Kenn and I are both introverts, so it’s easy for us to spend time alone or with just each other. I have to admit that I occasionally worry about us becoming hermits. In an effort to combat my hermit-like tendencies, I decided to push myself outside of my comfort zone by joining some sort of group. Of course, joining a random group just to join the group is a recipe for disaster. As I was trying to decide where I might best find people with similar interests, a friend invited me to join a book club. Boom! A book club is a perfect fit for me.
I’m an avid reader and have been as long as I can remember. I also have to admit that I have actively avoided book clubs in the past. Why? Because I’m not very good at being told what to do, including what to read. However, I decided to give the group a try; if it’s not a good fit, I can always leave. Easy-peasy.
So far, the book club and I seem to be a good fit. I’ve been a member for three months now, but only made it to my first in-person meeting in May. Even though there are seventy or so people in the Facebook group for the club, there were only seven of us at the meeting I attended. Based on comments by the other attendees, that seems to be the standard turnout. Walking into a roomful of people I don’t know is hard for me, but I’ve gotten better at it over the years. I enjoyed getting to know the other attendees and even enjoyed the discussion of the book. (Of the three books I’ve read since joining, the May book was my least favorite.) The books we have read since I have joined are:
- The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston; I liked this one a lot.
- The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon; Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed this one even though historical fiction isn’t usually my thing.
- One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid; This one was just “okay” to me.
In addition to getting me out of the house and helping me meet new people, the club is introducing me to books I probably wouldn’t have otherwise read. It’s easy for me to get stuck in my sci-fi/paranormal/urban fantasy worlds and not venture out into others. So, I’m glad I’ve pushed myself to step outside of my admittedly very small comfort zone.
Are you a reader? If so, are you in a book club? Are you an introvert or an extrovert? If you’re an introvert how do you avoid the hermit tendencies?
Linda Lou's Life 
During the pandemic I engaged my natural hermit tendencies to survive and have never gone back into being social. My experiences with bookclubs were never quite been what I expected, the groups fell apart faster than you read a bestseller. A bit of an exaggeration, but close to the truth.
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I’ve had that problem with writing groups. The ones that were good didn’t last. The rest were just toxic, and I bailed and haven’t looked back. (Sadly, that toxicity held true even with “professional’ writing groups such as Romance Writers of America.)
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That is disappointing. I’ve never been part of a writing group, probably never will be.
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I used to have a vibrant “Moms” book club, where some of us actually read the book and some were just there to be social (i.e., drink). But that dwindled. I joined one last year, and like you, it pushes me to read books I normally would not. But it’s kind of boring without a lot of discussion. I think I miss English Lit. seminars!
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I have never joined a book club – right now I am so behind in reading, though when I worked downtown and took the bus for about 30 years, I was an avid reader. And I have a lot of books here at the house as my late mother and I shared the same book interests – they are in tubs downstairs and in cupboards upstairs. My goal for 2025 is to read more. I don’t consider myself an introvert, but probably you could say I was a hermit when I am not out walking/exploring with my camera. All my friends from back in high school and/or college moved away, either to further their own careers, or their husband’s career and I have zero relatives. I am used to this since my mom’s passing in 2010 and before that, with no relatives except Mom.
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We had so many books to deal with after my mom passed away. We made our local Friends of the Library very happy, LOL.
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I have a lot to read as we usually bought books we both liked. Once I started working from home, so no more bus commute, the reading took a nose dive. I will be gifting the library too as I read them. 🙂
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I think I have a good balance between intro and extro. I enjoy being alone and I enjoy being with people. Many years of teaching and presenting at conferences has made me comfortable in front of lots of people, but I have really relished all the “Me time” since retiring–helped out by being in the midst of a pandemic. I always loved reading, but lately it has been a chore. I am getting new reading glasses with more powerful lenses, so excited to get back to the books I have waiting!
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Oddly enough for an introvert, I spent my entire career in a very people-oriented job – IT customer support. I spent all day, every day working with people. I loved what I did, but there were times when I was mentally and physically exhausted by the end of the day because my introvert batteries were completely drained.
I was so glad I was retired when the pandemic hit. I didn’t have near as much of a hard time with the various restrictions as a lot of people did. I hope you enjoy the books that are patiently waiting to be read!
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Thanks; I can’t wait to get the new glasses!
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I’ve often thought of joining a book club. It might be enough to pull this introvert out of his shell, too.
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Somehow, I’ve never thought of you as an introvert.
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It’s funny, you’re not the first to say that. I express myself very well through blogging, but in person, not so much.
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