Not Your Average Book Club: Reading, Creativity and Connection with J NEXT

By JCC Staff Writer

Some book clubs meet, discuss the book and go home. At the J NEXT Book Club, a meeting might also include a murder board, a watercolor project, an author conversation or even a treasure hunt in the JCC pool.

That creativity comes from the club’s facilitator, Diane Gensler, a lifelong reader who brings her experience as an English teacher, writer and book lover to every gathering.

“I’ve spent my whole life as a reader, after the language acquisition phase, of course,” Diane says.

When she was little, her father told her she could choose anything she wanted from the Five and Dime store. She picked Anne of Green Gables. In college, she continued exploring literature through courses in English and British literature, Shakespeare, short stories, poetry and young adult literature.

One assignment required her to give a book talk.

“I had fun with that one!” she recalls. “That may have been my very first foray into leading a book discussion. It gave me an opportunity to discuss my interest and be creative at the same time.”

Books have remained an important part of Diane’s life. She is an English teacher, a member of multiple book clubs, the leader of the Baltimore Jewish Writers Guild, a Hadassah blog writer and the author of a memoir. She also writes occasional articles and commentaries.

Her book club experience began when her daughter participated in what the mothers “unimaginatively called ‘The Little Girls’ Book Club.’” Diane led several of the group’s discussions and eventually wrote two novels featuring the participants as characters.

Diane has been connected to the JCC since childhood. Today, she can be found at the Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC most days of the week, usually participating in group fitness classes.

When someone suggested that the JCC should have a book club, Diane decided to pursue the idea. She approached Lori O’Donnell, and the J NEXT Book Club was born.

The club brings together two things Diane values: reading and connecting with people.

“I’ve met and come to know many people at the JCC through the book club,” she says. “It’s a great way to socialize as well.”

That sense of shared ownership begins with choosing the books. Rather than setting the entire reading list herself, Diane invites members to help make the selections.

“There are so many good books, and most people have an ‘I Want to Read’ list,” she explains. “We make a list together and then decide which ones are at the top.”

The group reads across genres and chooses books that reflect a variety of interests. Because participants come from different backgrounds and religions, some selections have Jewish themes, while others are not religious in nature at all.

“I try to keep my own interests out of it unless I am suggesting one or two books that I’m interested in reading,” Diane says. “We try to play to everyone’s interests.”

Although the club feels welcoming and relaxed, each meeting involves a great deal of preparation.

Diane spends hours researching the book and its author, watching videos, developing questions and planning activities. She may create a game, organize an arts and crafts project or bring food connected to the story.

“I suppose you could say that it is similar to the lesson plans I have written,” she says. “When someone comes to a meeting, it is well-planned and not ‘off the cuff.’”

Her first gathering, held in June 2025, set the tone.

The group was reading Catherine Steadman’s Something in the Water. Because it was summer, Diane planned a poolside discussion with sweet drinks. When the weather refused to cooperate, she moved everything inside, including inflatable trees and tropical photo backdrops.

“It took a long time to set up, but the room looked fantastic,” she remembers.

Diane then led the group on a “field trip” to the pool to find treasure she had “sort of hidden” in the water. Participants also played a customized “Never Have I Ever” game inspired by the book. More than 20 people attended.

That meeting was only the beginning.

For First Lie Wins, Diane created a murder-board activity. Each participant received a character file containing a photograph of a celebrity who could portray that character. Together, the group completed the files and placed the photographs on the board.

When the club read Florence Knapp’s The Names, the discussion became the inspiration for an art project. Diane printed the origin of each participant’s name on vellum. Members watercolored small canvases, attached the information with embellishments and added beads spelling out their names.

For Goyhood, author Reuven Fenton joined the meeting over Zoom. He generously spent time speaking with the group and answering questions.

One participant was particularly impressed.

“Boy, he’s handsome!” she exclaimed while the author was still online.

Behind the games, projects and laughter is a book club that welcomes thoughtful conversation and different points of view.

Diane describes the participants as sensitive, caring people who are naturally respectful of one another. She works to maintain an open environment where everyone’s perspective is valued, even when a book introduces difficult subjects.

Before discussing Kamala Harris’ 107 Days, Diane established that politics would be left out of the conversation. The result was a lively and successful discussion.

The group had a very different reaction to John Grisham and Jim McCloskey’s Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions. Partway through the meeting, everyone realized that they had reached their limit with the book’s harrowing stories of injustice.

“We had to stop the discussion entirely because just about everyone in the room couldn’t handle any more,” Diane recalls.

She also uses different approaches to help participants contribute. Sometimes she goes around the room so everyone has a chance to speak. At other meetings, members write down their thoughts or share first with a partner. Those who prefer not to contribute are always free to decline.

“Depending on the subject and people’s backgrounds, we often hear some interesting stories and thoughts,” Diane says. “I believe everyone feels comfortable enough to participate and enjoy themselves. If they don’t, then I’m not doing my job!”

For Diane, the J NEXT Book Club has become much more than another activity on her schedule.

“It is one of my favorite jobs that I’ve ever held,” she says. “I hope more people sign up!”

New participants do not have to commit to every selection or attend every gathering. They can choose a book that interests them, come for the conversation and see what the experience is like.

“You can always just give one meeting a try,” Diane says.

Just be prepared. At this book club, you might do more than talk about what you read.

From Book Club to Tech Talk, J NEXT has something for everyone!