Nestled on Regent Street in Madison, Wisconsin, Ink & Ivy Book Boutique is more than just a bookstore – it’s a love letter to the power of community, creativity, and connection. Founded by mother-daughter duo Eden Olivia and Shannon Marie, this thoughtfully curated space invites visitors to slow down, get inspired, and feel at home.

At its heart, Ink & Ivy is built on shared passions: a deep love for reading, an eye for beautiful gifts, and a desire to create a warm, welcoming gathering place. Every detail of the boutique reflects this mission – from the carefully selected books that line the shelves to the cozy, home-like atmosphere that encourages browsing, lingering, and meaningful conversation.

Eden brings a deep empathy and resilience to the shop, shaped by her background as a Trauma CNA. Stepping away from a demanding career in healthcare, she followed her heart to build something new – something rooted in joy, creativity, and community care. Her love of reading radiates through every corner of the boutique.

Her mother and co-founder, Shannon Marie, brings a creative spirit and generous soul to Ink & Ivy. A two-time cancer survivor, Shannon’s journey is one of strength and intention. With a background in administration and human resources, and passions ranging from poetry and painting to crafting and music, she’s poured her lifelong love of gift giving into the boutique’s soul. Ink & Ivy is her way of living “a life purely by design,” side by side with her daughter and best friend.

Ink & Ivy is also a hub for readers looking to connect. They host a variety of book clubs to foster conversation and community, including an Adult Book Club, a Romance Book Club, and a Postpartum Book Club designed to support new parents during a transformative season of life. Each gathering offers a welcoming space to share stories and reflections with fellow book lovers.

More than a retail space, Ink & Ivy hosts events, shares handcrafted gifts, and supports the community. Their ongoing commitment to giving back includes a 10% discount on books for healthcare workers and teachers – a small but meaningful thank you to those who serve.

Whether you’re in search of your next great read, a unique gift, or simply a place to feel inspired, Ink & Ivy offers all the warmth and magic of a favorite story – one you’ll want to return to again and again. For more information, head to their website or visit their Instagram.

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Donna Paz is in a unique position. Not only is she the owner of Story & Song, which combines a bookstore, bistro, catering service for book clubs, and gallery space. But for nearly 30 years she has also helped advise new bookstore owners through the Retail Training Center for Booksellers. Who better to ask about the current climate of the bookselling trade, and to offer perspective on what indie bookstores offer that online vendors can’t, why book groups are essential to the community of a store, and the special bonds between books and food?

Donna spoke about all of this and more in our interview…

Reading Group Choices: For nearly 20 years, you have been providing training to existing and potential bookstore owners. With so much experience meeting and working with booksellers, can you name a few key ingredients for opening and running a sustainable store? We realize those ingredients might be changing right now, but are there qualities that remain the same?

Donna Paz: If someone has had the dream of opening a bookstore, I think it is important to follow that dream so that at the end of your time on earth you will have no regrets. Do your homework: learn the business of retail bookselling, know how much your dream will cost, find out how much you can borrow, and estimate how much you can earn to see if the numbers work for you (and whether this aspect of business causes you stress and sleepless nights). Entrepreneurship requires vision, skill, and lots and lots of time and energy. Did I say lots and lots of time and energy?

RGC: Did you have any specific bookstores in mind as models when opening Story and Song in 2018?

DP: Lots and lots of them from all over the world inspired Story & Song Bookstore Bistro. One bookstore stands out, the #1 UK bookstore some years ago, the Watermill Bookstore & Cafe with a rich combination of bookshop, cozy cafe, and art gallery/event space.

RGC: Did you know you wanted book groups to meet at the store and to be part of your shop community before you opened? Why do you feel like book groups are important – not only socially for the individual members, but also for the connection to their local bookstores?

DP: Book groups are such an important marketing opportunity for every bookstore and Story & Song is no different. We enjoy a community where people visit, fall in love with, and then plan to relocate at some point in their lives. Book discussion groups are the perfect way for people to meet other readers, become part of the community, and make personal connections. Bookstores are connectors in many ways and book groups are a key way bookstores go way beyond being a retail business to become a community hub.

RGC: Your monthly fiction book group is currently meeting in person, socially distanced. When did the group begin, who has it attracted, and how has it evolved since?

DP: Yes, we’re meeting in person and although we are wearing our masks and quite a bit apart physically, people are grateful to be out of the house and connecting. The group began shortly after we opened in February 2018 and continues to draw new residents, avid readers, customers who want to be a part of engaging conversation.

RGC: How are books selected for the group, and how is discussion moderated (if any rules exist)?

