While the profile of every club in BookTrib’s active book club network is unique, they all share a common bond that goes beyond a love of books — the camaraderie between members. That’s certainly the case for Booze and Books, based in Sacramento, CA — a robust club of more than 3,000 members, the large majority of whom are government workers and scientists.
“It makes for great discussions,” says Kristin Frame, who took over the club in 2015. “When I think about the personalities of the members, I’m struck by their thoughtfulness, kindness and respectfulness. We meet in public places and have literally been stopped by strangers who want to tell us how refreshing it is to listen to such respectful conversation.”
In one memorable instance, Frame says author NBC anchor Lester Holt’s people reached out to request someone from the book club be interviewed for a segment they were filming in Sacramento.
That doesn’t mean there haven’t been lively discussions. Frame says these kinds of conversations are most often based on subject matter or the quality of the book.
“East of Eden by John Steinbeck was the latter, either loved or hated, both with a passion, and almost straight down the middle. Twelve people despised it, while twelve named it as one of their favorite books of all time,” she says. “The Break by Mariann Keyes was the most heated on subject matter. The character’s husband tells her he needs a break from their lives, and he will return in six months, and let me tell you, people had feelings. It was impossible to read it and not think about what you would do in that situation, and the opinions were strong! It might be the most fun I’ve ever had at book club.”
That’s important to Frame, who says running the club allows her to live out her lifelong dream of being a librarian — in this role, she gets to recommend books that she loves to literally thousands of people.
“And when I’m really lucky, I get to recommend books that help people grow, learn and connect,” she says. “I’m never happier than when I post a book, and see the waiting list at the library grow, or when I’m out and about, and someone tells me they read that book because the club was reading it. I especially love going to book club meetings and listening to someone talk about how much they loved a book that I recommended. It’s a little like magic.”
That magic is an extra bonus to what Frame had hoped to gain when she joined Booze and Books and eventually took it over. While an avid reader, she admits she’d been struggling to finish books.
“They were languishing in my TBR pile, and I thought a book club would give me the motivation I needed to get reading again,” she says. “I was also going through a divorce, and needed a new social circle that was all my own, and I missed the robust discussions I used to have in college with people who were engaged in the same material and who wanted to talk about important issues with respect for each other. I can honestly say it met my expectations and more.”
And if that isn’t an endorsement to go ahead and start your own book club, Frame adds, “You will find your people, and it will be easier than in most unfamiliar social situations because you will have the book in common already.”
