Hitting a slump on your summer reading challenge? Looking for a way to stay motivated to read year-round? A solution may lie in a community book club. Porter Square Books in Cambridge has monthly book clubs: a general one on the last Monday, a sci-fi and fantasy book club on the third Monday and a silent reading party on the second Tuesday. We spoke with book club leaders Connor Hemdal (sci-fi and fantasy) and Wendy Wunder (general) about programming and leading the clubs, and the impact of their work on the community. Hemdal is a full-time fifth grade teacher and part-time bookseller, and Wunder is an author, school liaison and community support coordinator. The interviews were edited for length and clarity.
What is your club programming process?
CH: We meet once a month to discuss a different book voted on by the people. We have an online link where people can input books that they want to read, and the co-host and I sit down and look at the list and choose five or six books we would be interested in reading that month. We send out a poll, and the club gets to vote. Over the course of the month we read it on our own and discuss for about an hour on the third Monday of every month.
WW: I really don’t like assigning reading, nor do I like being assigned reading, so it’s a democratic process in how we choose. People like being in a bookstore when it’s closed, so after the book club meeting is over, people wander the bookstore and look for books they might want to read next; I compile a list and send out a survey to the whole community.
What’s the structure of the discussions?
CH: It’s changed a little bit, because at the beginning we had about 25 to 30 people and it was manageable to have one group. It has risen to around 50 people, so sometimes we have two groups. My co-host and I will sit down and we’ll write questions – and then we let them know that these questions are just a guide, we don’t need to discuss every single one, and it’s kind of just an open discussion. I usually start it off with what they enjoyed or didn’t enjoy in the book, and the conversation just kind of becomes organic. Other members of the group will ask questions, and it’s just a really great hourlong conversation about the book.
WW: We start with a signature drink and I do a little bit of trivia about the current book that we read – just asking reading-comprehension questions as a joke to get people’s voices in the room. Before the meeting I reread – or read it for the first time – so it’s fresh in my mind, listen to a few interviews with the author to learn about the author’s intent, motivation and experience, and read some criticism of the book. I come up with only two or three questions that are theme-related, and those questions drive the discussion for an hour or more. Everyone is really bright and eager to participate, so it’s not hard to keep discussions going. We have a lot of fun, we laugh with characters about their bad decisions and celebrate with characters about their victories, but it’s not a lot of textual analysis, I have to say. We don’t break down language. People have marked up the book and will pull out a quote every now and then, but it’s not that close-of-a-reading of a book club. We just sort of generally discuss the characters and the plot and the structure and the devices and the artistry in general ways and have a really good time.
How do you prepare for awkwardness and make sure the social aspect of a club runs smoothly?
CH: In any kind of social interaction, there’s the chance of something awkward happening, and we prepare by always having backup questions that aren’t on the paper so if something awkward arises, or a dead silence, we can throw that out there. There have been a couple times where people have disagreed with each other – and it’s never been egregious, but there have been times we have had to pull the conversation back to what we were talking about. At the end of the day we’re all adults. I don’t think, at least to this point, there’s been something horribly offensive.
What are book club demographics?
WW: There are people in the book club who have been yearning to get back to reading, and this has helped them, because this is a community and because they get to show up and because there’s accountability. I would say the demographics are very interesting: Probably 28 to 35 is a big age group, and then over 50 – so there’s big gaps. While kids are in college and studying, they have no time for book clubs, and while people are often not always parenting, they have no time for book clubs. So it’s bookended by postgrads and empty nesters. It’s fun, because those are two very different demographics, but we all find common ground and have a good time together.
Do you have favorite discussion moments?
CH: I always really enjoy hearing people’s opinions about the book – things I might not have considered. We discussed a book called “Dungeon Crawler Carl” a couple of months ago, and it’s one of my favorite reads of the year, but a lot of people weren’t huge fans of it; it was really eye-opening to hear why and evolve my understanding of the literature. Another really great moment: One of my co-hosts became my best friend through doing the book club together. Natalie and I got really close through doing it, and we’re still close even though she doesn’t work at the bookstore now. It was great to uncover that relationship that we wouldn’t have had otherwise.
Favorite books that you’ve discussed? Any books you haven’t discussed but want to in the future?
CH: The “Red Rising” series by Pierce Brown. We discussed the first book about six months ago, and since then I’ve read the whole series. It’s been phenomenal, and I was really happy we got to discuss that. And this month we’re reading “The Will of the Many” by James Islington, a book that I put on the poll every month since starting the book club and it’s never been picked. This month it finally got picked, and I’m so excited, because it’s such a fantastic read.
WW: I was surprised by how much I liked “A Tale for the Time Being” by Ruth Ozeki; I was surprised by “This Is Happiness” by Niall Williams, because it starts off really slow and all of a sudden you’re like “Oh! There’s a plot.” I’d like to read some older books. We’ve been reading contemporary fiction a lot. When we read “The Remains of the Day” I think we were all super charmed and blown away by the writing of something slightly older, so I wouldn’t mind adding a couple classics or contemporary classics to my list.
Why do you think people should still prioritize reading?
CH: In today’s day and age with TV and movies, everyone wants that quick gratification, but I feel like reading provides a slow burn, where you need to give your time to it and the payoff is there once you dedicate that time. There are so many books that are out there; I tell my students that if you say you don’t like reading, you just haven’t found the right book yet. I think there is always a book for someone that will pull them in and be like “Wow, I really enjoy this.”
WW: Reading is empathy. It’s one of the main ways that we understand each other, put one another in each other’s shoes and see different perspectives and realize that we’re more alike than we’re unalike. And that’s what is lacking in the United States right now.
What do you hope participants take away from the book club?
CH: I really just want them to have a sense of community. It’s been really beautiful seeing these strangers come together, and now, after the book club ends, I see them walking off together and going to the T or going out for drinks after, and it’s really great to foster that sense of community that wasn’t there before. That’s one big takeaway. The second is that I hope people realize that they’re never too old for sci-fi and fantasy. I feel like a lot of the time, when people grow up and enter the reading world, they’re focusing on lit fic or romance, but it’s great to have a book with dragons and pirates and mermaids.
WW: I think all of our doomscrolling sort of deadens your mind. So I hope their mind is activated – and then that there’s a sense of community and belonging.
Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge
This post was updated July 29, 2025, to correct the spelling of Wendy Wunder’s name.
A stronger
Please consider making a financial contribution to maintain, expand and improve Cambridge Day.
We are now a 501(c)3 nonprofit and all donations are tax deductible.
Please consider a recurring contribution.