Sheraton Hotels & Hello Sunshine’s Reese’s Book Club create a Lobby Library at The Sheraton Grand Los Angeles! Find your next favorite book and meet new book loving friends.
Reese’s Book Club x Sheraton Lobby Library at Sheraton Grand Los Angeles. Photo by Jennifer Chong
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts new program Gatherings by Sheraton helps guests and locals feel inspired by the stories and cultures of communities around the world, and ultimately get more out of their travels. Sheraton and Reese’s Book Club (RBC), a part of Candle Media’s Hello Sunshine, partnered to launch the first-ever Reese’s Book Club x Sheraton Lobby Library in Los Angeles.
“Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, with its rich legacy, has always stood as a place where communities come together, and Gatherings by Sheraton is an extension of that ethos,” said Amanda Nichols, Global Brand Leader, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. “Given our commitment to being ‘The World’s Gathering Place,’ we’re excited to partner with Reese’s Book Club, the Internet’s biggest book club. Through books, we dream; through travel, we live those dreams. Now, guests and book enthusiasts from every corner of the globe can come together at Sheraton and create new stories, connections and memories.”
“At Hello Sunshine, we believe that books bond us – they have the incredible power to connect people across borders, cultures and experiences. The power of storytelling to inspire and connect a community are at the foundation of Reese’s Book Club and we’re thrilled to partner with Sheraton Hotels & Resorts on this special program and continue to unite global communities and inspire conversation through the joy of reading,” said Sarah Harden, CEO, Hello Sunshine. “We’re excited to see how a shared love for books will create meaningful moments and lasting connections in Sheraton lobbies around the world.”
As the most global brand within Marriott Bonvoy®’s portfolio of over 30 extraordinary hotel brands, Sheraton’s new Gatherings by Sheraton program aims to create moments of connection for hotel guests and locals through hosted experiences rooted in the themes of Enrichment, Renewal and Local Stories – from immersing yourself in Hiuwai, the Hawaiian ceremony of Mind, Body, and Spirit renewal as part of a regenerative travel experience at Sheraton Waikiki, to local sake tasting and paper crane making at Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel, to learning about sustainable fishing practices from local fishermen at Sheraton Lima Historic Center, and more.
At the heart of the program, Reese’s Book Club x Sheraton Lobby Library, will pop up at select hotels worldwide, beginning with Sheraton Grand Los Angeles, October 11 through November 12, and followed by Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel and Sheraton Grand London Park Lane in early 2024. Sheraton’s new Lobby Libraries will serve as the official backdrop for signature “Beyond the Page” moderated speaker series. The series will feature emerging and celebrated women authors from Reese’s Book Club’s curated network, as well as book tours and signings. Guests can also discover the full back catalog of Reese’s Book Club picks, as well as new genres and local book selections, either by cozying up inside the Lobby Library, checking out a book to enjoy in the comfort of their guest room, or purchasing a copy to take home.
Select Sheraton hotels worldwide will host monthly book club meet-ups celebrating Reese’s Book Club’s monthly drops, for lovers of literature and those who are merely book club curious, to gather and connect. The brand is also collaborating with BookTokers, pairing them up with different Sheraton hotels across the globe to host BookTok meetups with Reese’s Book Club for guests and locals to join in on.
Hotels will also encourage guests and locals to gather, read and discover through other Gatherings by Sheraton programming, including author spotlights, DIY workshops centered on book binding, engraving and embossing, book swap programs, literary trivia nights, and more.
Why this partnership now? Books and travel share a captivating symbiosis that transcends mere pages and destinations. Like the turning of a page, embarking on a travel journey is full of excitement and unexpected discoveries. Both offer an invitation to explore cultures, histories, and landscapes beyond immediate surroundings. Whether a self-professed book lover or a casual page turner, Sheraton and Reese’s Book Club are creating a gathered community where more of us are reading together and discovering new experiences.
My Favorite Reese’s Book Club Books
I love books! I was an early reader and often was reading more than one book at a time growing up. One of my most favorite places to go as a child and as an adult is to the library. I appreciate all the book selections in Reese’s Book Club and have written about many of them!
I wrote about Glennon Doyle’s book for Ms. Magazine: “Untamed”: Brave Means Living From the Inside Out:
Reading Glennon Doyle’s memoir, Untamed, is diving into an adventure of what we can become. We collectively grow stronger as we are more willing to ask hard questions…Reading Glennon Doyle’s memoir, Untamed, is diving into an adventure of what we can become. We collectively grow stronger as we are more willing to ask hard questions….When I chose to leave my marriage and the continent I was on, many people called me brave. I found it challenging because I did not feel courageous—and in fact looked both words up in the dictionary, often trying to understand what they were telling me. Continue reading
I wrote about Christie Tate’s memoir, Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life, where she shares her shift from believing she will never be enough to having her dreams come true for Thrive Global.
