Silent Book Club hosts local meeting | Community News

In April, a new book club was started in Beverly with readers from across the community.

The local Silent Book Club is run by cousins Amanda and Hanna Samawi. The club held its first meeting in Beverly on April 24, with more than 40 readers bringing their books to the event.

“They call it ‘introvert happy hour,'” Amanda Samawi said. “A place where readers can come together to bring their own books and read them as a group. »

The meeting, held at Two Mile Coffee Bar, 9907 S. Walden Pkwy., was organized into different segments. First, readers would have coffee or another beverage and spend time socializing before an hour of silent reading together. Club members are not required to read the same book; instead, gathering is more about sharing space with other readers.

“I think it creates a nice dynamic of being in a place with other people, but kind of doing your own thing,” Samawi said. “For me, the most valuable part is checking off reading goals, which is very exciting.”

The last half hour of the meeting is spent socializing and sharing book recommendations with other club members.

Many chapters of the Silent Book Club are active throughout the country, including several in the Chicago area.

Samawi, an Oak Lawn resident, attended meetings of a North Side Silent Book Club with her cousin Hanna. The couple wanted to help bring the book club to the South Side.

“I went to the Far North Side chapter, but I’m a South Sider,” Samawi said. “We thought it would be great to bring it to Beverly.”

Both men thoroughly enjoyed their trip to the North Side for meetings, but the women felt it was time to bring the club closer to home.

“We always had a great time and really enjoyed being in a group,” Samawi said. “Meeting other people who have the same interests, but also know how to read, it’s just a good balance.”

For Samawi, hosting the club at Two Mile Coffee Shop was an ideal setting.

“We just think it’s such a great space,” she said. “It’s a place I go during my work-from-home days or on my way to work. It’s right next to the train station, so there are a lot of commuters going in and out.

The next meeting of the Beverly Branch of the Silent Book Club will be Wednesday, May 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. Reservations are not required and all are welcome. For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page at Silent Book Club-Chicago Beverly & South Side, or email the group at [email protected].