We all have those books we love and want to share with others. We all have those books we have heard about but just haven't gotten around to reading. Meet other locals to discuss the books and authors related to the Queer Experience. Actually we will read anything that strikes our collective fancy. This meetup is for ANYONE who is interested in learning more about GLBTQ authors and books, and about queer themes in mainstream literature. We will also share tips about where to find/buy queer boo …

Mystery, Thriller, Romantic Suspense and Dark Fiction Conference. The Coolest Crime Scene Happens Every February in Chicago - Plead Guilty and Be There. For writers - February in Chicago is the hottest time of the year! Agents, publishers, Master Classes, forensic professionals, weapons experts, essential panels, presentations, and elbows to rub--the perfect antidote for whatever ails writers at every level. Love is Murder--be freezin' for a reason and come ready to advance your career and …

You're invited to join like minds in preserving what our founding fathers established in the Constitution. If you're unsettled, uneasy or just disgusted with the direction our country is headed...we're here for you. 9/12 stands for the day after Sept. 11, 2001 when we as a country came together putting aside our political affiliations for the betterment of the United States of America. It also represents the following... THE 9 PRINCIPLES 1. America is good. 2. I believe in God and He is the c …

Monthly meetup for bookish girls at a Northside bar or pub to discuss short stories of William Trevor, Jhumpa Lahiri, Wells Tower, Junot Diaz, Chekhov, Willa Cather and other favorites. So far we've read stories by Trevor, Haruki Murakami, Alice Munro, Richard Russo, and John Cheever We'll pick a few short stories by an author ahead of time, meet up some place fun after work (So far Ten Cat and the Long Room have been working well for us) and talk about what we loved, what we loathed, and what …

The Author! Author! networking group brings together traditional and self-published authors to share ideas about marketing themselves and their books through promotions, public relations, publicity, advertising and other marketing techniques. The group welcomes: first-time authors of all genres as well as those who already have a few published books under their belts marketing and PR professionals those who are interested in the book publishing business and/or want to learn more about it. The fo …

¡OJO! Este grupo es para lectores comprometidos, activos, y voraces. El Círculo de Lectores Chicago fue creado para discutir libros contemporáneos populares en español. Eso significa que nos enfocamos en novelas recién publicadas (últimos dos o tres años) en español (nada de traducciones) de toda América Latina y España.  El objetivo es divertirse, leer una variedad de libros populares y utilizar el español. Nos reunimos en restaurantes conectados con el libro escogido (ambiente del libro o na …

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 …

ADHD is as prevalent among grown-ups as children - and it's just as essential to manage the condition with a range of behavioral, organizational and other techniques. This is a support group for adults with ADD/ADHD and people who suspect they might have ADHD due to issues with procrastination, organization and time management. We usually meet 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month to discuss challenges and share information and experiences in a supportive environment. …

The 12th annual Love is Murder on Dark & Stormy Nights Mystery Fans Conference will be Feb. 4-6, 2011 at the Intercontinental O'Hare Hotel in Rosemont. Hear presentations from authors and publishers; meet one-on-one with agents, editors and authors; and mingle with readers and fans of mystery, dark fiction, suspense and romance. It's the Midwest's PREMIER mystery con!

This group was established to promote and support small business owners from all industries and disciplines. Our objective is to provide critical and timely information to participants by industry experts, educators, gov't authorities and, more importantly, small business owners themselves in a robust, comfortable and supportive environment. THIS IS YOUR GROUP SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, so please show up in numbers to support your fellow small business owners. The information you will receive at the …

Taught by Bob and Cheryl Moeller, married for 32 years with 6 kids, one daughter-in-law, one son-in-law, and one grandson. www.forkeepsministries.com. A group of Christian Singles together to learn about what the Bible has to say about Christian relationships whether you are single or single again. Singles attend that are unattached or attached (dating, courting, engaged).  Topics may vary but are always from God's Word (The Bible). It usually begins with a dinner at a restaurant where you can g …

Welcome to A Haven For Angels-- As a Medium and Intuitive I  share  with  you  the many blessings that come from communication with spirit and the angelic realms. We  have  been  given  angels  to  support  us,  to  guard  us in many  ways.  They have  always  been  with  us. The intention of A Haven For Angels is to help you become aware of the many ways angels touch your lives, to open your mind and your heart to angelic inspiration, information, and actions that can bring answers, solutions, …

Chicago's first nonprofit literacy bookstore! We accept donated books (50,000+ in stock) and sell them to support our literacy programs. Authors, storytimes, book discussions! Please join this group to stay informed on what's coming up in the Open Books store!

