I’ve always been a big reader, and as an adult I’ve been part of a book club in some form or another for the last 15 years. I love talking about books with other people, and I always come away with a list of books to add to my “to be read” list.
My eight-year-old is a voracious reader as well, and this summer, he really started devouring books. I quickly realized that I couldn’t keep up with what he was reading (especially if I wanted to read my own books, too). But it occurred to me that I could read SOME of the same books. I asked him if he’d like to do a book club with me. He was a bit hesitant, but I think after years of seeing me leave once a month for book club, he was curious enough to give it a try.
Our First Meeting
While my kids have heard me talk about book club for years, my son didn’t really know what it meant, other than dad was in charge at bedtime. I explained that we could go out just the two of us (I proposed breakfast) and talk about a book we both read. I mentioned that in one of my book clubs, we start by giving the book a rating (1–5 stars) and then we talk about what we liked and didn’t like about the book. The offer of breakfast at his favorite place was enough to convince him. So, I read the first two books in a series he had started, and we had our own mini book club!
After we ordered our food, we gave our book ratings and talked about what we liked and didn’t like. He ate a ridiculous meal of Reese’s pancakes and bacon, and we had a wonderful time. Like any good book club, we didn’t talk about books the whole time. Unlike some of my other book clubs, we did not end up talking about celebrity gossip. It was fun to hear his ideas about the books, and I really enjoyed the dedicated one-on-one time we had.
Future Meetings
My husband is a big fan of J.R.R. Tolkien. He has read The Hobbit several times and has read it with my oldest boys (eight and six) twice now. Somewhere between the first and second reading, the boys realized I had never read it. They were absolutely appalled. I have read it now, and both of my boys love that we have this in common. It makes them feel like they’re in the know, and they can’t wait for their little sister to join the club, too.
The boys have now started to read The Lord of the Rings with my husband (another one I haven’t read). I’m reading it at the same time to catch up with them. When I told my oldest I started the book, he couldn’t contain his excitement. He said to me, “Mama, wait until they get to the Misty Mountain! You’re really in for a treat.” It was the sweetest moment and I’m really looking forward to the discussions we’ll have.
As the school year begins, it might be harder to fit our book club in. I’m going to try to do one per semester. One of these kid-friendly coffee shops would be a perfect location for our next mini book club. I hope our book club helps to foster my son’s love of reading and gives us a regular opportunity to spend time just the two of us. And as my other children get older, I would love for them to join us, too.
If you’re looking for a book club with other moms in the area, please join our Dallas Moms Book Club! We meet every other month and have a ton of fun.
