Virtual book clubs, where you can have your cake and eat it too.
By Corina Harvey
Anna Loder is the founder of ReadAbook. A virtual book club that offers members an online community where they share their love of reading, discuss ideas and a space where they can forge solid, lifelong friendships.
A few years ago, a number of events occurred which sparked Anna’s idea of an online community. At the time she owned her own shop, “Anna’s Shop Around the Corner”, which had 3 great book clubs running at the time Covid hit. Due to government regulations, the book clubs had to close. During this time, Anna’s dear friend had to move down the coast to a retirement village, and they both were lamenting the distance which would now be between them. They had built a solid friendship over the years and would miss their monthly meetups for book club.
Anna’s idea grew as she pondered the idea of building an online community similar to the one she had at her shop – only bigger and more diverse. She contemplated how many book clubs around the country were talking about the same book at one given time. And what would happen if we made it one big book club? She imagined the great conversations that could be had and how many friendships could be formed over a shared interest. She also thought about how many more authors may be willing to come online and chat as they would be presenting to sixty people rather than six.
And so, the dream of ReadAbook was created.
Anna sees ReadAbook as a space where you don’t have to compromise between convenience and taste. Which is often the case with traditional book clubs. The beauty of the virtual book club is that you are not restricted to reading books that you are not interested in just because you are limited by what is happening in your local area.
Rather, you can join someone, anywhere in the country that has the same taste as you.
“It is just as easy to converse with someone in Coonabarabran as it is in Caringbah”.
Anna describes it as a book club “Where you can have your cake and eat it too”.
How Read-A-book works?
ReadAbook is an inclusive space and is open to anyone who would like to join. Their current members span from nineteen to over eighty and meet via Zoom. When joining there are a number of membership options designed to suit the lifestyles and budgets of all people from all walks of life. From avid readers with a lot of time, to people who are considering joining their first-ever book club. Once you are a member, you are free to join in on as many book clubs as you like.
“ReadAbook has a number of book clubs running simultaneously. At the moment
The Hissy Fics are reading Horse, the TGIFs are reading A Gentleman in Moscow. The Bees Knees are reading Mary Ann and Captain Piper. The Wondering Women are reading The Tea Ladies of St Jude’s and The Busy People are reading Seth Godin’s The Practice… we are birds of a feather flocking together, and we are loving it! “
If you would like to get involved, you will be very welcome. All you need is a device to download Zoom, an internet connection, and a love of anything bookish.
You will find Anna at www.readabook.com.au