The Silent Book Club

Hosted at the Goethe Institut

Hey Besties! Does your mind try to process several thoughts at once, courtesy of our ever-declining attention spans?

I don't want to sound like your mom, but it might be that damn phone.

If you're like me and need complete quiet to concentrate on a good book, I'd like to invite you to the Silent Book Club hosted at the Goethe Institut. I discovered it while compiling a list for the blog's lifestyle section and thought, "I can't quite get past page 50 of My Name is Maame, what if I put myself in a situation where I had no other choice but to read?"

It's true. Analysis paralysis and choice overload make basic decision-making sound like a hostage situation. That might be an indication of my need for structure.

The book club is held on the last Wednesday of every month at 6:00 PM, where the first 30 minutes are used for ice-breaking. Then every attendee gets cozy in different corners of the library for an uninterrupted hour of... reading. It's like the adult version of timeout (am I weird for loving it?). The following hour is used for meaningful exchanges on the different book topics (because everyone reads a different book), which quickly turn into playful debates.

I found the initiative delightful. My definition of leisure is nuanced and sometimes looks like "work," so finding a space full of fellow bookworms gathered for the sake of reading truly was the highlight of my day. Book clubs are not niche by any means, but with my schedule, I find it hard to fit this kind of side quest in. I read till about a third of the book and went home yearning for more. In a world that constantly demands our attention, silence felt kind of radical.

I love third spaces!

What about you? Where do you unwind?

Let me know, I write back ;)