*Book Club Review* Colorado Springs Thrills and Chills Book Club

 It's been a busy day at my house. I talked about doing a Costco run with the husband in my last post, but after that I still had to do things like cook supper and wash laundry so I'll have clean clothes to wear to work all week. A part of me really wants to expand my wardrobe so that if I'm feeling particularly lazy one week, I could just skip the laundry thing, but I don't want to do that while I'm actively on a "fitness" journey (let's be real, I'm really trying to lose some/most of this excess weight, and I've been seeing some results, but I still have a ways to go on that score). Plus, this body still isn't fun to dress. 

Since I still have one book club review to write to be caught up, let's get to it. 

This review is of the second group that I'm incredibly biased about, because I run it, still chaotically. I'm not surprisingly more organized for this group than I expect to be for Fantasy book club. Weird, I know. Much like Fantasy Book Club, I started running this one because the thriller book club that I had found and joined quickly became defunct. I don't know what happened there, but I may have been the problem just trying to keep it going when the creator failed to show up to the second meeting. In any case, I'd joined a thriller book club because it's the one major genre that I don't naturally gravitate towards, and I didn't want to lose it (and I didn't know that there was already another thriller book club option in town at the time). Obviously I feel like this is the best of the four thriller book clubs that I know of in town (and that's a lie. The other three are much more organized, and if you enjoy thrillers, I'd recommend joining all of them.) 

Much like Fantasy Book Club, this group meets at the same place, at the same time, on the same day of the month (3rd Sunday at 2:30 pm at Slice 420 on Oro Blanco). I just do not have the bandwidth to spread our business around like the other groups I'm in do. This can be a problem when the locations I've chosen are closed for holidays like Easter (that happened last year and I had to call a mulligan and host at my house). 

In this group, we pick books three months in advance, which you would think would make it easier for me to post the events in a timely fashion, and once I actually get ahead on them maybe it will. But we've been picking books this way for over a year and so far I have not gotten ahead of the game. Will this post be the motivation to do it now? Probably not. 

Some of my favorite reads with this group include Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead, and The September House by Carissa Orlando. 

Do you think my thriller group will come out on top? - Katie 

*Book Club Review* Colorado Springs Atheist Book Club

 I was way too tired after book club last night to want to dive into writing another book club review, so I just didn't do that. But then my husband suggested going to Costco today, and I needed to get more ground beef for meals, so we did that, and then I had to portion out the ground beef (about 14 pounds of it) for freezing, so once again I feel behind on what I'm doing. On top of that, I have to read almost all of Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver by 7 pm Tuesday for book club, and I also have to work the next two days. I have the physical book, and I just don't want to cave and get the audio on this one since I can't access it through the library. But if I don't get back on track with these book club reviews, I'm not going to get through my bracket before March is over. 

On that note, let's get into my next review. 

Today I'll be reviewing the local Atheist Book Club. I was invited to this group by someone who decided in November that they no longer want to associate with me on a friend level, and I have to assume it's based on things someone else said about me based on the timing. They've claimed that's not the case, but I read way too much to not have a decent grasp on human behavior, and this is a person I thought I knew pretty well. I was clearly wrong because I would have expected for them to at least ask about my side of the story, like I did when I heard negative stories about them. But not everyone has the same morals I do. 

Anyway, I've only been in attendance for two meetings with this group so far. I missed the last meeting as I just wasn't feeling well after Aunt Flo showed up while I was at work. Normally I wouldn't let that stop me, but I just didn't have the energy and wanted to head home and be a vegetable for the evening. A part of me regrets that decision, because the book conversations in this group have been very interesting, and we were going to be discussing The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson, and I was really excited to see what others thought about Clinton's involvement with the book. 

This group does way more than just a book club though. They host roundtable discussions, hikes, coffee meet-ups, I think there's an annual camping trip. I really don't have a good handle on all this group has to offer yet as my focus has been on the book club. If you're local looking for an aggressively non-religious group, this would probably be a good one for you to check out. 

The two other books that I've read for this group were The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffennegger and Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera. They are pretty intentional in switching between genres, and time periods within certain genres like historical fiction. They are also super organized with spreadsheets for past reads. I want to be more like them when I grow up. 

How will they compare against other book clubs? - Katie 

*Book Club Review* COS Fantasy Book Club

 It is mid-day on Saturday and I'm between book club meetings. I just finished working out and I'm almost finished reading the book for my last book club meeting of the day. I will at least finish in time. I started my morning with the Shelf Care Book Club, and it was a great small group of ladies. I will be editing my review of the group now that I've actually attended a meeting to include some information about how they operate. 

But I need to wash dishes before I leave for Next Chapter book club this evening, so let's get right to my review of Fantasy Book Club. 

This group technically hasn't met yet, because it's the result of me being kicked out of the other fantasy book club in town (because of the events that led to the rebrand of Next Chapter actually). Fantasy has always been one of my favorite genres though, so losing that group was very sad. I saw it coming though because some people are very predictable. 

