Happy Thanksgiving! We are grateful to all of you for helping us make Silent Book Club a welcoming space for readers for 10 years (and counting). This holiday season, be kind, support local bookstores, and eat another slice of pie.
Years ago I lived Providence, Rhode Island, while my partner was in graduate school. We lived in an old Victorian house and coming from San Francisco, we couldn't believe our luck: the rent was cheap, we had a spare (!) bedroom, and the parking was free. We moved across the country in late summer, and settled in when school started. The leaves changed color, we went apple picking, and delighted in the first dusting of snow. And then winter came along.
I was not prepared for how dark it would get—literally and spiritually—the moment daylight savings time ended. It was dark when I left for work in the morning, dark when I got home. The only sunlight I saw was on my lunch break. For a girl raised in the tropics, this was misery. Seasonal affective disorder hit me like a freight train.
How I wish I'd had Silent Book Club during those long winters! Someplace warm and welcoming to go to after work. Somewhere I could be surrounded by friendly faces, even if I didn't know anyone by name. Something on the calendar to look forward to. I would have watched a lot less TV, read a lot more, and probably gotten way less depressed.
Luckily, there are now SBC chapters all around the world to offer respite from the winter gloom. You can find cozy couches, friendly faces, tasty drinks, and get personalized reading recommendations. If you’ve been meaning to check out an in-person event, this behind-the-scenes peek into a recent meetup in West Seattle is an excellent teaser of what to expect.
Getting out of the house can still be a hurdle for those of us who are introverts, especially when it's cold and dark out, but I know from experience that surrounding myself with readers is an instant mood booster. So, next time you feel the winter blues setting in, find yourself a Silent Book Club. Or, stay home and shop our holiday sale. You do you. We won’t judge.
Our annual holiday sale is here! Stock up on Silent Book Club swag and get 15% off your purchase with promo code SBC2022.
Bookmarks
Book-related links and other good stuff online
SBC Toronto host Vicki Ziegler speaks with The Small Machine Talk Podcast
Must read audiobooks with indigenous narrators Bookriot
How reading habits shift over decades SBC Facebook group
Harper Collins employees strike for better pay in publishing NPR
When it’s all gone, something carries on Object of Sound
TBQ5 is here Taco Bell Quarterly
Libraries are launching their own local music streaming platforms Motherboard
Reading tips for all ages The Readiatrician
West Seattle SBC on Booktok TikTok
Books we love (2022) NPR
National Book Award winners 2022 AP News
Judy Greer is the main character Bustle
How to host a Silent Reading Party for your book club Bookish
Stocking stuffers for book lovers! Zazzle
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Books we loved this month
Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle, by Matt Cain
A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan (reread!)
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