Godmothers Grow: The Elsewhere Book Club

Some books are tickets that take you somewhere new; others are lenses that change the way you see where you are. The Elsewhere Book Club is for readers who want both.

Having grown up internationally, Riley Reed, Godmothers’ head of live and digital storytelling, is drawn to books that take her far from “home”—not just to other countries, but to other ways of seeing. Stories with deep, intertwined experiences. Introspection. Atmospheric settings. Powerful, messy relationships. Gorgeous prose that lingers for days.

Together, we’ll read contemporary fiction that’s philosophical, evocative, and unafraid to ask big questions.

The next four months’ lineup:

01/20: “Open Water” by Caleb Azumah Nelson

02/17: “The Details” by Ia Genberg

03/17: “Endling” by Maria Reva

04/21: “Sisters In Yellow” by Mieko Kawakami (releases in January)

We’ll meet each month for engaged, thoughtful discussions (with a few surprises along the way). Expect reading prompts, quote and annotation exchanges, and an ongoing digital space. Each book will come with a reading guide featuring related essays, art, playlists, and recipes.

If you’re looking for books that expand the world around you and the one inside you—join us. Let’s go elsewhere.

All meetings will run from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Please only sign up for this series if you can attend at least three of the four meetings.

This event will be hosted in our third-floor workshop space, which is only accessible by stairs.