BoOk CLuB ReDuX.

I love BoOk CLuB. There's nothing like reading a book, getting together to chat, and enjoying food and drinks and friends.

But the busy-ness of life can easily distract from even the fun things. So earlier this year, I felt like our BoOk CLuB needed a little bit of sprucing up, an overhaul of sorts to ensure that it worked for everybody who wanted it to remain a part of their lives. It's such a fun thing for me, and I didn't want it to get lost in the madness.

We have friends who have moved over the past few years, and while we've missed them in BoOk CLuB, it's been really cool to have them stay in touch virtually. And of course, over time, we've met new friends who have interest in being involved with a group of reading friends. So the time seemed right to have new friends join us. This has expanded our group, of course, and it's also deepened our conversations. I love this. Don't look now, but we actually sometimes even talk about…the book.

And speaking of talking about the book, we came up with something else that's been really helpful. It's true that any given month can get crazy, leaving little time to read the book we've chosen. So we decided to have a session at the beginning of our time together where we do nothing but talk about the book. And if somebody hasn't been able to finish the book that month, they simply join us a half-hour later for food, drinks, and catching up. It's worked really well so far!

We've read some amazing books during this revamp, too. Books that have made me think and laugh. Books that I haven't been able to put down, no matter how tired I've been from all the busy-ness. And books that have even made me shed a tear, possibly two. Really good books.

We've spent the summer months sitting outside at Silo, sipping wine or fruity champagne cocktails. I feel so fortunate when my boys carve out time for themselves to have 'Boys Night' while I catch my breath with my friends. It's a luxury, to be sure, but it's become a necessity, too.

And looking ahead, maybe BoOk CLuB looks like a pot of homemade soup on a chilly fall night. Or a night at the movies to watch one of our books come alive on the screen.

Whatever it looks like, it's very much alive and well. And I'm all the better for it.