If you need a book recommendation, Chalon Jones is the person. And if you need a place to buy it, you can go to Kayla, the owner of the pop-up Kinara Bookstore.
Together, the two of them co-founded and now host Silent Book Club Tulsa. The group meets monthly at different spots around the city. Each meetup lasts two hours.
There’s some mingling to kick things off, then the reading begins. At the end there’s time for people to socialize and discuss what they’re reading. Jones told The Eagle she was drawn to the idea because it was a low-stakes way to meet other book lovers.
“You can bring whatever you’re reading and just have a space to actually get some reading in,” she said. “I noticed that there was an opportunity in Tulsa for book people, or adults who are interested in reading to get together.”
The book club launched in early January, with its first meetup at Jones Co. Coffee in February. Since then they’ve hosted events at Mother Road Market and Parea Coffee.
The pair said they prioritize three things when selecting spots: an ambiance conducive for reading, enough space for people to sit comfortably and free to access. Kayla, who goes solely by her first name, said she hopes that the events become mutually beneficial.
“We want to be able to expose the book community to small businesses here in Tulsa that they can kind of put in their rotation of their regular lifestyle,” she said.
Jones said they also plan to keep it free to attendees as they scout locations for upcoming meetups.
“We’re trying to mix it up, especially as we get into the summer, trying to explore other places that we haven’t tried yet that might be conducive to what members are looking for,” she said.
And if a meetup isn’t near a food vendor or at a coffee shop, she said they’re looking at providing snacks for attendees.
Ultimately, both Jones and Kayla say the most rewarding thing has been seeing who has joined.
“We’ve had so many different types of people come from lifelong readers who love fiction or nonfiction and read 50-plus books a year and then we also have some others who are just getting back into pleasure reading,” Jones said.
They’ve also seen exponential growth, from 11 at their first meetup to about 50 now. Next up, readers can join an audiobook walk at 10 a.m. April 19 in LaFortune Park and an official meetup set for 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. May 9 at Hardesty Regional Library.
“I’m so appreciative that the word is getting out there and people are seeing it and showing up, as opposed to just seeing it and liking it or reposting it,” Kayla said. “The reward, truly, for me, is the people who show up and are just willing to come as they are and feel comfortable enough to continue coming back as well.”
