What we’re about
Book lovers come together to share the books we love where they are set. Like to read? Like to explore? You’ve found your people! We are a community of spirited readers who discuss books over paired adventures! We’re not your normal book club! Join us here in-person and for online discussions wherever you are on the socials! FB, Insta, TikTok, Website
Newsletter/FB group: Meetup isn’t great at sending out notifications, so to stay up to date with the latest book and activity pairings, sign up for the newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/fc5e0725650d/thenoveltourist and join the community on our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ I also post regularly on books and book pairings on Instagram via @thenoveltourist
What the Club Will Do for You
The purpose of all NTBC events is to give you the opportunity to socialize with likeminded readers who are life long learners and love to try new experiences. If your goal is read more books, do more stuff and meet more friends, being part of NTBC can be a life-changing experience!
What You Can Do for the Club
Bring your fun-loving, healthy attitude. Be committed to reading, showing up when promised, and being respectful of other members. We require that your profile includes a clear picture of yourself so others can identify you at our events.
Terms and Conditions
By joining the Novel Tourist Book Club or signing up for or attending any event offered by the Novel Tourist Book Club, you agree to the following terms and conditions:
- Readers please: NTBC is, first and foremost, a book club. We do a lot of amazing activities tied to the books. There are lots of Meetup groups that also do these fun activities. So, if you don’t like to read or don’t plan to read, we are sure there is another group out there that is more suited to your interests. Now, that said, it doesn’t mean you have to read the book or finish the book every time. Sometimes, you try and the book just doesn’t resonate with you. That’s okay! Come and tell us how much you didn’t like it! All we ask is that you try.
- No Guests: Sadness, we know! We are all about the more the merrier, but there must be a limit to the number of attendees at any one event. Events fill up really fast and so unless the event allows you to add a guest (which will be very rare) your guest must create a Meetup account and rsvp for themselves as a member. Yay new members!
- Liability Waiver: By signing up for an event, all members take full responsibility for their own actions and agree to adhere to the following terms and conditions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10ZE-yUJEcHUnXF_A8MUsfxWhEmrKxZEcojrHh8FjQzc/edit; and further agree to hold harmless the Novel Tourists Book Club organizers and members of this Meetup book club from any and all claims and liability in case of possible injuries as stated in Paragraph 6 of the Meetup Terms of Service Agreement ( https://help.meetup.com/hc/en-us/articles/360027447252-Terms-of-Service#h_9e385395-a405-4361-8afc-854a4f586c82 ). When attending an event, you acknowledge that you are doing this at your own risk.
- Event Payments:
- Name: If your name on your Meetup profile is different than your name on your payment profile (PayPal, Venmo), please provide your meetup name when you make your payment;
- Include Date or Event Title: Please include the date of the event or an indication of the event title (e.g. if we are going to a restaurant put the name of the restaurant not just “restaurant” or “book club.”)
- Be Open-minded, Kind and Courteous: We can’t imagine anyone who loves to read being anything but open-minded, kind and courteous. However, I also know we bibliophiles can have some pretty strong opinions about books! Whether you agree with someone or not, no doubt you came here for a welcoming environment. Healthy debates are natural, but kindness is required.
- No bullies: Personal attacks of any kind are not allowed. Period. I have zero tolerance for any bullying, degrading comments about another member’s race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender or identity. We are an open and inclusive community and to keep it that way a$$holes will be removed from the group.
- Photos/Videos: Joining the group and attending an event means you’re a-okay with being photographed/video recorded during events. We always takes pics: for the memories and for promotion of future events and NTBC.
- Communication settings: This is just helpful guidance. Events fill up really fast. Make sure your settings are set to maximize communication: Click on your profile pic in Meetup, click Settings, under General select Email Updates, scroll down and find The Novel Tourists Book Club under “Updates about your Group”, click Edit next to The Novel Tourists Book Club and then make your choices. I suggest checking “New Event Announcements,” “Changes to Event Time or Locations,” “My RSVP is confirmed,” and, most importantly: "Announcements to Members About the Group" and “Event updates from Organizer.” Also, you may want to download the Meetup app.
- Carpooling: It’s great for the planet! However, any arrangements are between you and the person driving. The Novel Tourists Book Club organizers and hosts do not provide, endorse, sponsor or take responsibility for any carpool arrangements pertaining to any event. Please use your good judgment when deciding whether or not to carpool with other participants of the book club event you are attending.
- Refund Policy:
- Events with a fee of less than $5: No refunds, even if someone takes your spot. The events fill fast and the only way to really try to make sure that those who are truly interested and able to come get a seat, is a nominal fee. This fee is offered to the event host to pay for their entrance/meal/etc as a way of saying thank you for your time and for putting this together for us.
- Events with a fee greater than $5: The general policy is if the Organizer/Host can get their money back, you’ll get your money back - if you timely cancelled. Once an event location has been paid, however, many times they won’t issue a refund. If they don’t refund us, we can’t refund you regardless of how far in advance you cancelled. That said, sometimes a refund can be issued IF you cancel at least a week in advance AND someone takes your spot. If you want to request a refund, message Audrey via Meetup to discuss. Please note, if you cancel the day before or the day of an event, there are refunds - regardless of the reason and regardless if someone takes your spot.