I'm obviously biased about how awesome this group is, since I run it, but I'm also going to be honest that it will be run chaotically. I've met me. I have really solid intentions, and I'm off to a good start at sticking to them right now, but I am just not organized enough for things to not devolve. But that's why the groups that I run meet at the same time, on the same day of the month (in this case it's the 2nd Saturday at 11 am), and at the same place. I do not do a good job of posting events in a timely fashion, but you should at least know where to go and when. But my daughter getting an ADHD diagnosis yesterday may help me get one of my very own, and meds could make a world of difference in my ability to manage these things better. 

Unlike the other fantasy group in town, this group is for everyone; men and women. And for now we are supporting a local veteran owned brewery (Wackadoo Brewing) that puts its money where its mouth is, donating a significant portion of profits to organizations that help veterans. That is a mission I can get behind. 

Because this group hasn't met yet, I will be using my former group for books that I've enjoyed reading. Some of my favorite books in the fantasy group include Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh. 

Come back either later today or tomorrow to see what I have to say about Atheist Book Club. - Katie 

*Book Club Review* Downtown Colorado Springs Book Club

 This review was supposed to be posted last night, but something happened when I got home from work that emotionally ruined my whole night and all my plans for the evening went out the window. Instead of cooking supper, we ordered sushi/hibachi. Instead of working out and reading, I sat on the couch and watched tv while scrolling reels on Facebook. And instead of getting this review posted, I went to bed early (that was at least helpful). 

But we're heading into the weekend, so I'll just post two book club reviews tomorrow to get myself back on track, maybe. I also have three book club meetings tomorrow, so I may be a bit too busy to actually post two book club reviews. But I have nothing to do on Sunday, so I'll definitely get three book club reviews posted this weekend. 

I also get to announce the winner of the first round match-up. In a move surprising probably no one, The Next Chapter is moving on to the next round, as was expected from my first seed club. And I'm excited to actually meet the ladies in Shelf Care Book Club tomorrow morning. 

But enough of that. Let's get into the next review. 

I have been a member of the Downtown Colorado Springs Book Club for about a year, I think, but I have only attended two meetings. Unfortunately, after the first two meetings I attended, the meeting day and time have conflicted with other groups I would prefer to prioritize. Originally the conflict was with Smutty Book Club, and those meetings are pretty much always a wild time, whether we talk about the books or not. Now the conflict is with the Colorado Springs Friends Book Club, which I prioritize because it is small (I have attended more than one meeting with only myself and one other person there. We are trying to figure out how to gain some traction for this group). The two Downtown BC meetings I attended had several people in attendance, so from my experience, Friends needs me more. If this group met a week earlier, I would attend pretty much every time. But I don't expect groups to change their practices just to accommodate me. 

Before I attended my first meeting with this group, I'd heard from a few people that it was clique-y. That was not my experience, but I could see where the potential for that feeling could exist. When several people in a book club are also friends outside of the group, that can definitely bleed into interactions within the group. Book club does not exist in a vacuum. I've found book clubs to be a great way to make friends, but I'm not friends with everyone I'm in book club with. And that's reasonable. I click with different people in different ways, and some of them will always only be acquaintances. But if you thought you were part of the friend group, it would hurt to find out otherwise. 

Some of the books I'm sad I missed the meetings for include Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly, The Wedding People by Alison Espach, and Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid. 

Hopefully the stars align at some point soon, and I can start attending this group regularly. Stop by tomorrow to see what I have to say about Fantasy Book Club. - Katie 

*Book Club Review* Colorado Springs Book Club

 I had a much better day at work today than yesterday, in case you were wondering. Most of you probably weren't, and that's fine. You don't actually know me, so why would you. And once again, I'm getting this written and posted later in the day than I'd like, but I only have myself to blame for that. Tonight it's because I wanted to make sure to get a long walk in after work (on a treadmill, because I do live in Colorado and even though it was nice today, by the time I got home from work, it was starting to cool down, and I'm still expected to feed the family). If I was smart, I'd get ahead on this and write TWO reviews tonight so all I have to do tomorrow is hit publish, but that's just crazy talk. 

Anyway, let's get to the next book club.

Today's group is Colorado Springs Book Club (be warned, there are at least two groups with this exact name on Facebook. The header for this one is always a solid color with the next meeting's book, meeting location and time listed). If you search for book clubs in Colorado Springs on Facebook, this group is likely to be very high on the list. It is the biggest book club I'm a member of, with consistent attendance between 20-30 people. Last year we had several meetings with over 40 attendees. I say that as a warning to anyone with social anxiety who also wants to join a book club. While this is a great group, it's maybe not for you unless you bring a good friend. It can be a lot. Shit, in this group, I can be a lot as I tend to class clown at these meetings. 

