Rating: ★★★★★/5

Does vanilla belong in coffee? No. But what a cute name to call a coffee store! 

Happy Saturday, Bookworms! Welcome back to Reading with Rachel. I am saddened to announce that my last book club meeting of the fall semester was yesterday due to everyone’s hectic December schedules with final exams. However, Reading with Rachel’s book club meetings will continue in January. Don’t worry, Bookworms! There will be plenty of book club meeting locations coming up in the new year. The last book club meeting of 2022 was at a cute coffee store, Coffee + Vanilla, on Austin Avenue in Coquitlam. Today, we will discuss our opinions on Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty. The book gained immense attention after the show was released on Prime Video, starring Lola Tung, playing the main character, Belly Conklin. Before walking into the store, I was surprised by how much bigger it was than in the photos online. I am assuming they did renovations or moved furniture around because there was plenty of seating and space compared to the pictures. There was a circular, wooden table in the back corner of the room, which was the perfect place to host a book club meeting, secluded from the rest of the tables. Compared to the other cafes I have been to, Coffee + Vanilla was extremely quiet. It was probably because of the location since it is not near a SkyTrain station or a walkable distance. However, I am not complaining! Light music was playing in the background, and no one had to yell at the top of their lungs to discuss Han’s novel. Due to the snow, I ordered a creamy hot chocolate and a lemon cranberry loaf, both perfect and delicious options for winter. The service was fantastic, as the staff was kind and curious about our book club meeting. Overall, Coffee + Vanilla is Reading with Rachel approved!

See you at the Book Club Meeting!

Address: 1054 Austin Ave, Coquitlam, BC V3K 3P3

Menu: https://www.coffeeplusvanilla.com/

Hours: Everyday 8:00am – 5:30pm & closed on Sundays

Rating: ★★★/5

Can delicious desserts and amazing cappuccinos make up for the fact that there is no seating? Not sure if this place is Reading with Rachel approved.

Reading with Rachel’s Friday book club meeting was held at BjornBar Bakery in Coquitlam. A five-minute walk from Burquitlam station and a 15-minute drive from the SFU Burnaby campus. I decided to catch up on my readings while I waited for everyone to arrive. My class is finishing up reading William Shakespeare’s Richard II. For today’s book club meeting, we will discuss A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (a fantastic read for those who love murder mystery – this one kept me on my toes!). BjornBar Bakery is best known for its dessert bars. I decided to try their Raspberry Bar and Nanaimo Bar with a cappuccino. It is safe to say that the dessert bars and cappuccino did not disappoint me. The reviews I read online were accurate. The bars were deliciously chewy and sweet. Also, you can never go wrong with a cappuccino. Who doesn’t love caffeine? In general, these are reading essentials at BjornBar Bakery. While I would return to this bakery for the food, I do not recommend this place for a book club meeting. The store is crowded and small. There were tables to sit at outside (but it is too cold during this time of the year to do so). The tables at BjornBar are all high tops, and because the building is small, they were all pressed closely together. The only reason I could find seating was that I came at a non-busy time. Since BjornBar is right by a SkyTrain station, I think it was the busiest coffee store I have seen. Students were coming in and out, and you could barely hear the music playing because of the chattering. If you have the chance to get one of the tables in the back near the washrooms, it would be a bit quieter to host a book club meeting. However, there will always be a lineup near you because of the bathrooms. Overall, I would not recommend hosting a book club meeting at BjornBar Bakery because of how small the building is and how hectic it is inside.