Books and Drinks

* We meet inside Compass Coffee. * Details on parking below. * Bring something to read, as we often take some time at the beginning telling each other about what we're currently reading. * I have a favor to ask of you. To offset the cost of Meetup fees (\~$200 a year), I kindly request that you consider a small donation to my my [Pledge account](https://www.meetup.com/a-different-type-of-book-club-arlington/#pledge). 😊 **NOTE: NO DISCUSSION OF POLITICS: 12/31/21 UPDATE** For the sake of polite company, moving forward, we will avoid the discussion of politics at meetings of the book club. Please let me know if you have any questions. **PARKING** On Saturdays and Sundays, parking is free on 16th Street N. (near Hillside Park, 1601 N. Pierce Street, Arlington, Va.), and also on the adjacent N. Pierce Street (between Clarendon Blvd. and Fairfax Dr.). Likewise, on weekends, parking on N. Queen Street (between Clarendon Blvd. and Fairfax Dr.) is free. **NON-ATTENDANCE / NO-SHOW POLICY** If you have said that you will attend this event, but no longer are able to attend, please kindly update your status to "Not Attending" so that someone on the waitlist is able to RSVP. **Because this Meetup group is popular, and typically has a waitlist, effective immediately, I'm instituting a two-event no-show policy. If you RSVP as "Attending" but do not show at two events, you will be removed from this Meetup group.** We look forward to seeing you! Best, Jay

Please join us for our first Romance Book Discussion Club of 2026! Location is at my apartment in Dupont. Address and details will be provided to attendees closer to the meeting. Also, please update your RSVP by 6pm the day before, if you're unable to come. That will allow people on the waitlist to have enough time to consider coming, as well. Looking forward to discussing romance books with you all and excited to see what the New Year will bring for us all :) \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* This month the themes are: **Most Batshit/Unhinged Plot** and **Bodyguard trope**. As always, you do not need to read a book that falls into both categories, you're welcome to read whatever you like, but many members find it fun to explore and try new tropes and subgenres. For our "best of the best" the theme is **best redemption or grovel** of a character. So be thinking of a book you've read at any point that would fall into that category. A couple of suggestions to get people thinking: - *Aurora Rising* by Jessie Mihalik, sci-fi romance with a bodyguard trope. - *White Horse Black Nights* by Evie Marceau, fantasy romance with bodyguard/escort via horse through a dangerous forest. As for unhinged....that's about half the books I read, so that'd be a long list. "Unhinged" can be interpreted as campy, unrealistic/ridiculous, spicy, weird etc. However you interpret the prompt, feel free to include it! I also love a good bodyguard trope, but never read them enough, so I'd love to some recommendations myself! As always, please do sound off in the comments about suggestions for books or authors.

📚 Do you love reading, but wish you had a structure and a community to share your insights with? Join our small circle of curious minds (just 4 members per gathering) as we come together for an hour of focused reading—in the calm setting of a library or the cozy atmosphere of a café. Here’s how it works: First part: Quiet reading on your own—bring a book you’re exploring, whether it’s philosophy, history, psychology, literature, or anything meaningful to you. Second part: We regroup and each person shares key takeaways, insights, or questions sparked by their reading. This sparks a structured yet free-flowing conversation around ideas, perspectives, and personal reflections. Why join? Add structure to your reading habit. Discover new books, authors, and ideas through others’ choices. Build real connections by sharing and listening deeply. Socialize around something meaningful instead of small talk.

**NOTE: AN RSVP ON MEETUP DOES NOT SERVE AS A BOOKED SPOT. YOU MUST BOOK VIA LINK BELOW TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT.** **THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!** **You must book your spot through our website: [[Booking Link Here](https://www.lesbifriendstravel.com/events/shape-sip-a-queer-clay-social)]** Bring your curiosity and creative spark! Lesbifriends Travel invites you to *Shape & Sip*, a queer clay social where we trade wine glasses for clay slabs and build something beautiful together. Whether you're sculpting your first coffee mug or just vibing with community energy, this event is all about creation and fun. No experience needed, just come ready to play, sip, and shape your Saturday with us. **Event Details You Should Know:** 📅 **Date:** Saturday, January 24, 2026 ⏰ **Time:** 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM 📍 **Location:** Moonlight Studios in Beltsville, MD 💸 **Cost:** $40 **What to Expect:** 🎨 Hands-on clay fun with guidance (Take home what you create) 🍷 Wine to sip while you sculpt 💖 A cozy, safe space for queer creativity **Who This Event Is For:** Queer BIPOC folks who want a chill, artsy Saturday full of laughter, new Lesbifriends, and feel-good vibes. ✨ Lesbifriends Travel invites you to create art, feel joy, and be connected. Learn more details and claim your spot here: **[Shape & Sip](https://www.lesbifriendstravel.com/events/shape-sip-a-queer-clay-social)**! **Booking deadline is January 14, 2026.** **Note:** By attending this event, you agree to being photographed. However, if communicated, we will try our best not to capture you in photos and post you publicly. That request must be communicated ahead of time/at the beginning of the event to photographer and host.