- If you do not agree to the above terms and conditions, do not sign up for the club. There is probably a different club out there that will better meet your needs.
Happy reading and adventuring!
- Audrey
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- NOVEL: All the Beauty in the World/ TOUR: The Met (NYC)The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY$53.00
Details
Let's go to NYC for the day! Join Audrey at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, aka the Met for a Novel-Tourists-only guided tour! Before the tour we’ll stroll through Central Park and meet for lunch at TBD to discuss the paired book, All the Beauty in the World. This introspective memoir is about the author’s ten year stint as a museum guard at The Met and the NTBC Nonfiction November member choice winner!
For more books set in a museum, check out https://thenoveltourist.com/books-set-in-a-museum-2018-read-go-challenge/
TRANSPORTATION
For those who've bought the group tickets on Amtrak:
- There: 8:20am (arrive 9:45am) - 30th St Philly to NYC/Moynihan)
- Back: 7:53pm (arrive 9:15pm) - NYC to 30th St. Philly
For those going NJ Transit (Hamilton Station to NYC/Moynihan):
**FEE: ** $53 ($45 for 65+) covers museum admission and guided tour (transportation/food/etc is on your own)
HOW TO PAY: Use Friends and Family! Do not use the business option because it charges a fee (which you will need to cover). Please note the event name or date on your payment. If your payment name is different than your Meetup name, please make sure you note your Meetup name. Venmo - @audrey-Heller1 (phone ends in 4478) PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/AudreyBug
ITINERARY:
See Google Doc link you were sent.
TOUR: Metropolitan Museum of Art
We will enter the Museum via the Main Entrance at 82nd Street and 5th Avenue and check in at the Great Hall Groups Desk, located in the north east corner by the entrance to the Egyptian Art galleries.
We’ll have about an hour to explore on our own and have lunch before our 1:30pm tour.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met",
was founded on April 13, 1870, "to be located in the City of New York, for the purpose of establishing and maintaining in said city a Museum and library of art, of encouraging and developing the study of the fine arts, and the application of arts to manufacture and practical life, of advancing the general knowledge of kindred subjects, and, to that end, of furnishing popular instruction."THE BOOK: All the Beauty in the World
Genre: Memoir"The author of this book decided to step back from his job for a time after the untimely death of his brother. Instead, he applied for and was accepted as a museum guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I found his observations of the people and the art work that he experienced during his time at the Met very uplifting and felt that he confirmed the importance of great art to the spiritual well being of us all." - Review by Anne R
Millions of people climb the grand marble staircase to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art every year. But only a select few have unrestricted access to every nook and cranny. They’re the guards who roam unobtrusively in dark blue suits, keeping a watchful eye on the two million square foot treasure house. Caught up in his glamorous fledgling career at The New Yorker, Patrick Bringley never thought he’d be one of them. Then his older brother was diagnosed with fatal cancer and he found himself needing to escape the mundane clamor of daily life. So he quit The New Yorker and sought solace in the most beautiful place he knew. To his surprise and the reader’s delight, this temporary refuge becomes Bringley’s home away from home for a decade.We follow him as he guards delicate treasures from Egypt to Rome, strolls the labyrinths beneath the galleries, wears out nine pairs of company shoes, and marvels at the beautiful works in his care. Bringley enters the museum as a ghost, silent and almost invisible, but soon finds his voice and his tribe: the artworks and their creators and the lively subculture of museum guards—a gorgeous mosaic of artists, musicians, blue-collar stalwarts, immigrants, cutups, and dreamers.
As his bonds with his colleagues and the art grow, he comes to understand how fortunate he is to be walled off in this little world, and how much it resembles the best aspects of the larger world to which he gradually, gratefully returns.
See you at the Museum!
Housekeeping!
Here are the Club’s Basic Rules and Liability Release. You should read them because by signing up for an event you agree to them! 🙂~ Audrey
- Nonfiction November’s Online Book Club Discussion: All the Beauty in the WorldLink visible for attendees
The results are in! The Nonfiction November winning Member Choice book club book is *All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Art and Me *by Patrick Bringley. The book was suggested by Diana Phillips!
I'll post the zoom link the day of the event.
This is our online book club discussion night (last Monday of each month). Stay tuned for the inperson event!
BOOK: *All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Art and Me *by Patrick Bringley
Genre: Nonfiction"The author of this book decided to step back from his job for a time after the untimely death of his brother. Instead, he applied for and was accepted as a museum guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I found his observations of the people and the art work that he experienced during his time at the Met very uplifting and felt that he confirmed the importance of great art to the spiritual well being of us all." - Review by Anne R
Millions of people climb the grand marble staircase to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art every year. But only a select few have unrestricted access to every nook and cranny. They’re the guards who roam unobtrusively in dark blue suits, keeping a watchful eye on the two million square foot treasure house. Caught up in his glamorous fledgling career at The New Yorker, Patrick Bringley never thought he’d be one of them. Then his older brother was diagnosed with fatal cancer and he found himself needing to escape the mundane clamor of daily life. So he quit The New Yorker and sought solace in the most beautiful place he knew.
