Join other creatives for The Artful Reader to have fun and gain inspiration! Club meetings begin with a 30 minute book discussion on the selected book of the month, and are then followed by a creative activity for 30-45 minutes. Book club meetings are in-person, held in Meeting Room A&B at the Bowling Green Library.

January 18 - Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. 

Activitiy: we'll enjoy playful "intuitive painting," so come dressed for painting or bring an apron. If your creative juices are already flowing before we meet, feel free to create something early and bring it to share, too!

February 15 - The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild

Annie McDee, thirty-one, lives in a shabby London flat, works as a chef, and is struggling to get by. Reeling from a sudden breakup, she’s taken on an unsuitable new lover and finds herself rummaging through a secondhand shop to buy him a birthday gift. A dusty, anonymous old painting catches her eye. After spending her meager savings on the artwork, Annie prepares an exquisite birthday dinner for two—only to be stood up. 

The painting becomes hers, and Annie begins to suspect that it may be more valuable than she’d thought. Soon she finds herself pursued by parties who would do anything to possess her picture: an exiled Russian oligarch, an avaricious sheikha, an unscrupulous art dealer. In her search for the painting’s identity, Annie will unwittingly discover some of the darkest secrets of European history—and the possibility of falling in love again. 

Activity: we'll create a collage while we look at things such as composition, color, shapes and texture and how they can create perspective and emotion. If your creative juices are already flowing before we meet, feel free to create something early and bring it to share, too!

March 15 - Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

Tracy Chevalier transports readers to a bygone time and place in this richly-imagined portrait of the young woman who inspired one of Vermeer's most celebrated paintings.

Activity: we'll look at values and how to capture light and shadow. If your creative juices are already flowing before we meet, feel free to create something early and bring it to share, too

April 19 - The Butterfly's Daughter by Mary Monroe

Four very different women embark on a transformational journey that follows the migrating monarchs across the United States to Mexico. The story begins when Luz Avila's grandmother, the local butterfly lady, purchases an old, orange VW bug for a road trip home to Mexico. When she unexpectedly dies, Luz is inspired to take her grandmother's ashes home. In the manner of the Aztec myth of the goddess who brings light to the world, Luz attracts a collection of lost women, each seeking change in their lives. The Mexican people believe the monarchs are the spirits of the recently departed and Luz taps into ancient rituals and myths as she follows the spectacular, glittering river of orange monarchs in the sky to home.

Activity: decorate a pot or box for yourself or someone you know. If your creative juices are already flowing before we meet, feel free to create something early and bring it to share, too!

May 17 - The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen

Caroline Grant is struggling to accept the end of her marriage when she receives an unexpected bequest. Her beloved great-aunt Lettie leaves her a sketchbook, three keys, and a final whisper…Venice. Caroline’s quest: to scatter Juliet “Lettie” Browning’s ashes in the city she loved and to unlock the mysteries stored away for more than sixty years.

It’s 1938 when art teacher Juliet Browning arrives in romantic Venice. For her students, it’s a wealth of history, art, and beauty. For Juliet, it’s poignant memories and a chance to reconnect with Leonardo Da Rossi, the man she loves whose future is already determined by his noble family. However star-crossed, nothing can come between them. Until the threat of war closes in on Venice and they’re forced to fight, survive, and protect a secret that will bind them forever.

Activity: we'll talk about the types of sketchbooks, art journals, and bullet journals that may inspire us, and we'll try out some ways to doodle and draw in them. If your creative juices are already flowing before we meet, feel free to create something early and bring it to share, too!