This group started in May 2011, and we've read novels by Joyce, Malraux, Kafka, Wright, Mishima, Faulkner, Nabokov, Unamuno, Ellison, Hamsun, Woolf, Biely, Gide, and many others.  We try to have a good time discussing the books without descending to small talk, think critically without descending to pedantry, etc. Also, as the title shows, we've expanded our reading list since the group started.  We don't really want to title the group something as vague as "Chicago Literature Group," etc., and …

Anyone can join, whether or not you're a vegan, vegetarian, animal welfare activist, green environmentalist, intellectual, or nerd.  All you need is an interest in what we do. You can see our calendar for animal welfare / animal rights relevant events and nerdy and veg*n stuff: http://www.meetup.com/vegNerds/#calendar We get together for a variety of events. They can be for social, ethical, and / or intellectual purposes. We encourage all members to suggest event ideas, on the Message board, o …

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 …

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 …

We all have those books we love and want to share with others. We all have those books we have heard about but just haven't gotten around to reading. Meet other locals to discuss the books and authors related to the Queer Experience. Actually we will read anything that strikes our collective fancy. This meetup is for ANYONE who is interested in learning more about GLBTQ authors and books, and about queer themes in mainstream literature. We will also share tips about where to find/buy queer boo …

We meet twice a month to discuss designated during the taping of Insight Radio.  (If you have not listened, here is the last show:  Insight Radio is looking for guests for our next show on current events.  Here are recent shows: Guest: Fran Hawthorne, Author of Ethical Chic: The Inside Story of the Companies We Think We Love. Award-winning journalist Fran Hawthorne has been a writer or editor at Fortune, BusinessWeek, Institutional Investor, Crane's and other publications. She is the author of …

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 …

This group is for people interested in getting together to read, analyze, and discuss current scientific literature about environmental health, with a particular focus on the intersection between environmental health and maternal and child health, but not exclusively. Issues such as climate change, built environment, and occupational health are all interesting and important topics we may cover. For each meeting we will all pre-read the same article from the scientific literature. One person each …

Self Enquiry Life Fellowship is a US based Nonprofit stablished to preserve and disseminate indigenous knowledge from the ancient Sanskrit heritage, including extant literature, spiritual practices of Vedic antiquity, esoteric Himalayan yoga and meditation techniques of unbroken lineages. The Nonprofit aims to make accessible through its educational publishing projects, the spiritual philosophy passed down by the monastic lineages of Himalayan masters and intonated Sanskrit hymns meant for subl …

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 …

Join us at City Lit Books where we regularly host events and discussions with local authors. Have an idea for an event? Let us know!

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.

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.

Do you like conventions about Science Fiction? Fantasy? Gaming? Anime? Horror? Odd stuff in general? The Chicago Conventions group is designed to get people together at conventions and at certain other related events to meet and have fun. Check out the Calendar! Note posts will be created on the calendar about all of the conventions (that I know of) in the Chicago area. If you know of other conventions not listed, send a message to the organizer Leane with whatever details you have and it will g …

Have you ever wanted to read the books you hear everyone talking about? Here's your chance! Anyone is welcome to this casual monthly book group. Each month, we'll have an informal discussion of that month's selection. Togther we will choose next month's book. Suggestions welcome!

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 …

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 …

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 …

Hey friends! We are just two 20-somethings new to Chicago looking to bond with other bookworms on the North side. Meetups will take place at cafes/restaurants based on everyone's location and preference! We are receptive to all genres. Looking forward to meeting you!

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …