LGBTQ+ BRUIN BOOK CLUB
Frequently Asked Questions
Your Queries, Answered Queerly
Do I have to be queer to attend?
No, but we expect many of our members likely are.
How do I join a meeting for the first time?
Technically, nothing is required of you except for bringing yourself, but we recommend you RSVP by reacting when asked in our Discord. Feel free to stop by without an RSVP! We just use the RSVP count to know how many people to expect, especially when we bring snacks or drinks.
Look at our Meetings & Events page for any upcoming events, but we also promptly update our newsletter, Instagram, and Discord. We meet on campus (in-person) during the school year and may meet during summers (online).
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Do I have to be a member to participate?
You can attend any event without being a member!
The only (unofficial) membership we keep is a "Member" role in our Discord server that you can self-select. By claiming this role, you are agreeing that you are a UCLA student who has attended a book club meeting or has intentions of attending a book club meeting soon. All the role does is allow you to vote in the book selection process and to discuss possible meeting dates.
Of course, anyone interested in the club is welcome to participate even without the "Member" role.
How often does LGBTQ+ Bruin Book Club meet?
We plan to meet for book discussions at least 1-2 times per quarter. This means we will usually meet for a discussion approximately every five weeks (depending on availability and length of book). For longer reads, we may have additional meetings to discuss the half-way point of the book.
Note that all meetings should be in-person unless stated otherwise.
Additionally, we also have (almost) weekly reading sessions and 2-3 socials per quarter.
What is the best way for me to stay updated?
The best way to stay updated is with our Discord. This is where you will get the quickest updates, but this is also where you can help us plan when to meet and where you can vote for our next reads.
The next best way is to follow our Instagram. All events and book selections are collapsed into one easy space. However, information shared through Stories are only available for a limited time.
Subscribing to our newsletter will give you a summary of updates every once in a while (usually every two weeks). Information is shared a bit slower, so there may be a quicker turnover time for surveys and vote, etc., but we will accommodate anyone who is using only the newsletter to stay updated with us.
How many books do you read?
We plan to read at least 1-3 books per quarter.
Every quarter, we aim to have one longer novel read and a smaller secondary read of a different format, including but not limited to poetry anthologies, webnovels, graphic novels, and short stories.
Sometimes we read a book in between quarters or over breaks.
What kind of things do you read?
Anything, as long as it is queer!
That said, we expect to read more fiction than non-fiction and more adult than young adult. All our main reads will be novels or novellas. Diversity in all forms will be encouraged.
Ultimately, what we read is what our members want to be reading most!
To see our past reads, check out our Book Log page.
How do I vote for the books I want for club?
The best way to suggest books is by coming to club events and telling someone on the leadership team. We keep a running list of suggestions to form the book list for our next vote.
After each book discussion meeting, we use that book list and send out a poll for everyone to take part in. The main poll is hosted on our Discord in the channel #meeting-planning, but we also send out a Google Form on our Instagram and newsletter. Votes on our Discord and votes on the Google Form are weighed equally, so vote whichever way you prefer.
Reach out to us for anything else you'd like answered!