LitClub: Cocoa Village Book Club
Cocoa, Florida
IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY to find a book club that fits your style. So what to do? Well, you start your own—which is how this group got off the ground.
Tell us how you got started.
Our founding member, Anneke, had been looking for a club but couldn't find one she wanted to join. So in 2011 she asked a few friends and acquaintences to help her organize their own club. Today here we are—10-12 members strong.
So what have you been reading recently?
Here's our list over the past year:
Let's Pretend This Never
Happened
The Cuckoo's Calling
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary
Lives in North Korea
Dirty Streets of Heaven
Cat's Cradle
Ishmael: An Adventure
of Mind and Spirit
Dr. Sleep
Any all-time favorites?
The Book of Unholy Mischief (a/k/a The Chef's Apprentice) is a favorite. Its setting—in Venice in the 1400's, right before the Renaissance—made it a really neat story.
We also loved Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea because it made us appreciate the basic human rights we enjoy in this country. It was amazing to hear about the individual stories of defection...what a journey.
The Shining was great, too, because of the deterioration of Jack Torrance's mental state. It was spooky, spookier than the movie.
Which books led to really great discussions?
The Help because of the era's race relations. We also had a great discussion with 11/22/63 because of the possibility of alternate endings of historical events.
Where do you hold your meetings?
We rotate our meetings between a local eatery (the Ossorio Bakery and Cafe) and two members' homes.
Any special activities?
We met in a graveyard for Halloween and read Doctor Sleep. We always rate our books on a scale of 1-5 and give it a tagline for giggles
What about community volunteer work?
Most of us volunteer for The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event as volunteers AND committee members.
What else about your club do you want us to know?
Our members are fairly young men and women in our 20's and 30's. We have become great friends because of this club, and we have a great time every month we meet.