The Richmond branch of the San Francisco Public Library hosts a Silent Book Club every other Wednesday from 3 to 5 p.m. Participants read silently for an hour and then discuss their readings in a predetermined order. The atmosphere is casual and encourages sharing diverse literary experiences. Members discuss various works, from memoirs to analyses of authoritarian leaders, and engage in personal narratives about their reading journeys. It provides an unusual opportunity for uninterrupted reading amidst daily distractions, creating a vibrant space for community interaction through literature.
"It's very unusual to just be able to sit and read for an hour," said Annie Reasoner, a member since fall 2024. "If I'm home, the phone rings, I get a text, the cat demands some treats, somebody knocks on the door."
During the discussion, another reader shared illustrations from children's book author Leo Lionni's biography. A different attendee picked apart "Strongmen," a book analyzing the commonalities of authoritarian leaders.
Nancy Berry, a 50-year San Francisco resident, confided to the group that she was finding a collection of short stories from Clarice Lispector to be uneven. "I just read one that was terrific, so good," she told the group.
She stopped to read a line: "Immediately I perceive that one cannot be seeing an egg. Seeing an egg never remains in the present: As soon as I see an egg, it already becomes having."
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