DP: Early on we asked the group members and they actually didn’t want to take on the task of recommending and voting and asked if we’d pick the books. We always ask for and welcome input, and with resources like Reading Group Choices, we’re never at a loss for what to fill the calendar!

RGC: Are there any specific titles that book groups are asking for or talking about right now? Are there any that are perennially in demand?

DP: The stress of COVID is showing in our book group members and taking on anything that is dark and with a depressing conclusion can make life even harder and heavier right now. Our group enjoys books that spotlight strong women left out of history, interesting choices and relationships, and fresh voices.

RGC: How do the various offerings and spaces within Story and Song — gallery, bistro, bookshop, event room — work in conjunction with one another? Could any part exist without the other?

DP: We have learned during COVID that it is every aspect of our business model that makes Story & Song unique and even beloved. Our bistro has been busy with take-out orders, book sales are up over 2019, and people come to browse the art gallery and find unique cards. Everyone misses our events and concerts. The catering aspect of our business, which was just beginning to blossom, will be back when we have a healthier environment and this moment just gives us the gift of fine tuning our next steps.

RGC: Story and Song features breakfast, lunch, and snacks at your bistro. What connects books and food?

DP: This summer we launched “Spice of Life: A Literary & Culinary Adventure” to pair books with food. One of our bistro employees is from Uruguay, so she cooked for 47 people who took home “comfort food” from Uruguay and books by Paulo Coelho. We’ll keep doing this and one day we’ll sit at community tables and enjoy these meals with stories about various cultures. When Mark and I married in Italy, the city clerk told us “All things of importance happen around a table,” which is where we shared our vows. Food and sitting at the table is a sacred part of life.

RGC: How would you describe the character of Amelia Island? In what ways does the store reflect and connect to the community?

DP: Amelia Island is breezy and creative, nature-loving and grateful for a little slice of paradise.
Our signature colors reflect nature … blue, green and brown. There are dozens of white paper birds in flight high on two walls in the store (with blue backgrounds). Our events spotlight local interests and we’re there for local authors to help them launch their new books. We always have the coffee on and we’ve become known as the place you run into your friends and neighbors. Just the other day, I introduced a new customer who is a recent widow to another neighbor who lost her husband a few years ago. They ended up spending more than an hour in our courtyard chatting and getting to know one another. You don’t get these things when you shop online.

RGC: In terms of a bigger picture, we’re curious how you’re thinking about this time for booksellers and the book industry. How is the role of the bookstore changing when people are less able to visit in person? Are there larger or long-term changes to the industry due to the pandemic that may be positive or even overdue?

DP: First, this should be a golden time for books and reading for everyone. So far, there are a few colleagues I know who have increased sales over 2019, like Amazon, but most have not.
The role of a bookseller will mean promoting all of the ways we are there to serve the customer and to grab some of those sales that are going to Amazon. We must never tire of promoting shopping local and the value of a bookshop to curate selections for individual communities.
I hope we will soon be beyond bookselling via email, website and phone to see more of our friends and neighbors in person. We will all treasure that more than ever before. I think that qualifies as positive change … living gratefully every moment and for the most ordinary things.

For more information, visit the Story & Song website.

Take a tour of our other Book Group Store Tour posts on our blog!

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Celebrating 15 years in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Books on the Loose offers a variety of new books, non-book items, story hours, and a cafe. Owner Rosemary Adomokai talks to Reading Group Choices about the challenges of starting and continuing to run a bookstore. She also shares what her brick-and-mortar store offers that online retailers cannot, what her customers are reading, and recommendations for Nigerian authors!

Reading Group Choices: Based on where you are now, what advice would you go back and give yourself when you were first opening the store? What challenges were the hardest or easiest to solve or adapt to?

Rosemary Adomokai: I would have said, ‘Rosemary, go work in a bookstore for a few years first to learn the ropes, ground up, instead of learning when you open your business. I am sure I would have avoided quite a few pitfalls along the way; take a few courses – on starting a bookstore and accounting; also accept a business partner, especially if they want to simply invest financially and not be involved in the day-to-day running of the business’.

The hardest challenge was and is advertising the bookstore with very little budget. We have tried several methods and found that the best one we have is ‘word of mouth’ from our current clients. Of course we still get comments from current and new clients that just found out about us, that we aren’t doing enough to advertise ourselves. The easiest challenge to solve was getting good, reliable staff.

RGC: How does the store reflect the Port Harcourt community? Could it exist in any other city, or is there something that connects it specifically to the city?

RA: Books on the Loose caters to a wide clientele and would do very well in most cities. There isn’t one particular thing that connects it to Port Harcourt. However, it does show the variety of the inhabitants of Port Harcourt, based on our stock.

