For close to fifteen years, I have moderated a young adult book group for local educators through a collective. Many of those years were in person meetings at local school libraries based on who was attending the meeting and who volunteered to host. But the pandemic moved us online and then the convenience of the platform as well as the expansion of who attended meant that it was easier to sign up than dive forty minutes to an hour for some folks.

Over the years, librarians and educators have retired who were active members. Others have gotten busy with other activities and duties and have stopped coming. Other newer members have come regularly. And one thing stays true, that everyone has a book personality.

We do not have a set reading list. Participants talk about what they’ve read most recently and how it can be relevant to our school libraries and classrooms. That’s the beauty of the book group. Thus, we can count on certain genres or categories to be represented based on participants’ personal reading enjoyment. We have an Austen lover who finds every retelling to read and talk about. We had a woman whose parents were academics of English history and thus every historical fiction period piece featuring the reign of kings like Henry VIII would be shared. We had another who couldn’t bear to have an animal die in a book. Count on me to bring a dark or disturbing book.

I love getting to know everyone’s book personality. Of course we all read outside our comfort books, but it’s nice to know that my weakness is another’s strength.