The year was 2020, and we were all inside much more than usual.
In truth, I didnt begin swiping during the pandemic.
The extra alone time increased my dating app devotion.
Natalia Maca/Adobe Stock
Its well-documented that Im a bit of adating app agnostic.
I looked like anungroomed monster, and I didnt have anything exciting to share with matches.
It was hard to answer simple questions like Whatd you do today?
with more than just one or two words.
(I cried.)
So I asked a match to book club, and, much to my surprise, he obliged.
We settled on Carmen Maria MachadosIn the Dream Housewithout establishing a clear end date.
If one of us got there first, wed wait for the other.
So you might think nontraditional dating ideas are irrelevant.
Until vaccines are widespread, its wise to adhere tosocial distancing protocols.
This means you might want to take things more slowly than you wouldve before the pandemic.
And, even if youre open to meeting up IRL, reading together can help establish common ground.
I hope the information serves you well.
You should like your match (at least a little) before you read with them.
Reading a book together (or binge-watching an entire television series) is a time commitment.
The upside is that it gives you something to talk about when conversations get stale.
Even when you adore someone, reading a book isnt a guarantee that youll keep interacting.
Sometimessituationshipsend before the book does.
This brings me to my next point….
2.
Pick a book youre comfortable talking about with a stranger.
Lets sayhypotheticallythat youre reading a stunning experimental memoir that chronicles the demise of an abusiverelationship.
have a go at keep that in mind when youre deciding.
Dont lie about your tastes.
If not, you’re free to have fun making and refusing suggestions.
Reading reviews together can be cute.
Consider choosing the book part of your courtship.
Get creative about how you structure your book clubs.
You might even schedule hangs to read the same book together via video chat.
Book clubbing with someone youre into can be surprisingly emotional.
The first time I book clubbed with a match, I cried (intherapy, thankfully).
Yes, Im very dramatic.
Reading a book with someone cute was surprisingly intimate.
If youre a book lover, then a Bumble book club might be more heart-stirring than youd suspect.
And impromptu book club discussions can reveal a lot.
This meant that a lot of our discussions took on the same vibe as chatting aboutgood TV.
Dont venture to sound like anyone other than yourself.
A perfect book club partner isn’t necessarily a perfect life partner.
This last lesson isnt easy.
But the sad reality of life is that a careful and thoughtful reader isnt automatically your IRL match.
I hope you enjoy the arc either way.
