Central Florida Books and Brews

Welcome to the "reincarnated" Central Florida Books and Brews! This Meetup has been around for several years but faded into the background during the pandemic. I joined when I moved to Orlando a little over a year ago, looking forward to an in-person book club for people that are - and I quote from the prior organizers - "looking to read badass books and go out for a drink and dinner". I wish I was here in time to go to one of those previous meetings and thought the group deserved another chance to grow and thrive. I'm thinking that with over 800 current members, there are bound to be others excited for the same opportunity.

So yes, we will still be reading the same types of books that enticed you to join in the first place! We will focus on fiction, generally in the genres of thriller, fantasy, horror, and mystery. I'll need some help from everyone to bring fresh viewpoints and offer book suggestions each month. I think some of the basic guidelines set in place originally are a good place to start, so we'll try them out and see how they fit for our revamped book club.

Here are the general guidelines for choosing books, but please remember these guidelines are non-binding. Rules are made to be broken, right? Please don't hesitate to suggest a book if it does not fit the description below. This is just where the fun begins, not where it ends.

1. We read books that are readily available at a relatively low cost. They may be available used on Amazon or one of many other used book sites. They could be available as an inexpensive Kindle download or as a freebie for trying Audible. Or they could be available old-school from a library. We can take turns buying a copy and passing it along to other members before the meetings. We don't want our members to have to buy a brand-new, full-price book if there's any way around it.

2. We read books written for adults. While there are great books for YA readers out there, this is a club for people 21 and over, given that we'll be meeting in alcohol-friendly atmospheres. But if you don't drink, it's all good! The primary reason we're here is to read great books and discuss them.

3. We read standalone novels. We want to provide members with a variety of books, and not get stuck on one author or storyline.
However, these are just general guidelines. If you know of something that will knock our socks off but breaks a rule, bring it on!

Suggestions will be taken at the end of each meeting for new material. The books will be assigned two meetings out. For example, our first meeting is in May. At the end of that meeting, we'll choose the next book from the suggestions. This book will be the one discussed at the July meeting so that everyone has a chance to find a copy of the book and have plenty of time to read it. At the end of the June meeting, the August book will be chosen, and so on.

We will get together once a month at a restaurant to have some dinner, drinks, and dish about the most recent book selection. We'll also open conversation to whatever else comes up, as long as we avoid highly charged, divisive topics. We all know what they are, so...just say no to those discussions. If we decide we'd like to meet more often, we can definitely add more opportunities to read (and socialize) as we go. For the most part, we'll keep the book club meetings to Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, which are usually slower days for restaurants, making it easier to get reservations for a larger group. Special events may be scheduled as well, and who knows when those will be...

Now the part I hate - but I'm putting it out there anyway. Please keep your RSVPs up to date. This is simply because we need to keep our reservations accurate. There are restaurants who are depending on us to keep their servers, bartenders, and cooks busy. We're paying their bills and feeding their kids. If you are a no-show without prior notice, you will be given a strike. If it happens again, we'll ask you to leave the group. If you RSVP and then can't make it, just change your reservation prior to the event. Things do come up the day of, and we know this, so just message us on Meetup and let us know you can't come if it's last minute. You will not be given a strike or asked to leave unless last-minute cancellations become a habit that negatively affects the group. We just want to make sure we don't surprise our restaurants with a much smaller group than we promised.

Hopefully, you're still reading - and still interested in helping us build this community. See you soon!