Cost: free Court Type: Outdoor Sand Transportation: Parking will be right in front of the courts. MINIMUM 4 people (no incthe host) in attendance otherwise event will be cancelled the day RSVP ends (the day of event). Level: BB and higher level This is an advanced volleyball at BB or higher level.

Social Sips & Bites Nation - get ready for a night where winter chill meets blazing energy! We’re hosting a Winter Singles Mixer Party under the Frost & Blaze theme - the perfect setting to meet new people, mingle, flirt a little, and make real connections in a fun, relaxed, high-energy atmosphere. 🔥 Live DJ HAZE will be setting the room on fire with his signature sound - high-energy mixes, smooth transitions, and a crowd-moving blend of Top 40, Latin, and throwbacks that will keep everyone on the dance floor. And the party gets even bigger… We’re also celebrating JOE’S BIRTHDAY, and we’re doing it SSB-style - loud, fun, joyful, and unforgettable. Expect birthday energy in the air, cheers all around, and a dance floor that stays full all night. ❄️ Frost vibes: cool lighting, winter atmospher 🔥 Blaze energy: warm lighting, pulsing beats, nonstop dancing 💃 Singles Mixer: easy conversations, fun connections, and a welcoming vibe for everyone 🍸 Happy-hour prices to keep the good times flowing Bring your crew, your winter glow, and your best dance moves - with Joe’s birthday, a packed singles mixer, and DJ HAZE live, this is the winter party of the season.

\*NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!\* From “one of those special writers capable of delivering both poetry and plot” (The New York Times Book Review) an immersive historical novel inspired by the true story of a woman physician in 15th-century China—perfect for fans of Lisa See’s classics Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane. According to Confucius, “an educated woman is a worthless woman,” but Tan Yunxian—born into an elite family, yet haunted by death, separations, and loneliness—is being raised by her grandparents to be of use. Her grandmother is one of only a handful of female doctors in China, and she teaches Yunxian the pillars of Chinese medicine, the Four Examinations—looking, listening, touching, and asking—something a man can never do with a female patient. From a young age, Yunxian learns about women’s illnesses, many of which relate to childbearing, alongside a young midwife-in-training, Meiling. The two girls find fast friendship and a mutual purpose—despite the prohibition that a doctor should never touch blood while a midwife comes in frequent contact with it—and they vow to be forever friends, sharing in each other’s joys and struggles. No mud, no lotus, they tell themselves: from adversity beauty can bloom. But when Yunxian is sent into an arranged marriage, her mother-in-law forbids her from seeing Meiling and from helping the women and girls in the household. Yunxian is to act like a proper wife—embroider bound-foot slippers, recite poetry, give birth to sons, and stay forever within the walls of the family compound, the Garden of Fragrant Delights. How might a woman like Yunxian break free of these traditions and lead a life of such importance that many of her remedies are still used five centuries later? How might the power of friendship support or complicate these efforts? A captivating story of women helping each other, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is a triumphant reimagining of the life of one person who was remarkable in the Ming dynasty and would be considered remarkable today.

New (old) location - La Madeleine at 500 King St! Hope to see you there

Come the whole time or if you just spend 30 minutes. All are welcome. You are welcome and encouraged to bring your own coloring supplies but, if you don't have any, I will have plenty and am happy to share! (coloring books, colored pencils, and markers). Part of the mission of this group is to provide us an opportunity to check out AND SUPPORT local businesses. So, please don't bring any outside food/drinks and, while purchasing something isn't at all a REQUIREMENT to participate in the event, I do strongly encourage you to try something from the vendor :) I look forward to seeing and meeting you there! ***\*\*DISCLAIMER*\*\*** Photos may be taken during the event to be shared here on Meetup so feel free to let me know if you'd like to be excluded from them.

