By Emily Loughridge
Contributing Writer
Krysta Figueroa and Jacqui Cerda met at Vacca Coffeehouse, which formed a sentimental bond to the location, and now the pair return a few times a month to host their book clubs.
Figueroa and Cerda are friends who wanted to find a way to connect with local readers and find book-related events in the Yukon area.
The duo created a Facebook page called “Bookish Events OKC,” which hosted a community book swap, in which readers could bring books to trade with others in the community.
Visitors kept asking if the pair hosted a book club, until eventually they did.
Cerda, who is studying graphic design, created flyers and distributed them around local libraries, coffee shops, Little Free Libraries, and anywhere else book lovers could be found.
Their Facebook page and others also helped promote the newly formed book club. Figueroa said that the club has 300 followers and continues to grow.
“Reading can feel like a solitary activity, but when you read a good book you just want to talk about it,” Figueroa said. “Our goal is to connect local book lovers and help form friendships and find their bookish besties, like we have.”
The pair currently hosts three book clubs, two of which meet monthly at Vacca (10 W Main #120).
For the clubs, the host chooses the books based on their genre and discussion points. It is noted that the books must be a manageable length and something that can be comfortably read in a month.
While hosts come with a list of questions for the group, Figueroa said she noticed that oftentimes the topics are starting points for deeper conversations.
“We generally seem to answer a question, and it takes us on a journey of getting to know one another outside of just the book, such as talking about our personal lives or how the book may have spoken to us on a personal level,” Figueroa said.
FANTASY, ROMANCE
Spell Bound, the fantasy branch, meets on the final Friday of the month at 6:30 p.m. and Hopeless Romantics, the romance branch, meets on the last Sunday of the month at 2 p.m.
Both meetings are hosted at Vacca, in part due to the sentiment it holds for Figueroa and Cerda, but also for the large tables, coffee, and food.
Hopeless Romantics had nine people at their first meeting, with several more showing interest online.
Figueroa said they expect more at their next meeting, Aug. 27 where they will read “Archer’s Voice” by Mia Sherdan, and Sept. 24 where the group will read “Ice Breaker” by Hannah Grace.
Spell Bound has its first meeting coming up July 28, where they’ll read “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros, next will be “The Last Tale of the Flower Bride” by Roshani Chokski Aug. 25, and then “The Serpent and the Wings of the Night” by Carissa Broadbent Sept. 29.
For those who do not prefer romance or fantasy, “Bookish Events OKC” also hosts a thrillers book club called Serial Thrillers.
The club meets at the OK Cider Co. Brewery downtown on the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m.
