No assigned reading. No forced discussion. Just you, your book and a roomful of fellow book lovers quietly reading.

Why it matters: That's the idea behind "silent book clubs," gatherings popping up in cafés, restaurants, breweries and other places across the country.

State of play: The movement, started in San Francisco more than a decade ago, has grown into more than 2,000 chapters in 62 countries.

• About a half dozen of those are in the Twin Cities metro, with active groups in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Shoreview.

How it works: BYO book. Usually, there's about an hour of quiet reading. Then you can stick around to chat and swap books — or not.

Between the lines: All titles — and formats — are welcome, organizers say, with attendees toting everything from a hardcover tome to headphones to tune into an audiobook.

• "One of the big value propositions is that there's no pressure," Chelsey Smith, co-founder of Silent Book Club St. Paul, told Axios. "Read what you want."

Zoom in: Smith started the group with a friend last February to help local book lovers "build a sense of community" without having to shlep to Minneapolis.

• "I'm just a bit of a St. Paul stan and think that we deserve nice things, too," Smith, who moved back to the area three years ago, quipped.

How it's going: Eight months in, the gatherings attract 30 to 40 readers a month. About a third are typically first-timers, she noted.

Zoom out: Silent Book Club Mpls sees similar numbers: Close to 50 bookworms showed up for its October meet-up at a brewery.

What we're hearing: Michael Gregory-Jensen, a regular attendee of local silent reading meet ups, said he enjoys the chance to network and make new friends "with other bookish folk."

• He and his husband often walk away with ideas for more book events to attend, and "a whole pile of titles to add to our TBR [to be read] lists."

If you go: Silent Book Club Mpls' next gathering is tomorrow at Bauhaus Brewing in Minneapolis.

• The St. Paul chapter meets on the first Wednesday of the month at The Lost Fox.

What we're watching: The St. Paul chapter hopes to add a second standing monthly gathering, possibly on a Sunday, next year.

Go deeper on the backstory

Immigration experts shared doubts that President Trump can follow through on his Friday night pledge to "immediately" cancel deportation protections for some "Somalis in Minnesota."

The big picture: A majority of the 87,000 Minnesotans with Somali roots are citizens, the Star Tribune reports.

• An estimated 430 Somalis live in the state under Temporary Protected Status, a federal program that protects migrants fleeing dangerous conditions in certain countries.
• Somalia has been part of this program since 1991. The protections are set to expire in March.

Driving the news: Trump's announcement on Truth Social canceling such protections cited concerns that Minnesota has become a "hub of fraudulent money laundering activity."

Yes, but: Experts said the move was legally dubious and unlikely to take effect "immediately" or affect only Somalis living in Minnesota.

• "There's no legal mechanism that allows the president to terminate protected status for a particular community or state that he has beef with," the National Immigrant Justice Center's Heidi Altman told the Associated Press.

Go deeper via the Strib

Minnesota United FC has a do-or-die game against San Diego tonight.

Why it matters: If the Loons win, they'll advance to the Western Conference Final for the second time in franchise history.

• If they lose, their season is over.

State of play: Minnesota and first-seeded San Diego spilt their season series 1-1.

• San Diego is the betting favorite.

Details: 9pm on Apple TV or MLS Season Pass.

🏈 The Vikings' tailspin continued with a 23-6 loss to Green Bay. (AP)

✈️ MSP Airport's food service workers union announced Friday it reached a tentative contract agreement, averting a planned strike during a busy travel week. (Fox9)

🎣 Ice fishers, rejoice: The DNR will keep this summer's three-walleye limit on Lake Mille Lacs in effect through the winter. (MPR News)

🥁 Drummer Jellybean Johnson, a founding member of Prince's band The Time, died Friday at age 69. (Rolling Stone)

Shoppers know it as Black Friday — but for lovers of leftovers, the day after Thanksgiving is a holiday all its own.

Why it matters: The Morning After is the only day of the year when yesterday's cranberry Jello counts as a meal.

Kyle will celebrate Thanksgiving, Part Two, in his traditional way: with a Stove Top turkey egg scramble.

• In a hot pan, he'll first lightly fry a pancake of mashed potatoes, then pile on leftover dark meat, stuffing and gravy. (The secret ingredient is more butter.)
• Crack some eggs around this beautiful mess and — presto — Kyle's best breakfast of the year.

🗣️ Tell us how you handle Thanksgiving leftovers!

• Reply to this email with your recipe for the perfect sandwich, soup or omelet.

Calling all local news enthusiasts! We aim to be your go-to source for timely, relevant stories that impact our community.

Help us continue our mission to keep you informed by becoming an Axios Twin Cities member today.

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Join the club and make a difference!

We spent last Thursday holed up in a North Loop coworking space with our editor Lindsey.

Why it matters: We used the time to brainstorm ways to make this newsletter even better!

Don't worry, we had some fun, too. We showed Lindsey, who lives in Indianapolis, some of our favorite sites and enjoyed dinners and drinks out at Gus Gus and King Coil in St. Paul and Minneapolis' Bar La Grassa.

Lindsey's Twin Cities thought bubble: The burger at Gus Gus lived up to the hype, and I loved that it seems like you can find a brewery or coffee shop anywhere you turn.

• I'll definitely return, hopefully in a month with warmer weather and longer daylight.

P.S. Our inbox is always open to feedback and coverage ideas from readers.

• Reach us by replying to your daily edition or pinging [email protected].