It's time to set sail with the 'Yacht Girls,' L.A.'s coolest book club on a boat

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It’s 11:30 a.m.on a beautiful and unseasonably warm day in Marina del Rey, half an hour before the starting time for the Yacht Girls Book Club meeting, but several women are already standing at the gate leading to a vintage yacht docked at the California Yacht Club.Nicole Vaughn, a first-time attendee who has driven from Woodland Hills with her friend Cani Gonzalez for the meeting, had been looking for author events on Eventbrite when she found the Yacht Girls Book Club’s “Brunch and Sound Bath,” which also includes a signed copy of the featured author’s book, a boat ride and swag bag for $65.

“I read ‘sound bath, poetry and manifesting,’ which sounded intriguing, so I said, ‘Why not?’” Vaughn says.Once the gate opens, Vaughn, Gonzalez and the others stream in, alone or in pairs.

The mostly female attendees range from 30 years old to over 70 and are attired in outfits including cutoffs, tank tops, straw fedoras and glamorous full-length dresses.There are approximately 60 first-timers and returning members.Brittany Goodwin, another first-timer and Mid-City resident who does social marketing and media for HBO Max, also heard about the meeting on Eventbrite.

“I saw the word manifestation [in the ad] and I was there!” she enthuses, taking in the colorful array of arriving women.“And today is the full moon, so it’s very appropriate.” Books From romance and memoirs to mystery and fantasy, here are the 101 best book club picks, according to a survey of more than 200 authors, publishers, journalists and book club fans.That’s because the speaker is local poet and author Melody Godfred, whose latest book, “Moon Garden,” attracted the attention of Aloni Ford, Yacht Girls founder and organizer of the meeting.

“I thought Melody would be perfect for the official relaunch of the Yacht Girls,” Ford said in an earlier phone conversation.“Her message...