Make New Friends at a Book Club   by Jarrod Demeza

in Relationships / Friendship    (submitted 2011-12-21)

Joining or starting a book club can benefit you in many ways. You will find that reading new books you might not otherwise choose for yourself will open your eyes to an entirely fresh literary world. This is an excellent way to challenge yourself if you are in a rut. If your social life is lacking, getting involved in a book club allows you a chance to meet new people and make new friends. Book clubs are perfect for people who have recently relocated to a new area and want to meet new people, and they are perfect for people who want to extend their social group.

I'd like to share my experience with you. I have some very interesting friends and I gain numerous things from each one of them. But I didn't feel that any of them shared my enthusiasm and passion for reading. This prompted me to reach out and seek to join a local book club. A quick internet search led me to a club near my home that seemed to be just what I was looking for. I sent my information and the pleasant lady that was organising it sent me the details of where the first meeting would be held. It was held in an attractive and relaxed atmosphere at a combination cafe/book shop where book club meetings were held each Wednesday evening. We munched appetizers from a gourmet cheese platter and sipped mugs of herbal tea while we introduced ourselves and discussed our favourite book titles and authors. Our book club was essentially a book club for busy people, as it was not required to read a book every fortnight or month - unlike most other clubs. We read the books we wanted and had time for, then we met and talked about it. We also exchanged books with other members if we were interested in a particular book. The club worked well for us and we rapidly formed strong friendships. We had a wonderful mixture of people; male and female, old and young, Australian, English, and Indian. Our book club meetings eventually led to barbecue and picnic get togethers and we all became close friends.

It is easy to look around for a local book club and there are many different options available to suit your needs. The initial meeting can be a bit daunting, but the anxiety of meeting new people quickly subsides and you get to network with fellow book enthusiasts. There is no better way to challenge yourself and find new friends with similar interests than stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new. You have to be proactive if you want to change your life, and doing something as simple as committing to a fortnightly meeting with a group of nice people to talk about books with is a stepping stone towards changing your life. Opening your world up to strangers, people you might otherwise never get to know, is a rewarding experience. It makes you wonder how many potential friends are waiting for you out there in the world.

About the Author

We have all been in a rut, locked in a pattern of circumstances that we can't seem to get out of. Sometimes, those circumstances change by themselves, but more often we need to take action to ensure that we don't become stuck in a rut. We aim to help you get out of a rut knowing they can affect any facet of life.