Book Club Hostess |

I already love to host parties and get togethers to begin with… but it’s always a plus when you come away with leftover wine and desserts. Am I right!?

Last night I hosted “book club” at my place, which is a glorified term for a bimonthly girl’s night with some of the women that work at the same hospital as I do. We technically do pick a book to read. But I can’t say we’ve ever actually talked about it for more than 5 minutes at any of our book club dinners 😉

Since I joined the group in 2016, this was my first time hosting at my place. And I came away from the night’s festivities with leftover Pinot Grigio and white chocolate chip cookies….made out like a bandit, if you ask me!

When I originally joined, I knew one other girl in the group. I was 23 years old and new to the state of Idaho. I needed friends and community. And I definitely love fiction books and wine! So it seemed like a win-win.

Have you ever moved to a new city as an adult and had to start from square one making friends? It’s intimidating to walk into an established group of friends. It’s nerve-wrecking to feel like you’re imposing on their little traditions and it’s awkward when they make inside jokes that mean nothing to you. Not that this book club was like that at all, they were very welcoming. But last night when I was hosting, I had to appreciate how much of a difference 2.5 years here has made! I went from a very shy first-timer during my initial weeks here to opening up my home to a group of local women and cooking dinner for them while we hang out in my living room 🙂

I have alllllllways loved reading. Thanks to my parents, that was a healthy habit instilled early on. Junie B. Jones and The Boxcar Children were my favorites series in kindergarten and first grade. My first grade teacher would even have me read chapters out loud to my class after lunch while she graded worksheets. For the past 2 years, I’ve been subscribing to audio books to listen to through my phone while I get ready for work and during my commute to and from.

Most recently I finished Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty who also authored Big Little Lies (a major fave of mine – dying for season 2 on HBO!!) and I was underwhelmed. The premise is a group of 9 people who check into a health and wellness retreat which is appealing to me, but I lost all respect for the wellness facility’s motives after a twist about half way through.

Currently I’m listening to Where The Crawdads Sing about an independent wild child growing up in the swamps of the south during the 60s, and I don’t think I can say anymore without giving away any spoilers!

Some of my other favorites that I’ve listened to lately (many are actually thanks to the “book club”) are You Are A Badass, Something in the Water, and Girl Wash Your Face. If I didn’t have such a long list of more that I want to get through, I would reread these in a heart beat!

Reading fiction and non-fiction alike have been a great mind escape for me & such a positive alternative to social media lately. Sometimes I get stuck in a pattern of turning to Instagram stories to entertain myself when I’m bored. But more often than not, I come away from that feeling inadequate after comparing my “basic” workday life to these seemingly glamorous snapshots of others. Recently I’ve taken my evening walks outside and opted for an audiobook rather than social media scrolling and I think it’s a healthy habit for my brain that I want to hold myself accountable to continue.