Laredo is currently experiencing a book club renaissance. Barnes & Noble’s opening is on the horizon, and everywhere you look there are gatherings happening for readers. The Laredo Public Library hosts several book clubs throughout the year, Laredo Center for the Arts hosts another, and our local book-Instagram community is flourishing with hobbyist clubs. Laredo Book Club is but one in the sea of many. It began with a bookstagram account and a dream to talk about books IRL- in real life. The name “Laredo Book Club” was chosen because anyone who finds us should feel welcome to drop into a meeting at any time.
Formed in January 2020, our club has seen the changes that came with COVID, virtual zoom meetings, swimming parties in the hot summer months, and mourning the loss of several bookstores. What the book club is today is shaped by the members who continue showing up for one another. Each monthly book selection is based on whose birthday it is or what someone’s reading next. In June we read American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. In our early years, we partnered with Laredo’s indie bookshop The Phoenix, and that fellowship provided the rich experience of community supporting local business.
We’ve kept that tradition alive by hosting meetings at Laredo restaurants and cafés. Members have a chance to try local cuisine, suggest new or lesser-known spots, and best of all, we get to talk about books. A typical conversation revolves around all manner of media we’re consuming: movies, audiobooks, television series, documentaries, memes, podcasts, and current events. Conversations flow just like that — books and topics related to them. We like to say some members are “here for the vibes.” They may choose to skip a month’s read but still show up for the discussion, just to hang out. We love that.
Reading our monthly book pick is never a necessity because chances are, a book you’ve already read or are reading resonates with another member.
While Laredo Book Club has never declared an official theme, popular culture is a recurring one. When we went fully virtual for COVID in March 2020, we chose books that had television series adaptations like Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, You by Caroline Kepnes, and My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante so we could have our zoom meetings about the book and still feel a sense of camaraderie by watching the series together while apart. We’ve also read books that are Laredo-centric like Wolf Boys by Dan Slater, More Than You’ll Ever Know by Katie Gutierrez, and Paranormal Laredo by Chris James.
Founding club member Enrique Gonzalez has continued to participate since February 2020. “What keeps me coming back since my first meeting is the sense of community, and discovering books I never would’ve thought about reading. I think it’s very important to be in a book club, and having people to meet with and share your thoughts,” he said.
If a book club sounds like something you’d like to try, consider this your invitation. Find us on instagram @laredobookclub to see what we’re reading next. Our page frequently shares other local book (and hobby) clubs so you can read whatever you’re in the mood for.
(Born and raised in Laredo, Joanna C. Gunnoe is a multidisciplinary artist and mind-body movement teacher with a foundation in music education. She writes about literature, life, and travel on her blog Latest Rendition. When she’s not at a book club, she can be found practicing yoga with family.)