This was the second book club I joined in the Springs, which is why it's the #2 seed on my bracket. The meetings were a bit more intimate when I joined, but even then it was a good sized group. Like the other two clubs I've reviewed so far, this is what I consider to be a generic book club. It doesn't have a specific genre focus, and there's a decent variety between historical fiction, contemporary, thriller, fantasy etc. One of the things I love about this group is that books are picked for the year in advance. Voting usually happens in October or November, but then you have time to actually obtain the books, which makes it easier to either get them through the library, or to catch them on sale. And if you like one on one coffee dates, Kieshia absolutely wants to do that with you. 

Some of my favorite reads with this group include Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner, and The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley. 

But how will this 2nd seed fare against my 15th seed, Downtown Colorado Springs Book Club? I'll have that review posted tomorrow, and voting will begin on the Facebook page. - Katie 

*Book Club Review* Shelf Care Book Club

I'm getting to this post a little later than I'd wanted to, but I had a book club meeting tonight (happens a lot with 18 of them. Weird, I know). This was after an emotionally exhausting day at work that started about an hour before I was even supposed to be there (I get to work stupid early every day because I much prefer the commute to be a mere 25 minutes rather than the hour it would be if I left any later than I do). I usually sit in my car in the parking lot for about an hour and a half before my day starts, reading, but today I went inside so I could more easily eat the fruit bowl I'd brought for breakfast and read the book I needed to finish for the book club meeting tonight. And that was my first mistake. It ultimately resulted in an unnecessary confrontation that left me shaken as there were only the two of us in the building. Fortunately, I work for a company that values mental health and emotional well-being, and I was given the rest of the day off, and it was even mentioned that I should use the time to get a pedicure or day drink, so I did both. I am not fully centered though, as evidenced by breaking down while telling my husband about it this evening. 

But enough of that. Let's get into my next book club review. 

My journey through my unreasonable number of book clubs continues today with Shelf Care Book Club. This is a pretty new group in the area, and so far I have managed to have personal conflicts for every meeting. I will finally be attending my first meeting with this group this Saturday though, and I really enjoyed the book that was picked. Because I haven't actually attended a meeting yet, I don't really have much I can say about this group, and that's part of why it ranks dead last among the book clubs that made the playoffs. 

Books this group has read so far include The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (and I'm really sad I missed that meeting because I loved that book when I read it several years ago), The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, and The Reformatory by Tananarive Due. I am really excited to discuss The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix on Saturday, and hopefully I really like the vibe of the group as well. 

Will this underdog come out on top? - Katie 

*Book Club Review* The Next Chapter

 I am a book addict, and that extends to book clubs as well. In fact, I am in an unreasonable number of in person book clubs (18 that meet to discuss a specific book, and two silent book clubs) as well as one virtual book club that actually doesn't feel real to me yet because I keep forgetting to show up for the meetings (sorry Cuz. I'm super excited about the next two books because I at least own both of them). Being in 18 book clubs means that I spend a whole lot of time reading books that other people tell me to read. This is a very weird thing for me to want, since I hated reading as a subject in school because I didn't like being told what to read and when to read it. I have even become a bit notorious in the Colorado Springs book community because everyone remembers the chick who is crazy and in 18 book clubs. 

People in several of my book clubs consistently tell me I should pare them down, get rid of a few and maybe read some books that I pick for myself without a deadline for a change. And it's solid advice. I don't actually recommend being in 18 book clubs. But I also don't want to quit ANY of them. How would I even choose which book clubs to leave? In fact, I was recently kicked out of my fantasy book club (that's a WHOLE thing), and instead of taking the L, I started a new fantasy book club. I have problems. 

As we were heading into March, I decided to have you all help me to MAYBE narrow down my book clubs to a more manageable number (to be clear, the only times I miss meetings are if I'm ill or they conflict with other book club meetings, so I'm technically managing it already) by doing a Battle of the Book Clubs March Madness style. I am in enough groups for a solid bracket. Sure, we're starting at Sweet 16, but even I know 64 book clubs is too many. 

Up first, we have The Next Chapter. This is a rebrand of the first book club I joined here in Colorado. I have been in it the longest and I'm a founding member (twice over since it's technically a new group now, but all but one of the remaining founding members of the original group is in this group so...) This group gave me the village that I've been searching for my entire adult life. There is not a doubt in my mind that if there was some sort of emergency that required my husband and I to leave the state for an extended period of time, these ladies would step up as they're able to make sure our pets are taken care of, including administering meds twice a day for our cat who has seizures, and that our teenagers aren't throwing wild parties without adult supervision (I don't actually trust that there would be no parties, but there would be an adult present, and it would probably be Karen). 

I consider this a generic book club because we've read from a variety of genres. The hosting member for each month gets to put forth choices to be voted on by the group, typically. But the hosting member is also allowed to be a dictator and just tell us all what we're reading for the next meeting. Some of my favorite book discussions for The Next Chapter include The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (this was a dictator decision, but the meal she prepared was well themed and so worth it), and Nocticadia by Keri Lake. 

We aren't just a book club. We're actually friends. 

I'll be back tomorrow with a review for Shelf Care Book Club, and then the first match-up will begin. - Katie