Women in America often ask themselves, “When will it be enough?” and perhaps more importantly, “When will I be enough?”…I highly recommend this book which I loved and read all in one day. I felt like I was right there with her on the bad dates, in the group therapy sessions and I wanted to go grab some plates from my kitchen and break them when she broke hers. Keep Reading…
Watch our interview about her new book BFF on my podcast:
For Ms. Magazine, I wrote “Eve Rodsky Wants Feminist Partners to Play Fair!”
In order to pick up all of these “invisible” tasks, there is a cost to women’s health, professional goals and personal relationships. “This ‘time tax,’ where women are burdened with more than our fair share of childcare and domestic work,” Rodsky explains, “compromises every aspect of our lives—our relationships, career, sense of identity and physical and mental health. Our perception of men’s time as finite versus women’s time as infinite, or weighted differently in any way, must change if we ever want to achieve true liberation....But what also resonated with me was Rodsky’s definition of “Unicorn Space”—the “rare, magical and essential” time where one partner in a relationship gets to focus inward and “reclaim the interests that make you uniquely you, stoking your passion and driving you to be the best version of yourself.” Reclaiming this space is part of Rodsky’s second rule: reclaiming our right to be interesting. Keep Reading
Brene Brown’s book, Braving the Wilderness, is on the list and I wrote about her book, Daring Greatly, as inspiration for one of my 13 travel writing competitions!
“Daring greatly is not about winning or losing. It’s about courage.” I realized after reading her books and listening to her talks that I am doing enough. When my focus is on Courage, Compassion and Connection as my goals, I remember that I am good enough.
I wrote about Reese’s pick, The Rules of Magic, for Thrive Global in Escape into Fiction this Fall:
Many of the books on my list are set in other locations and times because I missed traveling. Magic Lessons begins with Maria Owens, “in the 1600s, when she’s abandoned in a snowy field in rural England as a baby.” Maria learns the “Unnamed Arts” and the story takes place in England, Curaçao and Salem, Massachusetts. I loved reading about familiars, green magic, Grimoire and the history of the mysterious Maria from the first two books.
It felt strangely familiar to read about how “in the year 1675, when Maria turned eleven, there was another epidemic, of smallpox. Some towns and villages were emptied of all of their inhabitants, and the doors to houses swung open and robbers ruled the roads.” I felt like part of the magic as this tale wove its way through different locations, family members and tragedies. Remember, “Fate is what you make of it. You can make the best of it, or you can let it make the best of you.” During this time of uncertainty between COVID and the election, I liked reading about “Avra kadavra, I will create as I speak, I will force into being that which is impossible and illogical, all that is against the rules of men.”
I also wrote about Untamed and Wild for Undomesticated Magazine in an article called A Reinvention Reading List about the journey to writing my memoir when “these books felt like a flashlight in the darkness of winter, and helped me find my way and myself again.”
I wrote about both Wild by Cheryl Strayed and The Henna Artist in this Ms. Magazine article called, “8 Books That Will Transport You:“
Wild came out in 2012 while I was on an 18-month adventure in South East Asia. During my travels, I conquered my fears and did two eight-day treks in Nepal with no sherpa. I fell madly in love with this book and Strayed’s honest account of the challenges on the Pacific Crest Trail. When she named her backpack, Monster, I remembered when I had a breakdown in the REI store because I felt so overwhelmed to think that all my belongings had to fit in the bag, and I had to lug it around with me.
I also wrote about Cheryl Strayed’s book, Brave Enough, which helped me feel braver!
FROM MS. MAGAZINE: 8 BOOKS THAT WILL TRANSPORT YOU:
While author Alka Joshi’s story starts in 1955 in Jaipur, India, I have to admit some of her descriptions reminded me of my travels there in 2013. I spent three months on the public bus traversing the sub-continent—and her descriptions of the colorful saris, delicate samosas and other tasty treats reminded all my senses (especially my sense of smell) of my adventures.
Women’s lives are intertwined from the village, to town, from one town to another and one life to another. The way that boys become men, and men act like boys, causes many dramas and traumas in this tale. The women find ways to run away from one life but are often surprised by the ways it catches up to you.
I was able to interview Alka Joshi for Thrive Global, “Writing and Rewriting during COVID with Alka Joshi.” And she interviewed me on her show, Reimagine:
I wrote about Alka Joshi’s second book for the Jewish Journal and cannot wait for book three! Read all about it here: Travel back to India: The Secret Keeper of Jaipur
I also wrote about The Secret Keeper of Jaipur for Thrive Global in an article called Sizzling Summer Reads: Feel All Your Feelings.
Thank you to Reese Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine for creating Reese’s Book Club and bringing more light to all of these incredible books!
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