What we’re about
Hi everyone! 👋 Welcome! I'm so glad you're here.
The mission is to create a cozy, welcoming space for introverted women in their 30s and 40s to connect over a shared love of reading, without feeling overwhelmed or "on" all the time. Reminder, it's okay if you haven't finished or haven't even started the book. All are welcome; this is a no-pressure environment.
Format:
- Meet Twice a Month:
- First Meetup: Fiction Book Discussion
- Second Meetup: Non-fiction Book Discussion
- Group Size:
- Each event will be limited to 6 participants, including the organizer.
- Smaller groups = easier conversations and less overwhelm.
- Format:
- Meetups will last about 1.5–2 hours.
- We'll meet at cozy spots (like a quiet cafe).
- No formal presentations — just casual discussion.
- It’s 100% okay just to listen if you’re feeling quieter that day.
- Book Selection:
- A mix of popular, literary, cozy, and thought-provoking titles.
- Selections to be announced at least 1 month in advance to give time for reading.
- General Vibe:
- Calm, welcoming, non-judgmental.
- No icebreakers, forced games, or putting people on the spot.
- It's okay if you don’t finish or even start the book — all are welcome!
I'm open to all feedback, so please don't hesitate to comment or reach out.
Looking forward to meeting you soon — in the calm, introvert-friendly way we all appreciate. 🖤 Courtney
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- FICTION: Beautyland, by Marie-Helene BertinoCafe Leila, Berkeley, CA
For this event, I've chosen this sci-fi read by Marie-Helene Bertino. I'm not usually a sci-fi gal, but I admit that the description and the beautiful cover drew me in! Sometimes you need to ponder what it means to be human. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127282939-beautyland
"Beautyland, named after the 'dash-to-in-a-pinch supply’ store that, along with Auto World’s floppy inflatable man, are totems from Adina’s childhood, is written in a dry, matter-of-fact style, befitting of a novel where the protagonist sends daily memos to a home world she’s never seen. But it’s not dull. Most certainly not. I could easily spend the rest of this review quoting Adina’s hilarious, poetic, and wise observations. Here’s a selection: 'I require speech lessons and corrective lenses, and most likely teeth braces. I am an expensive extraterrestrial’/ ‘Adulthood seems like a yearslong equation to beat traffic’/ ‘The ego of the human male is by far the most dangerous aspect of human society’ (to which the aliens respond: THIS HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED) / ‘Death’s biggest surprise is that it does not end the conversation.’ My favourite line from the novel isn’t from a fax, but rather: ‘Adina smiles at the girl in the mirror. The girl in the mirror, bound by physics, returns her smile.’ It somehow typifies everything brilliant about Adina and this book." - Ian Mond, LocusMag
*This event will be held at Cafe Leila on San Pablo Ave in Berkeley. They have a large back patio, so hopefully we can sit outside. You can find their menu here: https://www.cafeleila.com/menus
Please reach out if you have any questions. Thanks!
- N-FIC: The True Happiness Company: How a Girl Like Me Falls for a Cult Like ThatKitava - Solano Ave, Albany, CA
For this event, I've chosen this memoir by Veena Dinavahi. If you're like me and have watched endless cult documentaries (NXIVM, anyone?), then I think this book might be for you. I'm excited and anxious at the same time. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/215361994-the-true-happiness-company
"In this revelatory debut, Veena traces the contours of her life to explore the question that plagued her in the years afterward: how did I fall for that? And what will it mean to move forward?
Told with unflinching clarity and shot through with incisive wit, The True Happiness Company is Veena Dinavahi’s singular exploration of what it means to lose and reclaim your identity, rethink mental illness, and learn to trust your intuition in a world determined to annihilate it." — Nowhere Bookshop
*This event will be held at the Kitava location on Solano Ave in Albany. They have lots of allergen-friendly food options. You can find their menu here: https://www.kitava.com/kitava-albany-menus/
Please reach out if you have any questions. Thanks!
