In an effort to reduce anxiety and a mandatory reading list, Lincoln’s Silent Book Club is helping to rewrite the rules of literary gatherings.
Lori Miller and Hanna Pinneo, the co-presidents of the local club, work together to create a space of community while fostering the love of reading.
Pinneo first joined in 2018 and shortly after took over when the club’s founder stepped away. She said she found the club appealing for the ability to read alone while also being part of a community.
Unlike with a typical book club, where people usually read the same book, participants in Silent Book Club choose their own books.
“I got into Silent Book Club because I love to read and I wanted to talk to others about what I’m reading without having to read things I didn’t want to read like you do in a traditional book club,” Pinneo said.
The club has participants of all ages with a large variety of book interests.
“We have people join us who read all different types of things, and we introduce each other to new genres and authors. Since we’re all book lovers, I think some of us like that aspect best — learning what our next great read is going to be,” Miller said.
The group meets several times a month, with Miller running the weekday meetings, which primarily meet at The Mill Coffee & Bistro at Nebraska Innovation Campus. The location has provided ample parking and drink options for attendants to enjoy while reading.
Pinneo organizes the weekend events, which had been at Indigo Bridge before the bookstore announced its closing last month. In the meantime, they plan on meeting at locations such as Saro Cider and other local bookstores.
At each meeting, the group reads for about an hour in each other’s company and then ends with an optional chat session for the last 30 minutes.
“You can talk about your books you’re reading, you can talk about anything,” Miller said. “You can stay for that, or you can up and go. If you’re just coming to read and have a drink, then that’s great.”
Listen now and subscribe: | | | |
The Lincoln charter group is part of the worldwide Silent Book Club organization with more than a thousand chapters in 50 countries that are all led by local volunteers. According to the international website, there are 10 chapters across Nebraska.
The Omaha chapter is massive, Miller said, and even requires advanced registration to make sure there is enough space.
Miller is still fairly new to the Lincoln group and is part of several other more traditional book clubs. Throughout her time in the different clubs, she’s noticed that the Silent Book Club is a place where introverts can thrive. It's especially good for new readers who don’t have to worry about what level they are at or what the discussion questions might look like, she said.
“Sometimes book clubs are a little intimidating,” Miller said. “Silent Book Club is more of your own journey, and it helps you foster that love of reading without the pressure of trying to fit into another group because everybody fits in.”
Book clubs often have been used as a way to escape from busy lives, but Miller said she still feels as though there is an element of homework and stress that come along with traditional clubs.
“You have to read this book, you have to go kind of with an expectation of talking and using your social battery. We’ve done that all day,” Miller said.
The Silent Book Club aims to create a space for people to take time for themselves while enjoying reading, Miller said. It’s something that can’t be accomplished at home where people can be distracted with laundry, dinner, family time and chores.
“This really forces you to just sit down and take a break,” Miller said. “Unfortunately, we have to put it in the frame of a calm so people will take that break that they so need, but it’s just hard to do it on your own. So this really helps everybody say, ‘Let’s take a break together.’”
In addition to choosing their own books, members choose different media to enjoy their books. Some bring books or tablets to read, while Miller said others have brought audio books to listen to while crocheting.
“I look at it as more of a self-care (thing), than it is a social event,” Miller said. “It’s more like ‘you time.' That way you don’t have to prepare for anything; there’s no guilt.”
The Silent Book Club of Lincoln gathers around a table to read during a meeting on Thursday at the Mill Coffee & Bistro at Nebraska Innovation Campus. Unlike with a typical book club, where people usually read the same book, participants choose their own books.
Addie Armstrong of Lincoln reads "Gideon The Ninth" during a silent book club meeting. At each meeting, the group reads for about an hour in each other’s company and then ends with an optional chat session for the last 30 minutes.
Andrea Miller, of Lincoln (right), smiles at Addie Armstrong (left) as they read during a silent book club meeting on Thursday at the Mill Coffee & Bistro at Nebraska Innovation Campus.
Emily Mantey (from left), Lori Miller, Andrea Miller and Addie Armstrong read during a silent book club meeting on Thursday at the Mill Coffee & Bistro at Nebraska Innovation Campus.