This month, we're returning to the Matthews Woman's Club. Conveniently located across from Matthews Elementary School, this charming venue provides the perfect cozy atmosphere for our Silent Book Club meeting.
Since March is Women's History Month and we're gathering at the Woman's Club, it's the perfect time to celebrate women in literature and business! We're excited to welcome local author Cindy Urbanski and woman-owned business All Booked Bookshelf.
In her book Evolving From the Roots: The Magic in the Work and the Companion Guide that accompanies it Cindy writes:
When we are rooted, and open, those tools come to us, like magic. Except it’s not. It’s the work.
Cindy spent a lifetime bulldozing her way through and working hard at, well, everything. That is, except the work that matters: the work of mental health. In a collection of essays chronicling her continued journey, she shares snippets of her life growing up on a recreational farm next door to her grandparents and then as a mother, wife, academic, and runner turned yogi. Each story on her journey tells how she has been evolving over the past decade. She just needed the courage to tend and water some roots that never left her, even when she neglected them for a time.
Reflecting on her 50 years of toggling between living life at breakneck speeds to finally surrendering to what she calls the real work, Evolving at the Roots shares how Cindy is learning to slow down, build her toolbox, and find the magic that exists in a rooted, continuously evolving life. Cindy hopes others can find some peace in her words and magic in their lives as they reach down deep and find the courage to do their own work, whatever that looks like.
Cindy is a wife and mom who loves cooking wholesome food, teaching and practicing yoga, reading good books, traveling, and being in the woods or near the water with her family. As a writer, she has published 6 books and several articles, and for 30 years, dedicated her career to the teaching of writing in multiple capacities. She recognizes the complexity of being human. She merges her identities as a researcher, writing teacher, coach, yogi, wife, and mom to offer healing and compassion, and always, always rock the boat.
We're excited to have Belinda Powell join us with her watercolor bookshelf trackers, custom art, wood plates, bookmarks, and more!
I'm a mom of 2 with an ever-growing TBR list. I started watercoloring in 2018 just to help clear my mind before bed. I picked back up in 2023 after leaving my job teaching pre-k and becoming a stay-at-home mom. I was searching for a way to display my past reads and I decided to try my hand at creating my very own personalized bookshelf book tracker. With very encouraging friends and family I decided to start my journey creating bookshelf trackers for book lovers like myself. You'll find me with my nose in a book or with my air pods in creating!
How Silent Book Club Works
Silent Book Club is called that because it is an opportunity to enjoy quietly reading a book in a location different from your home, where no discussion is required. Some of the locations we visit might have background noise and conversations, but you do not have to participate in any conversations during your time with us. Silent Book Club is BYOBook so you can show up with any book (physical or digital). There are no assigned readings or discussions, just uninterrupted time to immerse ourselves in the pages of our favorite books.
Event Schedule
6:00-6:30 PM: Arrival, meet the author, find a comfy place to read
6:30-7:30 PM: Quiet reading hour
7:30-8:00 PM: Continue reading, talk with others, author Q&A
Feel free to come and go as you please, staying for as little or as long as you like.