Rainy City Reads

A community book club by Rainy City Therapy

Rainy City Reads is a radical & affirming space for QTBIPOC, BIPOC, and 2SLGBTQIA+ folks to gather around books that reflect our lives, resilience, and imaginations.

We meet once a month to share, listen, and grow — no pressure, no pretenses, just community.

Bring your book, your thoughts, and maybe a cup of tea. This isn’t therapy, but it can be healing.

Upcoming Book Club Meetings

  • Book cover titled 'the life-changing magic of tidying up' by Marie Kondo, with a watercolor background and a red circle indicating 2 million copies sold.

    The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

    November 9th, 2025 7:00-8:00PM

    Let’s reflect on what sparks joy, and what doesn’t.

  • Book cover titled 'Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good' by Adrienne Maree Brown, with colorful animal illustrations.

    Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown

    December 14th, 2025 7:00-8:00PM

    Pleasure isn’t a bad word. What pleases you?

  • Cover of a book titled 'Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto' by Tricia Hersey, with a quote at the bottom.

    Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey

    January 11th, 2026 7:00-8:00PM

    Come and unpack why you refuse to take a nap.

  • Book cover titled 'polywise: A Deeper Dive into Navigating Open Relationships' by Jessica Fern, with co-author David Cooley, featuring a blue background with overlapping circles.

    Polywise by Jessica Fern

    February 8th, 2026 7:00-8:00PM

    Explore attachment, love, and communication.

FAQs

  • I am a client of yours, can I join?
    To keep therapy spaces and community spaces distinct, current Rainy City Therapy clients, and those who have been a client within the last 12 months, won’t be able to join the book club. This helps keep boundaries clear and therapy work focused.

  • Do I have to finish the book to come?
    Not at all! Come whether you read the whole book, part of it, or just want to listen in.

  • How much does it cost?
    Completely free. Donations are welcome to help cover book costs for community members.

  • How do I register?
    Submit your email down below, and we’ll email you the meeting link and updates.

  • Where do we meet?
    We’re starting virtually on Google Meet. If there’s enough interest, we’ll shift to in-person gatherings in Seattle in the future.

  • Is this therapy?
    Nope. While Jade (the facilitator) is a therapist, this is a community group, not a therapy group. We’re here to build connections through books, not provide clinical treatment.

  • What are the community guidelines?

    • Confidentiality — stories stay in the group.

    • Show up as you are, you do not need to mask or perform here.

    • Respect each other’s identities and voices.

    • No hate speech.

    • Passing (not sharing) is always okay.

    • Show up open to learning, growing, and supporting one another.

  • How can I get the books?
    Check out your local library (physical books, e-books, or audiobooks). Donations will also help cover book access for community members without access to libraries.

 

A young man and woman sitting on a white sofa, reading books in an indoor setting with plants in the background.

Join Our Book Club

Join Our Book Club

  • “When we face pain in relationships our first response is often to sever bonds rather than to maintain commitment.

    bell hooks, All About Love: New Visions

  • “Loving ourselves and each other deepens our disruption of the dominant systems. They want us unwell, fearful, exhausted, and without deep self-love because you are easier to manipulate when you are distracted by what is not real or true.”

    Tricia Hersey, Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto

  • “The best way to choose what to keep and what to throw away is to take each item in one’s hand and ask: “Does this spark joy?” If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it. This is not only the simplest but also the most accurate yardstick by which to judge.”

    Marie Kondō, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

  • “Pleasure activism is the work we do to reclaim our whole, happy, and satisfiable selves from the impacts, delusions, and limitations of oppression and/or supremacy.”

    Adrienne Maree Brown, Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good

  • “I saw how good cooks obeyed sensory cues, rather than timers and thermometers.”

    Samin Nosrat, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking