Between the Covers, The Beginning…
by Angela (OG)
12/9/2023
I started putting feelers out to start a book club in April of 2013. I was 8 months pregnant with my third and final baby, I had a one year old son running around already and a little girl who had just turned 9ish. I read, I don’t do math. So don’t hold me to those ages.
Having been a reader all my life, and clearly in the thick of motherhood, my soul yearned for outside connection. Connection to other women, not other mothers, just women. I wanted to meet people who shared a love for books, a love as deep as mine. Reading has always brought me an incredible escape, into worlds, characters and stories that my reality sometimes so desperately needed.
I think it goes without saying, I did not start a bookclub in April 2013, I had a baby one month later instead. While I continued to sift my way through that reality, the thoughts of a book club never left me.
Fast forward...
About a year later, my manifestations were coming to light. By the time April 2014 rolled around, members were in, dates were set, and I had my first get together to decide on how our book club would run! My forever partner in crime and best friend was the first in line, my beautiful sister Erica. I’m not completely sure of the order of the rest of the women who decided to join but I pulled from all parts of my life. My best friend Anadelle, my best co-worker Crystal, and some of my favorite buddies from college Nadine and Samantha. With the 6 of us committed, we set some dates, decided on Guidelines, voted on some books and BAM!!! Between the Covers Book Club was created, established with our first meeting held June 2014.
I can’t help smiling as I’m typing this all out. BtC Book Club is coming up on celebrating its 10th year of existence and never would I have ever thought that I would be celebrating this amazing anniversary, and never would I have imagined what this Book Club would look like today and continuing to grow. We had 6 members and wanted MORE! Slowly but surely we started to build. Some of our first additions included Amber and Emily. Years later we had Sarah, Denise, Wendy, I mean the list goes on and on. I’ve met some INCREDIBLE women throughout the years. Some have moved on, for a number of reasons, but I will always have a space in my life for them because in their own ways, they impacted my life just by choosing to show up when they did, month after month. This Book Club has been through numerous birthdays, weddings, babies! With the good also came the bad, we have seen loss, divorce, personal struggles out the wazoo, and a few drunken nights heehee. The debates, disagreements; the laughs, the stories, the tears, the endless laughs. Between the Covers Book Club has persevered through it all. I can only hope that I have impacted every one of our members’ lives in a positive way. I’m not everyone’s favorite and that’s okay, but consider this a little love letter to every member of this Book Club past and present. To you, reading this, know that you all are incredible souls and human beings and I thank you for being part of Between the Covers when you were in and/or continue to be.
"Through books, we live a thousand lives."
-George R.R. Martin
Today...
I’m 37 years young today, reflecting on what this Club has meant to me has been difficult and emotional, but in the best way. Our Club took a turning point around 2018/2019, when a few special members joined (you’re all special!) Angela AF and Alexis. Today, BtC has 3 original members still active, myself, my sister and Crystal. Together with Angela and Alexis, we took a turn and I asked them for help. Through a few bumps and bruises, Book Club got super serious y’all. We now have an AMAZING website, a governing board, updates rules and regulations (4-5 pages in fact, yeesh), we are collecting dues for membership, and we are about to embark on a 10 year anniversary trip to New Orleans!! Thank you, my friends.
Between the Covers Book Club: Lifelong friendships have been made, unfathomable support systems exist here, Between OUR Covers. Life happens, we sometimes take breaks but this group here, today, the majority has stuck around and committed years to this Club, even as change has come into our lives. We now have a sister chapter in Austin, Texas! Run by my sister, I can only hope it continues to grow into what we have built here in Corpus. We are here, continuing to meet each month. For that, I am forever grateful. Here’s to the next 10 years and beyond.