To his surprise and the reader’s delight, this temporary refuge becomes Bringley’s home away from home for a decade. We follow him as he guards delicate treasures from Egypt to Rome, strolls the labyrinths beneath the galleries, wears out nine pairs of company shoes, and marvels at the beautiful works in his care. Bringley enters the museum as a ghost, silent and almost invisible, but soon finds his voice and his tribe: the artworks and their creators and the lively subculture of museum guards—a gorgeous mosaic of artists, musicians, blue-collar stalwarts, immigrants, cutups, and dreamers. As his bonds with his colleagues and the art grow, he comes to understand how fortunate he is to be walled off in this little world, and how much it resembles the best aspects of the larger world to which he gradually, gratefully returns.
In the tradition of classic workplace memoirs like Lab Girl and Working Stiff, All The Beauty in the World is a surprising, inspiring portrait of a great museum, its hidden treasures, and the people who make it tick, by one of its most intimate observers.
Happy Reading!
Audrey - White Elephant Jólabókaflóð, Miracle on S 13th St, BarcelonasA Novel Idea on Passyunk, Philadelphia, PA$5.00
**RSVPs will open on October 10th at 7pm. **
Join us for our third annual white elephant jólabókaflóð! Huh? Hard to say but fun to do! Jólabókaflóð is the Icelandic tradition of giving and unwrapping new books and then sipping cocoa and reading. We'll do a fun (new) book exchange, stroll through Miracle on 13th St, and then dine at Barcelonas. PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW ALL THE DETAILS BELOW BC YOU MAY BE REMOVED FROM ATTENDING IF YOU DON'T.
Here in Philly, December is a great time for celebrating our love of books, no matter what holiday you observe! Our own version of jólabókaflóð will not only support a local independent bookstore it will also bring us together to share our love of reading and hanging out as the coolest book club in town! See below for important book exchange instructions.
Afterwards, we’ll stroll a block or so over to walk through the light show known as Miracle on South 13th Street and then end our night at Barcelona’s for tasty tapas and wine.
***
Jólabókaflóð White Elephant Book Exchange (limit 30 attendees)
TIME: 4:30pm-6:00pm
LOCATION: A Novel Idea, on Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia
HUGE THANKS TO NOVEL IDEA BOOK STORE FOR LETTING US HOLD OUR EVENT HERE WITHOUT CHARGE!Instructions for the Book Exchange: Call A Novel Idea ahead of time (267-764-1202 by Friday December 6th) and GIVE THEM YOUR NAME AND PURCHASE A BOOK (of your choice or let them pick for you!) - make sure to tell them you’re with The Novel Tourists Book Club! **_They will wrap it (an additional $4 fee) and write the genre and a brief description of the book on the outside so we’ll be able to have a little bit of info before beginning the white elephant Jólabókaflóð! We will also have some fun games with prizes!
6pm: Miracle on South 13th Street
After the book exchange we’ll stroll through Miracle on South 13th Street to marvel at the lights, and then anyone who is interested can join us for dinner at Barcelona’s (a few doors down) (limit 25 people, but we may be able to push that a little higher if needed!)About Jólabókaflóð: The tradition, started in 1944, wasn’t entirely born of intellectual and cultural pursuit; commercial and supply chain issues played a major part. Due to WWII currency restrictions and rationing, paper was more available as a gift than other commodities. Jolabokaflod was born, and has remained a critical part of Iceland’s culture and European book sales.
About A Novel Idea: The owners are Alexander Schneider and Christina Rosso-Schneider, residents of East Passyunk, book lovers, and parents of Atticus Finch, a crazy, but lovable rescue pup. The bookstore is their first business and first endeavor as newlyweds (they got married in October 2018). They make up the two halves of A Novel Idea--Alexander bringing over a decade of graphic design experience to the shop, and Christina, as a writer and open mic host, her experience and dedication to literary events in support of Philadelphia artists.
More than anything, their goal is to cultivate community. They hope to build a bookstore that reflects the community’s interests, while also supporting it. They hope to create and foster a space of diversity and inclusivity, and want to help customers fall in love with books, either for the first time or the millionth.
***
Miracle on South 13th Street
6pm
The Miracle on South 13th St is a neighbor organized event that has been around for more than 20 years. It’s been dubbed one of the best Christmas light displays in the city!Dress for the weather!
FEE: $5 - First pay goes. This covers your hot chocolate and holds your spot. Book purchase and restaurant fees are on your own.
HOW TO PAY: Use Friends and Family! Do not use the business option because it charges a fee. Please note the event name or date on your payment.
Venmo - @audrey-Heller1 (phone ends in 4478)
PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/AudreyBug
***DINNER: Barcelonas
6:45pm
Menu: Wine and TappasThe cuisine is clean and rustic, with tapas shaped by Mediterranean, Spanish, and South American influences. Nearly 400 wines are featured on the wine list.
P.S. If you’re wondering how to pronounce jólabókaflóð, the phonetic pronunciation is yo-la-bok-a-flot, or you can listen to it pronounced here.)
