For Fallina Reading Event 14, I discovered something unexpected: chemistry.

I used to dislike Wednesdays because of a recurring late-night meeting, but somehow over time, Wednesdays have quietly become my favourite day of the week.

On my bike ride home last night after Fallina’s 14th reading event, I couldn’t help but think: what if we simply placed something meaningful on the days we usually dislike? Maybe there are no bad days at all.

Meeting with fellow Falliannas is always inspiring and energizing. Last night, I finally found a clearer answer to one of the most common questions people keep asking Nina and me: how does your reading club work, how much should I read beforehand, when do you finish a book, and what do you talk about each time?

For a long time, I thought the answer had to be structured. I imagined dividing every book into four weeks, preparing four discussion topics, and following a fixed plan. But after yesterday’s event, I realized something simpler and better: we’ll see how the chemistry goes.

The Secret Ingredient

That might actually be the only system we need – see how the chemistry goes!

With Chelsea joining us regularly now, I can feel a different kind of chemistry forming within Fallina. Nina and I were already a great match, which is why we started this small, almost secret reading club in the first place.

Back when it was just the two of us, we simply enjoyed each other’s company. We would sit outdoors, talk about love, life, writing, books, and social media, and always leave feeling inspired and lighter.

Now that two has become three, something subtle has shifted. Last night, we spontaneously set ourselves a challenge: finish The Sirens of Titan before Nina returns to her home country next week. Which, honestly, is slightly absurd.

We’ve been reading this book for four weeks and have barely finished the first half. And yet, the moment we announced the challenge in the group, I immediately felt excited. Maybe we’ll actually do it, or maybe the point is not whether we finish—but how we move toward it together. Maybe that’s what chemistry really is.

How Fallina Was Born

Thinking about this brought me back to the beginning of Fallina. The memory still feels vivid.

Nina and I met for what was supposed to be a simple coffee chat. One hour later boom. Fallina was born.

Most people would need weeks or months to plan something like a book club. It feels like a serious commitment, and I know this because I used to think that way too.

For years, I tried to find the “perfect” book club. I looked for it, joined a few, left some, and never quite found what I was searching for. Looking back now, I realize why: it wasn’t about structure, it was about chemistry.

The chemistry that day in that coffee shop was just right. Everything aligned—the environment, the smell of coffee, the music, Nina, me, and our secret assistant. Everything clicked. Boom.

That was it.

So I think in the future, when people ask how we run Fallina Reading Club, I won’t try to explain the system anymore. I simply say: we’ll see how the chemistry goes.

Conversations That Go Everywhere

Of course, we did talk about books—at least at the beginning.

We started with The Sirens of Titan, discussing the soldiers whose memories were erased and whose actions were controlled by antennae implanted in their heads

Then the conversation naturally drifted into what life would feel like if you lost all your memories. From there, we moved to how governments or religions might influence collective thinking, then to poverty, then to technology and AI, and somehow even to whether the Earth is round or flat.

We went everywhere.

At one point, I briefly thought I should pull the conversation back to the book, but then I didn’t. Because everyone was enjoying it. And that’s one of the most beautiful things about reading: when we read, we dream, and when we dream, we go wild.

Chelsea shared articles and online stories with enthusiasm. Nina narrated stories about her real-life friends and family like a natural storyteller. One topic led to another, and before we knew it was already past 7 p.m.

Time to say goodbye.

The First Group Hug

Before leaving, we had our first group hug, and strangely, I could still feel the chemistry lingering in the air afterwards.

I think this is how Fallina will continue to grow—not through strict rules, not through rigid systems, but through books, people, and chemistry.

The Sacred 30 Minutes

We usually have a 30-minute silent reading period in the middle of each Fallina session, no matter where we meet or how noisy the surroundings are. We always make sure to do it.

I love that silence just as much as I love the lively discussions that follow. I love the kind of solitude that is not lonely — solitude that exists within companionship.

The Secret Code

Last night, we continued one of our Fallina traditions — something we call the “secret code”.

Each week, we set a different secret code for our session. It is completely separate from the book we are reading. It’s just a small shared prompt that shapes how we open up and talk that day.

Last week’s secret code was to bring an object that has stayed with us for a long time, and to share its story — why it matters, how it has been part of our life, and what it represents.

Mine was my Lamy pen. Chelsea brought her skeleton bracelet. Nina brought her fingerprint tree.

Each object carried a different story, but they all revealed something quietly personal about us.

Want to know the stories behind them? You’ll have to join Fallina someday. Please bring a good book and great chemistry with you.

Until next time~