers on purpose. Instead, just real conversations so it doesn’t feel like you’re discussing the book with a stranger. Every meetup is typically a new set of faces, so if you’re worried everyone else knows each other already and you’ll be the newbie, don’t be. Once everyone is settled in, the book discussion usually lasts about an hour. According to Dungan, “the heart of our book club is that we are nonjudgmental. If you haven’t finished the book, or haven’t started it, or just need to spend some time with people who love stories, you’re welcome.”
The next book is announced at the meeting itself, live and in the moment. Members rotate book selection; it could be literary fiction one month, a cozy romance the next, or a memoir or thriller after that. Although Little Blue Pigeon Books leads and hosts generally, the member who selected the book is also welcome to facilitate.
“What people love most is that we read books with strong characters spanning every emotion and every genre,” Dungan says. “More often than not, you will leave having fallen in love with a book you never would have picked up on your own.”
But Dungan says that it’s more than a book club. “On any given night, we are a friend, a therapist, a listener, a helper – whatever a person needs that day. People have come to us during difficult periods in life simply to be around others, and left with unexpected friendships. That is the heart of what we’ve created: a warm, nonjudgmental community where books bring people together, but connections are what keep them coming back.”
If you’re looking for real connection, beyond just discussing a book, this might be the place for you.
“We’ve watched people walk in alone, not knowing a single soul, and within a few months be texting each other outside of meetings, meeting up for coffee, attending other store events to support one another,” Dungan say. “Book club wasn’t ever intended to be solely about the book of the month. It was intended to build a real community, and seeing those friendships form has honestly surpassed any expectations we had starting this.”
Meanwhile, at the upcoming Pitch-A-Book night, attendees are given 5 minutes to pitch a book they love before the floor opens for casual conversation. Come with a book to share and leave with a list of reading recommendations. Reserve a spot here."
Read the full article here.
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