What we’re about
Welcome to the "reincarnated" Central Florida Books and Brews! This Meetup has been around for several years but faded into the background during the pandemic. I joined when I moved to Orlando a little over a year ago, looking forward to an in-person book club for people that are - and I quote from the prior organizers - "looking to read badass books and go out for a drink and dinner". I wish I was here in time to go to one of those previous meetings and thought the group deserved another chance to grow and thrive. I'm thinking that with over 800 current members, there are bound to be others excited for the same opportunity.
So yes, we will still be reading the same types of books that enticed you to join in the first place! We will focus on fiction, generally in the genres of thriller, fantasy, horror, and mystery. I'll need some help from everyone to bring fresh viewpoints and offer book suggestions each month. I think some of the basic guidelines set in place originally are a good place to start, so we'll try them out and see how they fit for our revamped book club.
Here are the general guidelines for choosing books, but please remember these guidelines are non-binding. Rules are made to be broken, right? Please don't hesitate to suggest a book if it does not fit the description below. This is just where the fun begins, not where it ends.
1. We read books that are readily available at a relatively low cost. They may be available used on Amazon or one of many other used book sites. They could be available as an inexpensive Kindle download or as a freebie for trying Audible. Or they could be available old-school from a library. We can take turns buying a copy and passing it along to other members before the meetings. We don't want our members to have to buy a brand-new, full-price book if there's any way around it.
2. We read books written for adults. While there are great books for YA readers out there, this is a club for people 21 and over, given that we'll be meeting in alcohol-friendly atmospheres. But if you don't drink, it's all good! The primary reason we're here is to read great books and discuss them.
3. We read standalone novels. We want to provide members with a variety of books, and not get stuck on one author or storyline.
However, these are just general guidelines. If you know of something that will knock our socks off but breaks a rule, bring it on!
Suggestions will be taken at the end of each meeting for new material. The books will be assigned two meetings out. For example, our first meeting is in May. At the end of that meeting, we'll choose the next book from the suggestions. This book will be the one discussed at the July meeting so that everyone has a chance to find a copy of the book and have plenty of time to read it. At the end of the June meeting, the August book will be chosen, and so on.
We will get together once a month at a restaurant to have some dinner, drinks, and dish about the most recent book selection. We'll also open conversation to whatever else comes up, as long as we avoid highly charged, divisive topics. We all know what they are, so...just say no to those discussions. If we decide we'd like to meet more often, we can definitely add more opportunities to read (and socialize) as we go. For the most part, we'll keep the book club meetings to Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, which are usually slower days for restaurants, making it easier to get reservations for a larger group. Special events may be scheduled as well, and who knows when those will be...
Now the part I hate - but I'm putting it out there anyway. Please keep your RSVPs up to date. This is simply because we need to keep our reservations accurate. There are restaurants who are depending on us to keep their servers, bartenders, and cooks busy. We're paying their bills and feeding their kids. If you are a no-show without prior notice, you will be given a strike. If it happens again, we'll ask you to leave the group. If you RSVP and then can't make it, just change your reservation prior to the event. Things do come up the day of, and we know this, so just message us on Meetup and let us know you can't come if it's last minute. You will not be given a strike or asked to leave unless last-minute cancellations become a habit that negatively affects the group. We just want to make sure we don't surprise our restaurants with a much smaller group than we promised.
Hopefully, you're still reading - and still interested in helping us build this community. See you soon!
Upcoming events (2)
See all- Let's Meetup and Discuss "The Wife Upstairs" by Rachel HawkinsTeak Neighborhood Grill, Orlando, FL
Hello Everyone!
If you love a good thriller and are always excited by a new twist on a classic story, our June book is for you!
"Hawkins delivers a sharp, fresh twist on a classic in this darkly funny, suspenseful story of murder, ambition, and love. Creepy and fast-paced, The Wife Upstairs kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the very last." ––Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author
"With an even darker twist, this novel delivers a one-of-a-kind take on a well-known gothic tale. In addition to the suspenseful story line, the distorted love triangle and the impassivity of the Thornfield residents will have readers feeling simultaneously discombobulated and fulfilled." ––Library Journal
"When I say I couldn't put down The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins, I mean that I read it on my lunch break, while working out, instead of sleeping. It is seriously that good." ––PopSugar
Click to learn more at Amazon - and get a copy anywhere you like. It's available at Pangobooks starting at $1.50, and on Amazon starting at $1.79, but shop around...you never know what you'll find. It's also available free with a trial from Audible.com, through Kindle Unlimited or through Issuu, YouTube or Tokybook. And don't forget CloudLibrary, Hoopla, and your local library!
Join us at 7:00 pm, Wednesday, June 12th for drinks, dinner, and discussion - looking forward to seeing you there! This month, by special request, the party is at:
Teak Neighborhood Grill
6400 Time Square Ave, Orlando, FL 32835Because this restaurant has a busy trivia night on Tuesdays, we're meeting on WEDNESDAY night this month!
RSVP by June 10th please, so we can give the restaurant a final headcount. Until then...
- Let's Meetup and Discuss "Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil" by John BerendtMiller's Ale House, Orlando, FL
Hello Everyone!
The South in the Summer...what could be better? Nothing, when it is brought to life by a classic tale immortalized both in print and on film.
It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman's Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the "soul of pampered self-absorption"; the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this true-crime book has become a modern classic.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Click to learn more at Amazon - and get a copy anywhere you like. It's available there starting at $.28, but shop around...you never know what you'll find. It's also free with a trial from Audible.com, or through AudioBooksLoft. And don't forget CloudLibrary, Hoopla, and your local library!
Join us at 7:00 pm, Tuesday, July 9th for drinks, dinner, and discussion - looking forward to seeing you there! This month the party is at:
Miller's Ale House
8963 International Drive
Orlando, FL 32819RSVP by July 6th please, so we can give the restaurant a head count. Until then...