Ultimate LOVE and Passion (ULP for short) is a community of like-minded individuals creating friendships and relationships that stand the test of time. Using principles from top authors, trainers and coaches we can ALL learn to have fun, playful, passionate relationships with the right person. Have you tried all those "other" dating sites? Do your friends try to set you up on blind dates? Have you been in relationships where you just don't have that "spark" everyone talks about? Are you on a jou …

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.

Join us at the Chicago Self-Publishing Meetup Group as we explore the dynamic world of self-publishing and indie publishing. We meet every month and we welcome anyone interested in learning about self-publishing: self-published authors who want to learn more or share their experiences writers looking for information on how to self-publish professionals who are not writers but want to publish material related to their work book designers, graphic designers, and ebook formatters publishing indust …

We are a Unity Church. We are a spiritual community that is dedicated to teaching universal laws of love, peace, joy, and healing. We are dedicated to creating a peace-filled space where everyone feels welcome. "Spiritual seekers often say that finding Unity is like coming home. Unity is an open-minded, accepting spiritual community that honors all paths to God and helps people discover and live their spiritual potential and purpose."(Unity.org) "The Unity movement was founded by Charles and Myr …

A Meditation Group based on the Kriya Yoga Teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, author of the spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi, and inspired by the core spirituality found at the heart of all faith traditions. Our meditation group is for those seeking... -To learn how to meditate, using ancient, proven techniques -To share spiritual fellowship, friendship and support with others -To have a deeper understanding of the universal science of yoga -Greater energy, health, success and poise in …

Love good wine, reading books, & discussing ideas with other friendly people? Then come join us at our monthly discussions while enjoying wine at House Red! The goal is to have fun discussing & sharing our thoughts & ideas on the literature we've read over glasses of wine. The group is new (Spring 2012) & was started with a small group that met at a wine bar. We're growing now & would like to welcome new members. I've noticed many groups are women only; we aren't gender restrictive, but you must …

In this group, we discuss where the church is or should be going in the 21st century. We will explore numerous authors, worship expressions, and ideas for the church. We will read and discuss one book per month from authors in the Emergent Church movement. If you are interested in learning and sharing input on what you think the church should be, then come join us! All faith backgrounds are welcome!

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

We meet twice a month to discuss designated during the taping of Insight Radio.  (If you have not listened, here is the last show:  Insight Radio is looking for guests for our next show on current events.  Here are recent shows: Guest: Fran Hawthorne, Author of Ethical Chic: The Inside Story of the Companies We Think We Love. Award-winning journalist Fran Hawthorne has been a writer or editor at Fortune, BusinessWeek, Institutional Investor, Crane's and other publications. She is the author of …

Have a book that's ready to publish? Want to learn more about how self-publishing works? Have you discovered great tactics for marketing your books, and want to share with other authors who have done the same? Then this group is for you! We do NOT focus on the writing process; rather, the purpose of this group is to connect with other authors who have finished their books and are now hard at work with the self-publishing process.

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 club is for anyone (chico or chica!) who loves to dive in and digest the wisdom from authors like Williamson, Chopra, Dyer, and so on. I started this group because the only thing I love more than reading these books is discussing the self-growth and awareness with like-minded folks! We'll start by taking a few weeks to read the same book and then meet discuss our impressions in the Streeterville/Gold Coast area. My hope is that this group opens up hearts and minds, along with formulates n …

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 …

Join us as we explore the question of the century - "Where Is Your Village?" We'll share how we can surthrive here in The Age of Climate Crisis...live the beautiful life, the conservation lifestyle...give our whole selves to the people and places you love most...and forge a new way forward, past the tipping point of "400 ppm ghg." Don't know what that means? Come discover its critical importance to your life. BIG™ is an award-winning economic development organization based in West Woodlawn …

Calling all inspired memoir writers who need a community of writers to put their inspiration into action. Procrastination can be our enemy. Often we need deadlines to kick us into gear to put the pen to paper. All levels are welcome from novice memoirists to published authors. The only requirement is to actually turn in work and respectfully comment on each other's manuscripts.