MINNEAPOLIS — Usually in a book club, you read a book and chat about it with the rest of the club members.
But in "Silent Book Club" — you're encouraged not to chat.
KARE 11's Alicia Lewis wanted to see what all the "hush" was about and caught up with the Minneapolis Silent Book Club.
"What are the rules of the silent book club?" Lewis said. "Do we not talk about book club?"
"There are no rules," laughed Matt Streit, who started the Minneapolis Silent Book Club five years ago. He clarified that the club does have a few rules.
"The rule is you can read whatever you want, you can talk if you want, you don't have to, and really most of the silent book club is for silent reading so I know it's weird," Matt said.
Weird is in the eye of the beholder and in the case of the Silent Book Club, these "weirdos" like to get together in a public place and just read around others quietly.
"I think what they really like is that they like community but not too much community," Matt said. "I want to hang out with people but I don't want to be put on the spot."
The Silent Book Club meets once a month at a local coffee shop or brewery like Cream and Amber in Hopkins. For members like Kortney Webster, it's the perfect fit for introverts who like to have extroverted moments.
"Being able to talk books and not have people think you're bizarre because you want to just sit in a corner and read something and go into that magical world that books are, and it was so fun," Webster said.
Matt couldn't agree more.
"That's the cool thing about our book club," Matt said. "We will get in a circle and we'll talk about it and like most people will say, 'This book is great,' and some will say, 'Don't read this one, it really stinks.' It's actually kind of fun."
The book club meets once a month and new members are always welcome to join. For more information on the club, follow them on Facebook.
If you're interested in joining a silent book club elsewhere in Minnesota, click here for a list of groups.
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