I’ve always liked to read. When I was a kid and we went on vacation, I always packed a stack of books to ensure I never ran out of reading material.

As an adult, my bedside table tells the same story — a stack of books that came from friends, family and the library.

I’m sure I will never finish my “to be read” list. Although that’s probably because I’m always discovering a new book to add or an older book that I missed somehow.

Part of my book stack comes from two local book clubs. One is an “anything goes” style of club where everyone takes a turn recommending a book. We read fiction, nonfiction, science fiction, fantasy and more.

Another one I joined chooses more light-hearted fair — still well-written books, of course, but leaning more toward fiction than nonfiction.

Both clubs open my eyes to books I’ve never read or even considered. And it helps to have a discussion when we’re finished about what we liked, what we didn’t care for, and the different literary approaches.

Rarely is everyone in agreement, but that’s what I enjoy so much — a book club is a safe space to share opinions and consider another person’s point of view. I think this skill is a bit lost in our world right now, when at the first sign of disagreement people decide they are too opposite to interact.

This is sad to me. The world is made of all sorts of people, from different backgrounds and experiences. We can learn from each other, and it’s okay to disagree — in fact, some of the most enriching discussions can come from people who have differing viewpoints yet respect each other enough to listen.

Maybe books are a safe place to start practicing positive interaction.

Although books are, obviously, at the heart of book clubs, my favorite part is the people, and how my cheeks hurt from laughing every time we meet.