Book Club: Growing Connections
Not your average book club. These gatherings are designed as spaces for meaningful conversation, personal reflection, and connection—without the pressure to finish the book.
Whether hosted in a workplace, community space, or virtually, (M)othershift book clubs invite participants to explore themes like caregiving, identity, grief, burnout, and personal growth through a shared reading experience. Each session is lightly structured to foster open conversation and meet people where they are. We provide curated titles, facilitation, and resources to create a space that feels nourishing, not obligatory.
Perfect for teams looking to deepen culture and connection, or communities seeking thoughtful spaces for dialogue.
Sample Book Club Description
Growing Connections – A Lunchtime Book Club
Let’s read and discuss books that help us navigate some of the many challenges of modern life—at work, at home, and in between. Growing Connections is a facilitated book club designed to support personal reflection, community-building, and deeper conversations in the workplace. Participants are invited to join for one session or attend the full series.
Each participant receives a free copy of the selected book to keep. While reading is encouraged, finishing the book is not required to take part in the discussion. Sessions are welcoming, low-pressure, and designed to foster connection, curiosity, and insight. Lunch can be provided by the host organization.
📚 Book Club Selections
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk.
Trauma is a fact of life, and its effects live in the body as well as the mind. Drawing on decades of clinical experience and recent advances in neuroscience, Dr. van der Kolk explores how trauma shapes the brain and body—and how healing is possible. He introduces innovative treatments that go beyond talk therapy, including movement, mindfulness, and creative expression.
This book will most appeal to: Science nerds, health-conscious or curious folks, and anyone currently experiencing or with a history of trauma or loss.
Mother Brain: How Neuroscience Is Rewriting the Story of Parenthood by Chelsea Conaboy.
Health and science journalist Chelsea Conaboy explodes the outdated concept of “maternal instinct” and offers a fresh, research-backed narrative of what it means to become a parent. Combining cutting-edge neuroscience with compelling reporting, this book reframes parenthood as a brain-based transformation that is powerful, diverse, and deeply human.
This book will most appeal to: Parents of any gender, grandparents, alloparents (anyone helping care for children—related or not), and caregivers of all kinds; those interested in neuroscience and cutting-edge health research.
Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do by Eve Rodsky.
After interviewing over 500 people, Rodsky breaks down the invisible labor of home life—mental load, emotional labor, and household management—and introduces a system to divide it more equitably. With humor, clarity, and practical tools (including a literal card game), she helps readers rethink how to share responsibilities fairly and respectfully.
This book will most appeal to: Anyone in a relationship—romantic, familial, or roommate-based—looking to create more equity around shared responsibilities at home.
Why Offer a Book Club Like This? A workplace book club creates space for reflection, community, and personal growth. It offers a low-barrier way to support employee well-being, increase empathy, and bring people together around shared themes and real-life experiences.
Custom options include: ✔ Curated book selections aligned with your goals ✔ Professional facilitation (virtual or in-person) ✔ Session planning and discussion materials
Let’s co-create a reading experience that encourages connection—one page, one conversation at a time.