T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — Taylor Bear of the Marshalltown LGBTQ+ group is launching a new “Silent Book Club” this Saturday at West End Park from 10 a.m. to noon. All are welcome to attend.

Taylor Bear never seems to run out of energy or fresh ideas, and fresh off of the success of the first ever Pride in the Park event on July 13, the Marshalltown LGBTQ+ leader is always looking for ways to expand the group’s footprint.

The latest new event she’s helping to launch is the inaugural “Silent Book Club” at West End Park this Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon, which she plans to host twice a month. Anyone who participates in the weekly Yoga in the Park beforehand, which Bear is also involved in and sometimes leads, is invited to stick around and unwind with some quiet reflection and reading time.

“I’m a book lover myself, so that helps. But I know that we have different types of people within any community. You have people who are super extroverted who want to do a happy hour and they want to get together every week and they want to see faces and they want to meet people and network,” she said. “There’s other people who are like ‘Look, I like people, but I’m just maybe not as social or need a more gentle space to work on some social skills.’ And silent stuff like Silent Book Club and Walking Club are really perfect for those because it’s just like, a group of people (and) there’s not a ton of pressure to talk. But if you are open to it and you want to, you can join in the conversation.”

Contrary to a massive undertaking like Pride in the Park, which entailed securing sponsors, vendors and performers, Silent Book Club seems simple by comparison: participants are asked to show up with whatever they’re reading and enjoy the company of other bookworms in an outdoor setting.

“It’s chill, lowkey, not low effort, but just gentle organization. It wasn’t a whole lot of work to decide when we wanted to do it, just a couple days of the month, and like you said, really simple. You show up with a book and you get to be here,” Bear said. “And maybe there’s something fun going on along (with it).”

Readers can come and go as they please, and Bear said one committee member loves to bring stickers and snacks for anyone who attends. Regardless of age or reading level, everyone is welcome.

Bear said she’s usually reading three books at a time: one to elevate or help her grow, one on a topic she’s hoping to learn more about and one for fun — usually fiction. Currently, her “fun” read is “Children of Blood and Bone” by Tomi Adeyimi.

“It’s so good. If you don’t mind fantasy and also some politics, there’s a lot of stuff going on in this. It’s so good, so well written and it’s written from different points of view, which I appreciate that kind of bouncing around,” she said.

The Marshalltown LGBTQ+ Facebook page has gained over 400 new followers in the last few months, and Bear said they are currently in the process of working to become an officially recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Looking forward, she’s focusing on ensuring the momentum doesn’t die down during the colder months and arranging some dinner meet-ups to support local businesses.

Happy Hour is moving from The Cellar Door to the Center Street Station starting this week, and the group is also working on hosting more family friendly events including another cleanup day like they held in the spring.

“We’ll be busy. We’ll be doing things, and we’ll keep the page going. And then we’re gonna start doing monthly board and Pride in the Park meetings,” Bear said. “(We’re) doing all the bylaws and roles and things that come with all that stuff, so we’re working on that. So hopefully at this time next year, we can be like ‘Oh my gosh, we’re actually a nonprofit.'”

The group is looking for more volunteers, collaborators and committee members and invites everyone to be involved “as much as they’d like to.” To learn more, visit https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092108449731.