This is the sign you've been waiting for! Come write with us Sunday at 7:30 am at Kaldi's Social House in Arlington. Kaldi's opens at 7. Grab a coffee and join the group! We generally have 10 to 14 writers attend each week, and new folks are welcome to drop in anytime. Intros start at 7:30 am. We will write for one hour. After writing, feel free to debrief, share thoughts or get advice. Our meetups are a safe space for writers to work on their craft. No one will read or critique your writing. Kaldi's Social House website: https://www.kaldissocialhouse.net/ \* Resource \* Many thanks to Justin for putting together a shared file of resource discussed at the meetings. Feel free to add to it! [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13LONNjZvsO5hEXM7NsBnWCgy3GgPgjAbQxE0lPxp7hc/edit?usp=sharing](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13LONNjZvsO5hEXM7NsBnWCgy3GgPgjAbQxE0lPxp7hc/edit?usp=sharing)

New year, new beginnings! We’ll be visiting some old friends for our first get together of the year; Denizens Brewing! We’ve been hanging with the kids from DBC since they opened their Silver Spring location (RIP) in 2014. We’ve done tours & tastings, they hosted our annual holiday party (twice!), and we even did a chip pairing with housemade chips. This time we’ll be keeping it chill at their new(ish) home in Riverdale Park for beers and brunch. Call it a catch-up. That’s it, come hang. They have a great selection of beers, and a few non alcoholic options if you’re participating in dry January. The closest metro stop is College Park, and the closest Marc station is Riverdale Park town center. The College Park station is a 5 min ride share, while the Marc station is a 4 min ride. Hope to see ya!

For January, we’re reading Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy. For fans of Flight Behavior and Station Eleven, a novel set on the brink of catastrophe, as a young woman chases the world's last birds--and her own final chance for redemption. Franny Stone has always been a wanderer. By following the ocean's tides and the birds that soar above, she can forget the losses that have haunted her life. But when the wild she loves begins to disappear, Franny can no longer wander without a destination. She arrives in remote Greenland with one purpose: to find the world's last flock of Arctic terns and track their final migration. She convinces Ennis Malone, captain of the Saghani, to take her onboard, winning over his eccentric crew with promises that the birds will lead them to fish. As the Saghani fights its way south, Franny's dark history begins to unspool. Battered by night terrors, accumulating a pile of unsent letters, and obsessed with pursuing the terns at any cost, Franny is full of secrets. When her quest threatens the safety of the entire crew, Franny must ask herself what she is really running toward--and running from. Propelled by a narrator as fierce and fragile as the terns she is following, Charlotte McConaghy's Migrations is both an ode to our threatened world and a breathtaking page-turner about the lengths we will go for the people we love.

Calling all founders, CEOs, lawyers, doctors, and entrepreneurs to join our special *Founder Edition* of Sip & Read meetup event. Let's sip on fine wine and discuss our first book **The 5AM Club- Own Your Morning Elevate Your Life, by Robin Sharma**. We will pair this book with our favorite wine at **Wine on High** and engage in thought-provoking discussions on startup businesses and entrepreneurship, and network with like-minded individuals in a cozy book club setting. *The 5AM Club* by Robin Sharma explores how waking up early and following a structured morning routine can dramatically improve productivity, mindset, and overall life mastery. Through a blend of storytelling and practical frameworks, it teaches high performers how to build discipline, focus, and long-term success by owning the first hour of the day. Come prepared to discuss this month's book. At the end of each book club meeting, we will take next book and venue suggestions from the participants for the next meeting. Whether you are a book lover, women entrepreneur, or a content creator, this event is perfect for sharing ideas and insights with other funders and founders in the entrepreneurial world. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to connect, learn, and grow together. Sign up now to reserve your spot! *Fun fact! This meetup was established in 2015 and had over 1,000 members. I had to shut down operations while attending law school, but we're back!!*

Let’s meetup at Cafe Istanbul for the last day of Restaurant Week. You get three courses for $30. This is the menu: https://614now.com/rw-menu/cafeistanbul-easton