RGC: You’re celebrating 15 years in business! What were the original reasons for opening the store, and have they changed since then? What have been some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in the store or community over the years?

RA: The reasons haven’t changed at all. In fact, they’ve become even more important. I am an avid book reader. My whole house is full of shelves of books – all sorts, different genres. I actually have books from when I was about 5-6 years old. When I first moved to Port Harcourt, I could not find one bookstore that could even begin to cater for my reading habit – there was at the time only one children’s bookstore and a Christian/business and textbooks bookstore, if I recall correctly. I found it incredible! I read lots of different things – for me Christian and business books are low on my reading list. If you went to Lagos, you were spoiled for choice! So, I decided I had to set up a bookstore, the kind of place I’d like to go to, comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, clean and of course with a coffee bar.

The biggest change in the community has been an increased interest in reading, the reading culture has and is really taking off in spite of e-books. Also, the clients I have are becoming more knowledgeable about book piracy and wanting original copies of books, even though they’re much more expensive. We have built our brand on the fact that we only sell original books and non-book products.

RGC: Independent bookstores can serve many purposes, much more than selling books: they can become centers of political activism, safe spaces, and bonding agents for neighborhoods. Can you talk about the different functions that Books on the Loose serves, and whether you see bookstores operating in a similar way across Nigeria?

RA: Certain bookstores do provide an avenue for political activism, arts exhibitions and bonding agents in their respective communities. It all depends on the goals of the bookstore.
Books on the Loose provides a few of those functions, like a space where a few nonprofits for children bring their wards for a day out, to introduce reading culture and a love of reading to them. We also support our local authors by carrying and selling their books directly from them. We donate books to schools and homes, and occasionally take on high school students for work experience.

RGC: How does the presence of online retailers like Amazon affect brick-and-mortar stores in Nigeria?

RA: A number of people buy from Amazon direct to Nigeria. However, this has not really affected brick-and-mortar stores badly. Most Nigerians like to ‘see’ and ‘handle’ what they’re buying. With regards to Books on the Loose, we are fortunate. We have tried to create an atmosphere that invites people in, is comfortable and provides a wide range of products that encourages people to sit, browse and relax with no pressure to buy or leave; our clients appreciate and use our space in that manner. This I believe protects us to a certain degree from online retailers.

RGC: What questions are you most frequently asked by customers? What genres or authors are most popular?

RA: ‘Why aren’t you guys advertising more?’, ‘Why are your books so expensive?’ Those are the most common questions we get. There are several popular authors. For children – Rick Riordan, Jeff Kinney, Rachel Renee Russell, Enid Blyton, Geronimo Stilton books. And for adults – Jeffrey Archer, Lee Child. As for genres – business, Christian, autobiographies/biographies, bestsellers.

RGC: I believe you have a full-time job separate from founding and managing Books on the Loose. Can you describe the challenges of managing both positions?

RA: Yes, I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to do two things I love, more or less simultaneously.

Finding and balancing time for Books on the Loose was and is extremely challenging. When I first started Books on the Loose in 2005, I did not have a child and so could fully devote all my time to work. However, when I had my daughter, I had to make several changes in order to manage both my full-time job, family and Books on the Loose. I changed my full-time job to part-time. I scaled back on work projects in my ‘day’ job, to enable me to meet all my obligations without burning out.

RGC: What classic or contemporary authors would you recommend for readers who wish to explore the literature of Nigeria?

RA: There are so many to choose from. I would recommend Chinua Achebe, Ola Rotimi (these are very hard to come by now, unfortunately), Buchi Emecheta, Elechi Amadi, Ben Okri, Tomi Adeyemi, Chigozie Obioma, Nnedi Okoroafor, Chimamanda Adichie, Wole Soyinka, Chika Unigwe, Reni Amayo.

RGC: Since we are writing from Reading Group Choices, we obviously need to ask about book groups! Are book groups part of your shop community, whether informal gatherings where people talk about books they’ve read recently, or where everyone reads and discusses the same book?

RA: In January 2020, we finalized an agreement with a children’s book club, allowing them use of our kids space in the store each month. This was meant to start in March, but unfortunately due to Covid-19, this has been postponed indefinitely.

However, we do have a quarterly ‘reading hour’ for children ranging from 3-10 years old in the bookstore. Each quarter a different age group is invited. We always ask a client to come to do the reading for us and engage the children in discussions about the book. At the end we give the children a take-home pack that includes snacks and an age appropriate book.

RGC: Where do you see Books on the Loose in five years?

RA: We are making plans to open another store in another State. Hopefully we will be able to do so.

