Established in 2016, #BookClubMadu began as an idea to counter the constant trail of determining what to read next when Cindelle and Antoine, Creator and Founding Member respectively, were in pursuing undergraduate degrees in Southern New Jersey. Launching something like a book club, while daunting, was approached with a freedom; to try, to fail, to critique, to build.  

This book club was not like the others, there were no gender and racially homogeneous wine sessions here like I saw growing up, although we never ask what is in a member’s mug ;). Without traditional restraints we were free to have our conversations on twitter and through email. It started with welcome packages- a highlighter, a bookmark, and a button- that Cindelle & Antoine would send out to over 700 hopeful readers who were looking for community through a millennial lens. What we ended up with is a product so saturated with the essence of humanity that as we strengthen our relationship with these often fictional characters we never forget to take the same interest in the stories we are currently living.

From Twitter, to podcasting, and even the pandemic, #BookClubMadu stayed true to its core: connecting people from EVERYWHERE to participate in reading books and finding safe communities. 

Now, #BookClubMadu has inspired and is powered and sponsored by Cindelle's Bookstore and has a wonderful home to reenforce the community’s relationship with literature.

When you think of book clubs, people have the assumption that the crowd, the book, and the conversations are all, corny. Allow us to change your mind, one month, one book, one story at a time.