This a book club based around the Persephone Books series from the UK (for more info: http://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/). If you're not familiar with Persephone Books, they are fiction and non-fiction books written by forgotten female authors of the twentieth century and they are amazing! If you are into feminism, literature, history and/or anglophilia, you should join us! PLEASE NOTE: Participation in the club will probably require a small investment in purchasing the books each month (they are …

Love good wine, reading books, & discussing ideas with other friendly people? Then come join us at our monthly discussions while enjoying wine at House Red! The goal is to have fun discussing & sharing our thoughts & ideas on the literature we've read over glasses of wine. The group is new (Spring 2012) & was started with a small group that met at a wine bar. We're growing now & would like to welcome new members. I've noticed many groups are women only; we aren't gender restrictive, but you must …

Vuoi parlare italiano come un madrelingua? Do you want to speak Italian like a native? Se stai cercando un gruppo che ti aiuti a migliorare il tuo italiano... If you are looking for a group that will help you improve your Italian, not only practice what you already know... Questo è il gruppo per te! This is the group for you!! Come and practice your language skills, in a RELAXED setting, with other Italian speakers and enthusiasts, and the SUPERVISION OF A MOTHER-TONGUE TEACHER. The CONVERSATION …

Adventures for intelligent foodies. Join us for exciting culinary and literary adventures here in Chicago and around the world!  If you enjoy eating, reading, writing, cooking, dining out in great restaurants and immersing yourself in fascinating new cultures and cuisines, Litereati is for you! Whether you're a professional chef, a food blogger or just someone who enjoys gourmet reading and good food shared with friends, you're welcome here at Litereati. We get together for lively, delicious din …

¡OJO! Este grupo es para lectores comprometidos, activos, y voraces. El Círculo de Lectores Chicago fue creado para discutir libros contemporáneos populares en español. Eso significa que nos enfocamos en novelas recién publicadas (últimos dos o tres años) en español (nada de traducciones) de toda América Latina y España.  El objetivo es divertirse, leer una variedad de libros populares y utilizar el español. Nos reunimos en restaurantes conectados con el libro escogido (ambiente del libro o na …

We are a group of fun-loving gay professional women of all ages and races. We primarily focus on organizing women-only events outside bars and non-traditional gay & lesbian venues. If you are not into bars or clubs, new to Chicago, disappointed with online personal sites, feeling too "straight" for the glbt community and/or seeking real women who can hold a conversation, this is a place to start. Our members' age distribution is as follows: Under 25: 2.1% 26 - 35: 22.9% 36 - 45: 33.3% 46 - 55: 2 …

Looking for like-minded folks who dig super-contemporary fiction and are dying to talk books! If you read newer stuff like Murakami, Junot Diaz, Jonathan Franzen, DFW, Jennifer Egan (also the best of non-fiction) I think you'll like us. Meetings are once a month in the Ukrainian Village / blue line area. Guys and ladies 25-40ish who are serious about reading and want awesome book club selections, please join!

Meet local Spanish language and culture lovers for conversation, cultural exchange, and fun in Chicago! Come to a Spanish Fanaticos Meetup event and make new amigos while speaking in Spanish, learning new vocabulary, putting your grammar knowledge into practice and/or simply brushing up your Spanish skills! Some of our events include: Spanish Grammar and Literature Workshops, Social Networking Events, Happy Hours, Dinners, Coffee Time, Hikes, Picnics, Movie Nights, Dancing and more. All ages and …

A book club for mystery lovers! We will read new authors as well as the classics. Explore what makes a great mystery. Socialize and have fun.

Have you read the Fifty Shades books by E.L. James? Multiple times? If you'd like to talk about Anastasia and Christian with other devotees, please join us. We'll delve into the characters, plot lines, and what makes these books so compelling to so many people.

Discourse cheers us to companionable reflection. Such reflection neither parades polemical opinions nor does it tolerate complaisant agreement. The sail of thinking keeps trimmed hard to the wind of the matter. -- from "On the Experience of Thinking," Heidegger "Philosophy is not a theory but an activity." -- from "Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus," Wittgenstein Join us soon for friendship, cooperative discourse and mental exercise, all organized around an interest in our own engagements …

Have you been looking for a place to share musings on your latest novel? Would you like to meet more people in Chicago's literary community? Are you curious to hear others opine on their recent reads? Fabulous -- welcome to the Open Book Club! The Open Book Club meets monthly for casual conversation followed by discussion questions moderated by Open Books staff. All are welcome and there is no monthly commitment. Come read with us! Second Tuesday of each month at 6 pm at the Open Books store. FR …

Are you an avid reader who'd like to get together with other women regularly to discuss books over some fine wine? The aim of this group is to expand our thoughts and perceptions through great discussions about books. We all bring our own experiences, culture, and filters into the perception and understanding of literature, and hopefully these discussions will all enrich us. We'll choose serious fictional and non-fictional books that are fairly recent releases (within the last 20 years for the m …

Are you more Silicon than silicone? Did you play saxophone instead of point guard in high school? Gay, single and ready to mingle? Get your geek on with other sharp LGBT singles at our monthly Dating for Gay Nerds and Dating for Lesbian Nerds singles mixers– where trivia quizzes and ferocious board gaming wins you fun nerdy prizes as well as hearts! Here's how it works: after each round of games and trivia, the host will rotate the groups until all the singles have met. It's like speed dating, b …