RGC: What impresses you right now about the publishing world, in terms of the voices being shared and made accessible to readers around the world? In what areas do you hope more will be done?

RA: The variety of authors now is literally astounding, especially in relation to people of colour. The level of opportunities being given and the rate at which they’re being published are encouraging. I hope the publishers and publishing world will make books more affordable. They have the power to make it happen.

For more information, visit the Books on the Loose website.

Take a tour of our other Book Group Store Tour posts, including Garden District Book Shop, Parnassus Books and Women & Children First!

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Housed in a building that dates back to 1884, the Garden District Book Shop offers a wide selection of new and used books. They also feature local and regional literature, including signed copies and first editions. What better place to discuss books with other readers?

The store has hosted a book group since 2001, and Reading Group Choices caught up with its current leader, Rayna Nielsen, who works as a bookseller and Social Media Coordinator as well. We asked Rayna how the group decides what to read, how she begins discussion, and the book they found most engaging this year!

Reading Group Choices: How does the approach or conversation change when discussing different genres, such as nonfiction, fiction, or graphic novels?

Rayna Nielsen: Our group reads mostly fiction but we are open to any book that is available in paperback. I find the conversations centered around fiction and novels are more free flowing, the text is more open to interpretation. With nonfiction we always seem to fall back on the same few comments “I found that part interesting,” or “I learned something I didn’t know,” or even “I wonder what the other point of view is.” There isn’t a lot to interpret or give an opinion on as we have to believe the book as fact.

RGC: When did the group begin, and How has it evolved?

RN: Our book club has had five leaders since it’s inception in 2001. We have had the same format from the very beginning so not much has changed in that respect.

RGC: In what ways does the community, neighborhood, or city connect to, influence, or nurture the group?

RN: New Orleans is a very literary city. We have been included in monthly neighborhood newsletters and such but we don’t seek out a lot of press. As a group, most of the time we will pick books with a local connection over those without. Not to say we are always reading NOLA themed books. But for example if we know an author will be in town for an event we will usually choose to read that book and “unofficially” attend the event as a group.

RGC: How consistent is the make-up of the attendees: is there a core, or do members change often? What challenges and benefits come with a very large or small number of participants?

RN: We have a core group of 6 – 9 ladies who have been coming to the book club for years, some even decades. Then we have a few more who have been with us for two years or less but have been coming pretty regularly. And then on top of that we usually have a new person every other month. They might stay for a month or a few months but for whatever reason does not return. I think this is the way of most book clubs. We prefer a group of between 8 and 15 people. I find with less than that it is hard to get a good conversation started. And with more than that it is difficult for everyone’s opinion to be heard in the time we have for our meeting.

RGC: How are titles chosen? What criteria, if any, go into the selection of a book?

RN: Any member of the group may nominate any book they wish (fiction, nonfiction, YA… nothing is off limits) as long as it is available in paperback. Three times per year our members nominate the books they want the group to read and the group votes. We vote in person at one of our monthly meetings before we discuss that month’s book. It is very democratic: one person, one vote. The four books with the most votes become our next four book club selections.

RGC: What in your view is the key to a successful or satisfying book group meeting?

RN: The way our book club meetings work is that each member is given an opportunity to give their opinion on the book uninterrupted. After everyone has had a chance to speak, we open the floor up for discussion. Most of the time this goes very well. Sometimes when the open discussion starts no one really has anything further to say. So I consider it a success when the open discussion is lively.

RGC: What principles govern discussion, if any? Is there a leader, or particular ways to encourage members to speak?

RN: I have been running our book club for almost two years now. My job as leader is to get us started on time and explain the process to any newcomers. From there the club basically runs itself. I usually have a few questions I want to pose to the group about our book that I save in case the conversation runs dry a little early. But usually these are genuine things that came up when I was reading the book versus canned ideas.

RGC: How does the group handle disagreement, or ensuring a safe space to share opinions?

RN: Since I have only been running the book club for a couple years I have not had to deal with any real disagreements. Although the way our book club works puts individuals on the spot, I let new members know that if they feel uncomfortable at their first meeting they can pass till they get a better feel for our group.

RGC: Do any memorable sessions stand out?

RN: Every year in December we have a potluck at our monthly meeting. I love this opportunity to share with and get to know our members in a way that isn’t possible during regular monthly meetings.

RGC: Please share any recent selections that your group found particularly engaging! Why was that the case?

RN: Coming Through Slaughter by Michael Ondaatje was particularly engaging this year. It is a fictionalized version of Buddy Bolden’s life. Buddy Bolden is from New Orleans so a lot of us had preconceived notions of him. It was a fun read and interesting picking apart which parts of the book were real and which were fictionalized.

