The City Cafe Book Club on Thursday held its inaugural meeting at City Cafe and online, where members discussed strategies for strengthening the group, promoting reading culture, and reviewed This Thing Called Love by Nigerian author Oreva Ode-Irri.
The meeting, held on the last Friday of the month, commenced with an opening prayer and brought together literature enthusiasts committed to building an engaging literary community.
During discussions, members expressed concern over the frequent posting of irrelevant messages on the club’s WhatsApp platform and emphasized the need for proper online etiquette.
A member noted that “there is a need to establish strict guidelines and principles for the group chat to ensure discussions remain focused and productive.”
Another participant suggested that the WhatsApp platform should remain open for general conversations but be temporarily restricted whenever important official information needs to be communicated.
The house also discussed ways of expanding the visibility of the club through social media promotion.
Speaking on the book selection process, one member proposed direct collaboration with publishing houses to provide a monthly shortlist of books for members to vote on.
“We should engage publishing houses to provide four or five books monthly so members can collectively decide on what to read,” the member said.
Another participant advocated prioritizing books authored by registered members of the club.
Members further shared ideas on sustaining active participation and making the club more vibrant and engaging.
The highlight of the meeting was the review of This Thing Called Love by celebrated Nigerian author and spoken word artist, Oreva Ode-Irri.
The reviewers described the book as “an emotional and captivating collection of Nigerian short stories exploring romance, heartbreak, longing, and resilience.”
They noted that the book is divided into two sections — Eros, which focuses on passion and the excitement of new beginnings, and Psyche, which explores heartbreak, vulnerability, and healing.
Some of the stories discussed included My Neighbor’s Wife, praised for its portrayal of suppressed emotions and romantic tension; Distance Between Us, which examines emotional gaps and misunderstandings between lovers; and Boomerang, which highlights the emotional weight of unresolved attachments.
According to participants, the collection demonstrates that “love is not a perfectly packaged emotion but a complicated journey that requires patience, vulnerability, and healing from past trauma.”
The meeting ended with a closing prayer and pleasantries among members, who expressed optimism about the future of the club.
Those who attended the inaugural meeting included Ojo Akin-Longe, Douglas Ogbankwa, Princess Diana Eweka, Nosa Onaghise, Edogbo Nkechi, Onyenike Betsy Chinyere, Stanley Whyte, Ojo Taiye, Eragbai Victoria, Ogiesoba Clifford, Pius Patrick, and Angela.
The club announced that its next meeting will hold in June.