This week I had the opportunity to participate in my first book club. For context, this book club was virtual and academically oriented. A few initial thoughts:

• Over 250 people attended, which shocked me. I didn’t have any expectations, but I hadn’t considered that such a crowd would take part.
• The virtual nature of this club allows it to cast a wide net. There were people from other countries, including Canada. The internet removes boundaries—this group could find people anywhere.
• The author of the book was part of the session and shared his thoughts, which I enjoyed. It’s always nice to hear authors’ deeper thoughts.
• This meeting was styled as something of a debate. It began with people arguing for and against the argument in the book. The author then responded to points against the book.
• Many of the arguments presented were prepared statements.

Overall, I enjoyed my first book club experience. The scale and reach of this club were much greater than I could ever have imagined. That definitely stuck with me and has me thinking much bigger about the possibilities of book clubs.