Join the discussion on the second Wednesday of every month at Garden District. New Members are always welcome, and you can purchase book in-store for a 20% discount.

For questions, call: 504.895.2266 or email gdkrewe@aol.com

To see what other store groups are reading, visit more posts in our Book Group Store Tour series: Parnassus Books and Women & Children First!

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In a yoga studio on Valentine’s Day, a group of readers came together for the third meeting of COVEN, a feminist book group and larger initiative to bring the only English-language feminist bookstore to Paris. Founder Lucie Camara spoke to Reading Group Choices about her inspiration for the project, her vision for the group, and how to create a safe space for discussion.

Reading Group Choices: How have the first three meetings of the feminist book group differed (if at all) in terms of attendees, discussion, or atmosphere?

Lucie Camara: They’ve all felt quite different actually. Three is an interesting number. The first one, of course, was a test run, a pilot. The attendees were mostly friends of mine, or friends of Cameil, a yoga instructor who was letting us use her studio as our venue. A couple of people had stumbled upon the event on social media or the website, but I knew most of the attendees. That ratio started shifting and, in February, most of the people were strangers to me. That being said, the atmosphere stayed just as friendly and casual as when we all knew each other. I’m actually quite proud of that.

I have also tried to emphasize that the meetings were feminist but not female-only, that everybody was welcome to attend. Of course, with that kind of topic, and also within my own community, the crowd is predominantly female. The number of male members seems to be growing though. In February, they represented a quarter of the group, which is definitely optimistic, especially since the theme of the month was Love.

I do believe in the power of exclusively female spaces, especially when it comes to healing trauma, but the whole point of the space that I am trying to create is to stimulate conversations and share ideas with as people as different as possible in a safe environment. And by safe I mean a space where we respect and care for one another in our entirety, no matter gender, race, class, sexuality. All that being said, it is probably going to be the biggest but also the most interesting challenge to create a space respectful and safe for POC and LGBTQ+ folks, while trying to stay open to all. I really hope I am not being naive about that.

RGC: Describe how you selected the inaugural books. You’ve mentioned how some are connected to particular celebrations. Did you have other criteria in mind? Do you see the process for selecting texts changing in the future?

LC: I have always liked the idea of using the calendar as an overarching theme. I guess some months make it easier than others. In February, with Valentine’s Day but also Black History Month (in North America), the book was All About Love by bell hooks. March 8th, being International Women’s Day, is a good occasion to reflect on the lasting struggle women face everyday in our sexist society, and Rebecca Solnit’s Men Explain Things to Me provides excellent material for that.

April is the first month of Spring and has Earth Day on the 22nd, so we will be reading Climate Justice by Mary Robinson. May sees most Mother’s Days around the world and will be focused on Motherhood by Sheila Heti. And in June, being Pride Month, we’ll read The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson.

For the first two, however, the themes were more circumstantial than seasonal. For the very first one, I was hesitating between Bad Feminist and Women Who Run with the Wolves because I wanted an introductory, powerful, starter. Cameil, who very kindly let her use her studio, wanted to start with Women Who Run with Wolves because she had read it and loved it, but I felt like it might be slightly too heavy to start with, so we did it in January, hoping the holidays would give people a bit of extra time to read it. I also liked the idea of reflecting on folklore, fairy tales, and myths over Christmas. It felt quite fitting.

I only laid out the books until June but I would really like to open the selecting process to the community’s suggestions. I don’t think I could do it any other way now that people feel so part of it. That is also something I am very proud of.

RGC: For book groups who want to explore or incorporate feminist texts, where should they begin? Do you have particular titles or resources in mind?

LC: I think collections of essays are a good way into it because there tends to be at least a little for everyone. Bad Feminist and Men Explain Things to Me are definitely two of my favorites. Classics such as Angela Davis’s Women, Race and Class or bell hooks’s Ain’t I a Woman, also make strong starting points.

RGC: Trace back COVEN to its earliest seed: Where did the need or idea begin?

LC: I had just been back from spending a few years abroad and was pondering upon what on earth I was going to do with my life. After having made my peace with not being suited for academic studies, I was back, working at what was probably my billionth café. I felt stuck in an industry that I enjoyed but was leaving me intellectually hungry.

I kept on dismissing friends when they would recommend I open my own business. I didn’t feel passionate enough about either food or drinks to dedicate my life to such a place. What gave me the sort of thrills some of my friends and colleagues got from sourcing good products, working with wine, or creating new dishes, I got out of ideas and radical conversations on philosophy and identity, particularly on gender and racial problematics. It then started to dawn on me that my actual specialty was, actually, hospitality, in the first sense of the term: creating a comfortable and safe atmosphere and experience for guests.

