Hello! I'm Jackie.

In Summer 2020, we were months into quarantine. No more talking about recent reads over a bottle of wine with my girlfriends on Friday nights. No more solo sneaking out to my favorite little coffee shops and bookstores on Saturday mornings. No more chasing my toddler through the children’s section on Sunday afternoons.

The pandemic had zapped my reading motivation (which, I’ll be honest, wasn’t great since I became a mom in 2017... and actually, not since I became a lawyer in 2011). I thought blogging my recent reads might help, but craved something more interactive. 

I started a Facebook group, Bibliophile, esq. (aka BESQ), which quickly blossomed into something bigger. Today, that group has over 2500 women attorney members who share book recs, book memes, book news, book sales, and the occasional lawyerly post.

Now, we've expanded to share the literary love outside the Facebook world and with anyone who loves books as much as we do - woman attorney or not. This site hosts our blog, merch, and bookshop. Subscribers (Besqies) can also access our book club, exclusive author events, book giveaways, holiday events, and a truly lovely vibe that is all-too-rare on social media. Come join us!

 

I love to connect with publishers, authors, and other partners who are interested in collaboration opportunities. BESQ members are an active group of intelligent and engaged bookworms who love ARC giveaways and virtual author events. If you'd like to work together, please reach out.

FAQs 

Where can I find BESQ merch?
You're in the right place! I order small batches at a time, and may not always reorder certain items. Get it while you can! Once an item sells out, it may not return. Some items, like apparel, are fulfilled by a third party to help me with inventory control (i.e. not having to pre-purchase and stock a hundred items in a hundred sizes). And some items are only available to subscribers; every so often I send out exclusive goodies to show my appreciation for our most loyal members!

Can I get books here?
We do have our very own online bookstore! You can buy pretty much anything there, and if you need inspiration our page features our book club picks, my favorites, some frequent recommendations from group members, and other curated lists. This is probably the closest I'll ever get to my dream of owning an actual bookstore :)

As long as our logo appears in the top left corner of the website when you purchase books (whether from our curated list or not), you are supporting us directly. Affiliate links are very common for bloggers, but bookshop.org is special because they match each dollar I earn with another one for independent bookstores.

Is there a book club?
There is! We read one book each month- completely optional. Many members participate but many do not. You have all month to finish the book, then join us for a virtual discussion via zoom - typically the first week of the following month. Learn more here, and buy the books here. 

What about goodreads?
Yup! Right here. It’s a great way to quickly find, add, and follow other likeminded bookworms. Be sure to join that group so other members can find and add you, too!

Facebook too?
The Bibliophile, esq. Facebook group is how we got our start! It remains limited to women attorneys, inclusively defined. Law students and non-practicing/retired attorneys welcome.

Need something else?
Reach out here.