by Jenny Dodgson
I make my way to Merseymade, a vibrant café near Liverpool One. As relaxed and inviting as a café could be on a Sunday afternoon, the smell of well-made coffee and cake mixes with the gentle murmuring of customers. Up the stairs to the first floor and I meet my group of fellow readers who are all women by chance; one young mother jiggles a soft-cheeked beauty of a baby boy in her arms as we crowd around Rachael, our affable book club host, who invites us to sit down.
We start talking after brief introductions. What strikes me immediately is the easy flow of conversation between complete strangers; no one hangs back and we’re straight into the issues. Sometimes an idea starts but doesn’t finish and the speaker stops mid-sentence, the idea hanging there momentarily before another picks it up and rolls it into their own train of thought. This is my first book club experience and I’m immediately hooked.
Two sessions in and the titles were:
‘Before the coffee gets cold’, a Japanese bestseller by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. I loved this book; it’s a spiritual journey of time-travel, like nothing I’ve read before. We agreed that different books resonate depending on your stage of life; I revelled in the peace of this book but the busy young mum next to me was frustrated by the slow pace, as were others and mixed reviews were given. One of the central messages is to live life without regret; to say what you need to say in the moment.
‘I’m glad my mom died’ is an autobiography by Jennette McCurdy. This controversial memoir is a hard-hitting, truth-fuelled narrative of childhood fame, the writer the star of ‘iCarly’ of Nickelodeon. McCurdy raises so many gripping issues; the relationship between emotional and physical hunger, the destructive and spiralling impact of abuse, the power dynamics in dysfunctional families- there was a lot to unpack. Amazingly, this book is hilarious, often laugh-out-loud. Most enjoyed it immensely, even though the author’s trauma is so palpable our discussion resembled group therapy; I think most were a little relieved by the time we were done.
While I am impressed by the book choices so far, ultimately, I think we could read the Sunday Times; the enjoyment is in the shared experience rather than the content. What I love most about this book club is the momentum of our discussion, so much so that it comes as a surprise when Rachael calls time. When I leave, I find myself elated, basking in a little natural high from the complete joy of free, thought-provoking discussion, inspiration, and most simply, connection- which of course, is the whole point. I can’t wait for the next session- we are reading ‘Maame’ by Jessica George.