With this realization, the idea of combining what I was passionate about with my professional skills became obvious. On top of that I noticed a hole in the English-speaking intellectual landscape in the northern side of Paris where, by lack of bookstores and other cultural centres, coffee shops and bars were acting as intellectual hubs. That’s how the idea of COVEN started: A Feminist International Bookstore-Café-Event Venue. The book club is only the first step into that project.

RGC: What do you hope book group attendees leave a discussion with? What does an ideal discussion look like or accomplish?

LC: I hope the attendees leave with a sense of belonging to a community, a feeling of having been intellectually stimulated, and a hunger for more. A lot of people come without knowing anybody and I’m always glad to see when connections are made within the group. The event is also an occasion to learn a lot. The group is always very international, so people have different readings of the texts, and different references, which is always fascinating.

I also want to help people get back into reading. I have always been a book lover myself, but there were a few years when reading was embedded with the idea of being a university student and became very stress-inducing. I heard similar stories from a few attendees and that was one of the reasons they were happy to take part in a book club, they felt like it would help them get over that anxiety.

RGC: How do you prepare for a discussion?

LC: In order to prepare for a discussion, I first highlight the passages I find the most poignant, and with them, I identify themes within the book. Then, I try to find related additional material: videos, podcasts, articles, essays, and I share them with the attendees before the event.

RGC: Managing a discussion is a frequent interest for our community of readers: Making sure all voices are heard, respecting differing opinions. Do you have any insights or experiences from the first meetings about facilitating a discussion?

LC: It is definitely a tricky but very beautiful part of the work. I am very new at this and I do have a tendency to get into long tirades. The first thing I do to facilitate an open and comfortable conversation is to lay out the seats in a circle. It sounds very basic but I think it is actually very important. I also try to pay attention to high and low seating so the people on chairs and the people on the floor feel as entitled to speak up as each other. To that same end, I always sit on the floor.

I start the conversation by reminding people that it is not a lecture and that I don’t have anything neither to teach nor to preach. I am the host and facilitator but everybody is encouraged to participate just as much as I do, and they usually do. At all past events, everybody but maybe one or two said something. I also try to make sure the more shy people don’t feel too pressured to speak up. I don’t want people to feel like they owe something to the group. I am already very grateful for people’s presence and attention. The space is theirs whether they actively participate or just sit in silence.

I love when the conversation feels like it doesn’t need my intervention. When attendees are carried by the topic enough that they interact with each other and the conversation flows naturally, I can put my Host hat back on, and focus on people’s faces, expressions, and make sure everyone is comfortable.

RGC: Have you had moments while managing the discussion when opinions clashed, or certain voices were speaking over others?

LC: There have never been big clashes (yet), but some voices can sometimes take a bit of space. That is when my role of moderator comes in. I want people to be able to express themselves at length, but only on the conditions that they let others speak as well. I try not to let people interrupt each other, and I can be quite stern when people start chitchatting in corners. People do come with good intentions so everybody is quite mindful of what they say and how, but I do emphasize the importance of being respectful, as much in the form of speech as in the content.

RGC: What makes COVEN unique to Paris? Would the project, demands, or goals look the same if based anywhere else?

Paris is a funny city. It has been the scene of so many social and cultural movements, and home to so many different people and culture, but it still has very cold feet when anything new, or hybrid, and especially not necessarily exclusively French, comes into being. So I do believe the international community here is quite hungry for that kind of projects.

Being in Paris also means that we have the privilege of acting on a more global stage. It is my hometown so I have a strong network here and an understanding of how the city works, but most importantly there is definitely a strong international and progressive audience here that radiates over the borders and is connected to other big cities. We would probably not have the same ambitions were we in any other French cities.

RGC: Can you speak about this group — and book groups in general — as a force for enlightenment and change? What are readers able to accomplish together that they can’t alone? How does a discussion differ from other social acts, such as protests?

LC: I think book groups are important because they connect both self-care and community work. I don’t believe social change can only rely on one form of action. Protesting is obviously very important, but just as much as voting, and stimulating our minds, cultivating open dialogues, and taking care of one’s self and mental health.

The fact that a book group can be both a physical, punctual occurrence, and a virtual, permanent community is very powerful. Especially in our case, as a feminist group. Being interested in social change can feel very lonely and overwhelming sometimes. Many of us find comfort, recognition, and solace, in the books we read. A good book can make you feel less alone. But literature, as the eternal conveyor of ideas, provides great prompts for community organizing and cultivating a healthy ground for political conversations.

RGC: What is the primary goal behind the group? How do you envision it a year from now?

