TAKE A LITERARY ADVENTURE
The Keys to a Thriving Book Club
like PBS Books Readers Club or the Seattle Public Library’s “Staff Picks for Adults 50+.” Others focus on a specific author, such as Jane Austen, and some clubs focus on a genre, such as mysteries or memoirs. If starting your own isn’t realistic, many public libraries host book clubs for seniors, and you can join at little to no cost (outside of finding a copy of the book, obviously). Check with your community library for groups in your area. Also, the AARP retiree organization sponsors a virtual book club called Senior Planet. The potential rewards are worth the effort. Reading opens the mind to new ideas and improves memory. Staying connected and socially active can enrich your life
in numerous ways, from improving your cognitive health to easing the negative effects of loneliness. Many book clubs take on a character all their own, such as a monthly wine-and-cheese party with a little casual reading on the side. Social media influencer Katie Iwanski illustrated this option in a hilarious TikTok video. Among the 11 guidelines she posted for her book club, she included the following: Everybody brings a bottle of wine; guests choose a food theme, such as “crostini night”; and discussion devolves from discussing the book and making cast picks for the movie version to opening more wine and letting the night end in chaos. And a good time was had by all!
Kim’s Mom loved these books
People of all ages crave human connection, and book clubs are an increasingly popular path to that common ground. Book clubs bring together people with common interests and offer opportunities to build friendships through discussion. If you want to be in a book club, one of the best ways is to start one yourself. Setting guidelines for how your club will work can take time and discussion with prospective members. Some groups focus on the month’s bestseller, while others select from lists published by groups,
GIFTS OF LOVE
How Complete Planning Can Secure Your Family’s Future
• Nurture the relationships and engage in communication that will support your plan and goals. • Create a letter of values so your beneficiaries understand your goals and principles. • Establish an organization system for all your documents, accounts, and everything else the trustee needs to move forward when the time comes. The first step in complete planning is essential and will put you ahead of most who have no plan at all. Creating a letter of values can turn your trust into a genuine gift of love. Doing so is as simple as writing a love letter, sharing how much you love and care about the
Complete planning can be the biggest blessing in your heirs’ lives when done properly. We recently did a trust for a father of two adult children. They came to us for guidance on administering the estate, and one of the sons told us, “This trust is a gift of love.” It made me think about what you can do to leave behind a gift of love through your planning. If you want to leave a gift of love of your own to the people who matter to you most, you should follow these five steps: • Create an up-to-date estate plan with your trust(s) fully funded. • Put together a financial plan that helps you meet your goals.
beneficiaries. While this document is not legally binding, your
loved ones will surely hold it in their hearts after you are gone. For the final step, I wrote a new book that is being published by Zeitgeist, an imprint of Penguin Random House, called “My Last Gift.” It will be released on Oct. 1, 2024. It helps you organize all your needed information in one place. If you have any questions about complete planning or creating an estate plan, call us today!
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