Meet other local people who love children's and young adult books well into adulthood. Talk about books you loved as children and the latest children's literature to hit the shelves. Learn about the history of children's literature. Go to book signings and talks by children's book authors and illustrators.

We are a group of Chicago women in our 20's and 30's looking to read good books, and MOST importantly socialize with other interesting, friendly, and fun women. Please see the "About" link for more information. UPCOMING BOOK SELECTIONS (if chosen): under the "About" link

Science fiction, fantasy and speculative fiction fans getting together to have fun! Isaac Asimov, Harry Potter, Dr. Who, Pern, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Battlestar Galactica, Valdemar, Star Wars... the list of our interests and enthusiasms goes on and on. Come join us at our monthly social at Dave and Busters to meet fans from all over Chicago and suburbs who have equally wide-ranging interests. Order off the menu, pay before you leave and have fun! Our focus is relaxed socializing. We …

Anyone willing to give a thoughtful, honest, yet respectful, critique is welcome.  Many topics, genres and forms are welcome (Ex. chapter of a novel, short story, play, poem, article, essay, etc.).  While publishing is a worthy goal, the focus of this group is helping writers fine tune works, which either have literary value or are otherwise substantive (i.e. scholarly).  All such works are welcome. Those concerned with poverty, and / or human and animal rights and welfare, and similar issues (i …

These are the voyages of the Western Suburban Science-Fiction Book Club... Our continuing mission: to seek out the most compelling, discussion-provoking science-fiction (and occasionally, fantasy) novels and gather together to chat about them over dinner. It's a pretty good mission. Reading sci-fi suggests certain nerdish... leanings, but don't be afraid: our group is all-inclusive. Yes, I'm sure a few of us qualify as geeks, but we're all socially well-adjusted and reasonably freshly showered t …

First and foremost: We are not a critique group. We are not a workshop group. We are a group of writers who get together to...just write. This is a group that meets to WRITE, to socialize, and to offer encouragement and inspiration to others as we practice our craft. We're focused on the process, not the product.  Writing can be a solitary activity...but it doesn't have to be. This is a group where the focus is actually on DOING the work as opposed to critiquing already finished works. I found s …

Ours is a book club on the old model: a long-term, ongoing group of women that reads and discusses a variety of books and enjoys great friendships. We're now just over a year old, and while people have come and gone, a core group is in the process of forming. Our meetings are fun, boisterous affairs where lots of interesting and often diverging views are aired. The books we read span a wide spectrum: fiction, biography, non-fiction, classics, etc. We don't read self-help or how-to books, and w …

CWN is a group of serious writers who are committed to furthering their work through a workshop-style critique process. We meet on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Please be sure to read CWN's Critique Guidelines under the Pages tab before you submit your first piece for critique.

The River North Fiction Book Club is a community of christian fiction lovers coming together to read great fiction, share personal insights, grow in faith, and inform the publishing process. River North Fiction is an imprint of Moody Publishers. Benefits include: * Free books in exchange for online reviews * A voice in the fiction publishing process - help us choose covers, rate manuscripts, help select titles for future projects, give content & marketing ideas. * Future studio attendence …

This group started in May 2011, and we've read novels by Joyce, Malraux, Kafka, Wright, Mishima, Faulkner, Nabokov, Unamuno, Ellison, Hamsun, Woolf, Biely, Gide, and many others.  We try to have a good time discussing the books without descending to small talk, think critically without descending to pedantry, etc. Also, as the title shows, we've expanded our reading list since the group started.  We don't really want to title the group something as vague as "Chicago Literature Group," etc., and …

We are an established book group that is looking to expand our membership. We meet at 2:00 p.m. on the first Sunday of the month. We are co-ed; most current members are over 40 but we welcome members of any age. We read fiction and non-fiction; usually books are chosen by group consensus.

Looking for like-minded folks who dig super-contemporary fiction and are dying to talk books! If you read newer stuff like Murakami, Junot Diaz, Jonathan Franzen, DFW, Jennifer Egan (also the best of non-fiction) I think you'll like us. Meetings are once a month in the Ukrainian Village / blue line area. Guys and ladies 25-40ish who are serious about reading and want awesome book club selections, please join!

We decide as a group what to read/discuss. We read one book per month (or try, anyway). We meet up in Logan Square.  No themes, no restrictions on membership -- anyone is welcome (even if you don't live near the Logan Square neighborhood). Who's with me??

This meet up is the place for storytellers of all genres and levels, anyone who wants to tell a story and of course of people who want to listen. We will meet to discuss our stories in progress, attend different open mics, performances and have our own stage for our stories. Don't feel obligated to speak - stay in your comfort zone. The story bug will bite you as soon as possible anyways. (This site has been used for a previous meet up group, so please ignore former members and comments)

Like SC2 Meetup groups in other cities, this group will be used to organize local meetups and LANs, practice online, and attend local events. Add your friends and let's get playing! Come hang out in battle.net channel "chicago". Currently there is a gathering every Thursday at Ignite Network, with 20-30 players each week. You can find details on each weekly here: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=344240

Do you like conventions about Science Fiction? Fantasy? Gaming? Anime? Horror? Odd stuff in general? The Chicago Conventions group is designed to get people together at conventions and at certain other related events to meet and have fun. Check out the Calendar! Note posts will be created on the calendar about all of the conventions (that I know of) in the Chicago area. If you know of other conventions not listed, send a message to the organizer Leane with whatever details you have and it will g …

A book club for mystery lovers! We will read new authors as well as the classics. Explore what makes a great mystery. Socialize and have fun.

This is a book club dedicated to exploring great writings about the environment. We will discuss both the great past works and their influence on society as well as explore the pioneering notions and ideas found in the present literature.  Field trips, lectures and other activities will supplement the reading (or provide a way for our fellow Naturalist Book Lovers to get to know each other better).

Inspired by Kinna Reads' Africa Reading Challenge, I decided to create an offline space to share my newfound appreciation for African literature. If you are interested in reading books from the African diaspora (with emphasis on authors from Africa and the Caribbean), join us! Check us out on Tumblr: http://CHI-ReadingAfrica.tumblr.com & on GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/87568-chicago-reading-africa

Are you looking for a low pressure environment to meet other singles that share your passion for geeky things? No need to hide your love of whatever it is in order to meet people. Any jerk can love a thing. It’s the sharing that makes geekdom awesome. The key here is low pressure. And no event costs. Just meet, have a couple of drinks (if you are so inclined) and play board games. Focus on having fun and meeting interesting people and perhaps the rest will follow.

The Book (Was Better) Club is for cinephiles and bookworms alike. Each month, members will select a book for which a film adaptation was (or will be) made. To keep discussions productive, caps will be placed on how many may attend a given meeting, but meet-ups will be held at least twice a month. So if you don't R.S.V.P. in time for one, just join another! Events will range from discussions (over coffee, tea, wine, or my personal favorite: FOOD) to in-home movie viewings and trips to the cinema.

This is a group for people who are working on writing a novel, short story, and poem. We'll get together once a week at different locations in Chicago, depending on what's most convenient and give each other constructive criticism and ideas on our literary pieces. Looking forward to meeting all of you!

This a book club based around the Persephone Books series from the UK (for more info: http://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/). If you're not familiar with Persephone Books, they are fiction and non-fiction books written by forgotten female authors of the twentieth century and they are amazing! If you are into feminism, literature, history and/or anglophilia, you should join us! PLEASE NOTE: Participation in the club will probably require a small investment in purchasing the books each month (they are …

We hope to critique each other's drafts of all sorts in a mutually supportive and awesome environment. This group is invite-only to ensure that we stay tiny (hence the name). We meet about twice a month and share drafts to read a few days in advance. We're into all sorts of writing styles, from humorous to serious to abstract. Many of us are sex-positive feminists; if you're not down with that please don't apply.

Meeting to discuss our own poetry. Working out chinks in the armor, making improvements, listening for sounds, searching for themes and generally becoming more self-aware as a writer, as well as learning to become better self-critics. And of course a good place to chat with other poets and find community, and lay it on thick with pet peeves regarding the state of poetry. We would also go to occasional readings and maybe if everyone is up to it to an Open Mic as well. We will begin by meeting o …

The Chicago Chapter of the Ayn Rand Institute promotes the Institute's mission of educating students and adults on the value of individual rights, reason and free markets. Through ARI's series of outreach and educational workshops, chapter members gain valuable insight into Ayn Rand's philosophy (Objectivism) expressed in her novels, Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, Anthem and We the Living as well as her collection of non-fiction books on philosophy and other topical essays. The Chicago Chapte …

You've seen the ladies of SNL do it. You've seen Mindy Kaling and Lena Dunham do it. Now, with the support of your fellow Chicago commediennes, you can do it too! Share sketch ideas, read a script you've been working on, or meet the other half of your comedy writing dream team. Essay, fiction, and web writers welcome. Even if you don't have any material to test out on this friendly female audience (yet), you'll get inspired just hanging out with some fellow Chicago funny ladies. Join the discuss …

Writers space, individual studio spaces with Internet access , writers and creatives in a collaborative space, On the new Bloomingdale bike trail at Kimball. Auto parking lot and bike racks. This is new so I'm looking for input.