LC: The primary goal behind the COVEN Book Club is to identify COVEN’s community. The idea behind COVEN is to create a space for international feminism through literature and hospitality. The Book

Club is only the first step but in a year from now, we hope to have developed enough to have a physical location with good coffee, food, wine, a well-stocked bookstore, and a variety of complementary events: a book club still, but also some more hospitality industry oriented ones. I would also love to find a way for the international community to feel as connected to it as the local Parisian one but I guess that will take a bit more time. To that end, I do believe in the importance of our online presence and am trying to develop that as well.

RGC: What can readers do to support your project?

LC: First and foremost, they can follow us on social media (@covenparis). It’s a very exciting project, and we’re (as in me, and the community) in the process of developing other kinds of events and platforms, in order to someday be able to open our feminist bookstore-café.

See what the COVEN book group is reading here.
Read more about the COVEN project and bookstore here.

Photo credits: Book Group, Camila Benatar; Lucie Camara, Kate Devine.

Looking for more books by and about women? Check out our recommendations for Women’s History Month!

The post A Feminist Book Group & Bookstore in Paris: Q&A with Lucie Camara appeared first on Reading Group Choices.

To say that Women & Children First is just an independent bookstore is only the beginning of the story. Opened in Chicago in 1979, the store will celebrate 40 years next year and has maintained its place as one of the largest and well-known feminist bookstores in the country.

More than its wide selection of children’s books, literary journals and zines, and LGBTQ fiction and nonfiction, it serves as an inclusive space and haven for the community.

(And they were awarded an honorary street name!)

In 2014, the store’s founders and owners, Ann Christophersen and Linda Bubon, sold the business to two of their employees, Lynn Mooney and Sarah Hollenbeck. The transition kept the store in strong hands as it continues its success and role in the community.

Given such a reputation, it’s not surprising that Women & Children First has a long history of running book groups. At current count they offer seven active monthly groups with a range of themes: Social Justice, Feminist Book Group, Women’s Book Group, Family of Women, Classics of Women’s Literature, Teens First, and Women Aging with Wisdom and Grace. All groups are free and open to the public.

Reading Group Choices reached out to two of the group leaders for a closer look at their history, memorable moments, and—of course—what they recommend!

Teens First Book Group

Group Facilitator: Mack Oliver, a teaching artist with the Chicago Public Schools and longtime employee of W&CF as their Coordinator of Fun.

Reading Group Choices: We’ve heard that this group began after the members of the Kids First group grew up! When did the teen group begin, and how does it work?

Mack Oliver: The Kids First Book Group was founded in September of 2012. It was originally for ages 8-12, and was supposed to stay that way. But after upping the age range several times to accommodate our oldest reader, Eli, we decided to transition the name to Teens First Book Group. Our core group have all been dedicated members all six years.

The kids have always chosen all the books via vote, and there was an infamous 18-month period when we read absolutely nothing but middle grade novels about some child being a “chosen one” and then going on some quest to vanquish some evil adult. We reference that period all the time: “Remember when we only read about dragons? My god.” Now we read far more broadly: we just finished Ready Player One, and are about to start a graphic memoir about being a teenager in Turkey. Go Ask Alice really scarred us this spring!

RGC: Do any memorable sessions stand out?

MO: The time they spontaneously changed their names as a means of pranking a new kid! They were about 10-12 years old, and it was as if they suddenly became a very smug and cohesive improv troupe. I still call one of our readers Shanahan when he’s being lippy.

And when they read Harriet the Spy our first year: they thought it was incredibly inappropriate that the book said “damn” and discussed that for perhaps half the session.

Also our Five Year Anniversary Hoopla Extravaganza last year: after 60 books, we have a mountain of references and inside jokes, and it was so fun and meaningful to celebrate how far we’ve come.

RGC: What in your view is the key difference (if there is one) to discussing books with a group of teens versus adults?

MO: It’s so anecdotal. They’re forever making connections to school, to their home lives. The kids’ rapid evolution obviously isn’t something you’re going to see from adults either. We started with people who saw everything in the starkest and simplest of terms, and now I’ve got these people with the beginnings of political identities, pretty broad senses of humors, and much wider frames of reference.

RGC: Please share any recent selections that your group found engaging!

MO: The first book we ever agreed on was This Monstrous Thing by Makenzi Lee. It’s a queer-inclusive, steampunk story adjacent to Frankenstein, but not quite a reimagining of that story itself. I made my kids write the author fan mail because it seemed likely we would never unanimously love a book again.

Women’s Book Group

Group Facilitator: Linda Bubon, founder and original owner of Women & Children First with Ann Christophersen.

