By Michelle Price
As 12:30 p.m. approached, people trickled into the park, carrying foldable chairs, water bottles and — surprising in this day and age — books. Over the next hour, the nearly 20 participants quietly enjoyed their own books in companionable silence. Many of the participants had never met, and they read ebooks and paperbacks, some with heavy themes and others graphic novels.
This unusual setting is typical of the Silent Book Club, founded by two friends in a San Francisco bar.