Join us for public lectures in Chicago on the Gnostic Teachings, a practical, spiritual and scientific methodology for transforming suffering and acquiring personal knowledge of the divine. Gnosis is the universal wisdom at the heart of all great religions and mystical traditions, and has manifested through innumerable teachers and spiritual guides. The principal literature of discussion is the canon of Samael Aun Weor, a modern author and expositor on esoteric topics such as Gnosticism, Kabbala …

Meet Chicago area GLBT visual artists to share art, view art, learn more about the visual arts and artists, inform the public about GLBT artists and have fun. Meet and network with emerging and established artists, learn about exhibit opportunities and make new friends. Our group will facilitate making connections with art enthusiasts, potential collectors and artists. Meet Ups will include artist talks, lectures, gallery openings, museum exhibitions, art fairs and visits to artistic libation s …

Meeting to discuss our own poetry. Working out chinks in the armor, making improvements, listening for sounds, searching for themes and generally becoming more self-aware as a writer, as well as learning to become better self-critics. And of course a good place to chat with other poets and find community, and lay it on thick with pet peeves regarding the state of poetry. We would also go to occasional readings and maybe if everyone is up to it to an Open Mic as well. We will begin by meeting o …

This is a book club dedicated to exploring great writings about the environment. We will discuss both the great past works and their influence on society as well as explore the pioneering notions and ideas found in the present literature.  Field trips, lectures and other activities will supplement the reading (or provide a way for our fellow Naturalist Book Lovers to get to know each other better).

A book club for readers and fans of fantasy fiction of all stripes, from urban to epic. The little sister of the Western Suburban Sci-Fi Book Club, the Suburban Fantasy Book club is for those of us who don't need as much science in their fiction. We'll be meeting once a month on the first Tuesday of each month for dinner and discussion. Generally we'll meet in the Western suburbs, though we may also meet in the city, and I'll make a steady effort to pick locations accessible via public transport …

Celebrate your freedom to read! BANNED! is the perfect book club for anyone who enjoys reading and thinks that literary censorship has gone a little too far. We will be working through the Banned and Challenged Book list from the Radcliff Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century as well as the NCTE Banned and Challenged Book list and will be discussing not only the book, but why it has been banned or challenged in the US and if we agree that it should be banned from our libraries and …

We're making reading a social activity. In this group, we'll gather for 'independent reading' time (my favorite part of elementary school!), outdoors when possible. The idea is very simple. Meet up, read together for a while and then follow up with discussion, reading suggestions and general mingling. We'll also have special 'literature-focused' events on occasion in which we hike, bike picnic, BBQ, etc., adjusting activities in the colder months of course. We'll do an optional book-club-type re …

This is a group for people who are working on writing a novel, short story, and poem. We'll get together once a week at different locations in Chicago, depending on what's most convenient and give each other constructive criticism and ideas on our literary pieces. Looking forward to meeting all of you!

I'm starting this group to encourage myself to read more and to meet new folks in the neighborhood. Join if: You are in your 30s You live in or around West Lakeview. You want to meet folks in the neighborhood to discuss books with and potentially become friends with as well. You like to have lively discussions. The group Meetups will be capped at around 30 people to keep it manageable.

Every year brings the hottest diet and latest exercise craze.  Are they the best or just the most popular? Should we eat a low-carb diet?  Buy a juicer?  How do we stick with an exercise program for months, or even years? This is no ordinary book club.  We are here to explore literature that help us better understand the fitness journey: diet, exercise, motivation, lifestyle. My name is Daniel Lona, and I'm a kettlebell instructor and nutritional coach, and now proud organizer of this unique and …

This group is designed for Germans, people of German descendant and people from all around the world who are interested in German culture. Our meet ups are about an up to date Germany which is way more than oomptata music, beer and brats. It is about theater, literature, music and a modern and ever changing culture. Join the fun - wir beißen nicht :)

We hope to critique each other's drafts of all sorts in a mutually supportive and awesome environment. This group is invite-only to ensure that we stay tiny (hence the name). We meet about twice a month and share drafts to read a few days in advance. We're into all sorts of writing styles, from humorous to serious to abstract. Many of us are sex-positive feminists; if you're not down with that please don't apply.

The Book (Was Better) Club is for cinephiles and bookworms alike. Each month, members will select a book for which a film adaptation was (or will be) made. To keep discussions productive, caps will be placed on how many may attend a given meeting, but meet-ups will be held at least twice a month. So if you don't R.S.V.P. in time for one, just join another! Events will range from discussions (over coffee, tea, wine, or my personal favorite: FOOD) to in-home movie viewings and trips to the cinema.

This is a monthly book club that will meet on the last Monday (evening) of the month & discuss the books that were read. The meet up place can change from coffee shops to personal homes, where ever the wind takes us on the north side. A new book will be decided after every meet up based on participant votes. The book club is supposed to be relaxed and social & to bring people together who love to read & want to meet new people in the north side neighborhoods.