RGC: Can you talk about the history of the Women’s Book Group, and how it works?

Linda Bubon: There are seven or eight book groups that meet at the store, but the Women’s Book Group is the oldest, and from 1988 to the late 90’s was the only one.

We meet on the third Tuesday evening of every month and discuss a variety of literature, exclusively by women. (We have made a few exceptions over the years). In December, we have a potluck and meet to suggest books for the following year—2-4 suggestions per person —and then vote for the 11 we most want to discuss.

I assign the order, but we always include appropriate titles for Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and Poetry Month.

Typically, 8-15 women come each month, but we’ve had some big  turnouts (30-50) for Jane Eyre, Eleanor Roosevelt, Vol. 1, Backlash, and Gilead.

RGC: Can you share any thoughts about what you decide to read?

LB: Because the five or six members of the core group (we’ve had lots of newcomers and still do) are white women who want to educate ourselves, we’ve also been reading some of the new nonfiction that focuses on the lives of people of color: The New Jim Crow, The Warmth of Other Suns, Negroland, and The South Side were stand-outs.

We often comment that it’s only because a book was required for book group that we read it—particularly long nonfiction—and were richly rewarded. Certainly true for Far From the Tree, The Warmth of Other Suns, and Crusader for Justice: A Biography of Ida B Wells.

RGC: What in your view is the key to a successful or satisfying book group meeting?

LB: I’m proud of gently leading this group for nearly 30 years. I suggested from the beginning that our format would be to go around the circle, each introduce ourselves and speak—without interruption—for a few minutes about our reaction to the book. When all voices have been heard, we embark on the discussion.

We’ve been known to get into some great arguments, and while I insist on mutual respect, I don’t expect us to agree. Despite the best of reviews, no one is afraid to say, “I just didn’t like it. Maybe you can convince me otherwise.” And that sometimes leads to the most lively discussions.

Please share any recent selections that your group found engaging!

LB: Recent favorites that have produced good discussions include Pachinko, Hunger, Homegoing, Manhattan Beach, and Disoriental.

View a complete list of book groups at Women & Children First (including their current selections) here. 

Also call, email, or visit them in person:

5233 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60640
773.769.9299
wcfbooks@gmail.com

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You may have already heard of Nashville, Tennessee as a vibrant center for music, arts, and entertainment, but did you know that it is also home to an active book club and bookstore scene? Look no further than Parnassus Books as proof of a richly-populated literary community in Nashville.

Parnassus Books—so named for Mount Parnassus in Greek mythology, which was a center for the arts—has made its home in Nashville since November 2011. Novelist Ann Patchett with publishing representatives Mary Grey James and Karen Hayes began the store after the closing of Nashville’s two large bookstores, Davis-Kidd and Borders. Since then, Parnassus Books has thrived as an independent and local business that connects the community through books. The store stocks books that their staff has read and can recommend, facilitating personal interactions between staff and customers as people search for their next good read. And Parnassus Books remains a cultural hub for book groups!

The store hosts two of its own book clubs, Parnassus Book Club and Classics Club, which feature contemporary fiction and nonfiction works and classic works respectively.

The Conscious Aging Book Club offers memoirs and non-fiction works about aging.

Information about meeting times for these clubs can be found on Parnassus Books’ website here: https://www.parnassusbooks.net/bookclub

Additionally, Parnassus offers registration for book groups that allows members to order and buy their chosen books at a discount while alerting them to author events and workshops at the store. Once a book club registers, Parnassus creates a shelf space for them in the store in their book club section and stocks the club’s selections there. Around 50 book clubs are currently registered with Parnassus, and the store is always looking for more groups to take advantage of their registration benefits.

Their Book Club Workshop every fall teaches book club members how to run a successful book club, pick great reads, and more. For a nominal fee, customers may purchase a ticket to the event, but those who are interested are advised to do so sooner rather than later, as the workshop has limited space and it is so popular it sells out!

But the amenities of Parnassus don’t stop there. The Parnassus Books blog, Musing, showcases interviews with co-owner and novelist Ann Patchett, posts about life at the store, and gift recommendations, among other things. Muse even has a section for the Shop Dog Diaries, which detail the lives of the many dogs who work at the store. Parnassus’s First Editions Club provides subscribing customers with signed, first edition staff picks delivered to their home every month for one year. ParnassusNext provides the same service but caters to young adult readers, providing quality recommendations from the staff. Interested customers can sign up for either club online or in the store. The Parnassus store also hosts regular events with author signings, storytime readings, and informative symposiums.

Whether you’re starting your own book club or just wanting your next good read, Parnassus Books fulfills its mission of connecting people with great books and meaningful experiences.

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