Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): La lectora del club elige siempre capítulos que sean interesantes para todos. - The reader in the club always chooses chapters that are interesting for everyone.

The base noun is lector (reader).
Spanish usually marks the feminine with -a, so:
- el lector = the male reader / reader (generic, if gender is unknown)
- la lectora = the female reader

In this sentence, the subject is specifically a woman, so Spanish uses la lectora.

Is la lectora del club like “the club’s reader”? What role does that suggest?

Yes, la lectora del club can be understood as the reader of the club or the club’s reader.

Contextually, in a book club it could mean:

the woman in charge of choosing what is read
the one who usually reads aloud
or simply the club member known as “the reader”

Spanish often uses de + noun (here, del club) to express possession or association, like the club’s.

Why is it del club and not de el club?

De el contracts to del in Spanish:

de + el → del
- del club = de el club

This contraction is mandatory when de is followed by the masculine singular article el. It does not happen with la or with él (the pronoun):

de la chica (no contraction)
de él meaning of him (no contraction)

What verb is elige, and how is it conjugated?

Elige is the 3rd person singular (he/she/it, you-formal) of elegir (to choose).

Present tense of elegir (yo, tú, él/ella, etc.):

yo elijo
tú eliges
él / ella / usted elige
nosotros / nosotras elegimos
vosotros / vosotras elegís (Spain)
ellos / ellas / ustedes eligen

It has a stem change e → i (elig- / elij-) and a spelling change g → j in yo elijo to keep the soft sound.

Could you also say escoge instead of elige?

Yes. Escoger is a close synonym of elegir.

You could say:

La lectora del club escoge siempre capítulos…

In everyday speech in Spain, elegir and escoger are both common. There can be slight personal or regional preferences, but in this context they’re interchangeable.

Why is the word order elige siempre and not siempre elige? Are both correct?

Both elige siempre and siempre elige are correct.

La lectora del club elige siempre capítulos…
La lectora del club siempre elige capítulos…

In neutral speech, siempre (always) often goes before the verb, but placing it after the verb is also very common and does not change the basic meaning. Sometimes speakers move siempre for rhythm or emphasis, but here there’s no strong difference.

Why is it capítulos que sean interesantes instead of capítulos que son interesantes?

This is about the subjunctive vs. indicative in a relative clause.

que sean interesantes → subjunctive (sean)
que son interesantes → indicative (son)

In this sentence, the speaker is talking about the kind of chapters she chooses, focusing on a desired or selected characteristic (they be interesting), not on identifying specific, known chapters. That typical “looking for / choosing something with X property” context often triggers the subjunctive in Spanish:

Elige capítulos que sean interesantes
= She chooses chapters that are interesting (as a requirement / intention).

If you say capítulos que son interesantes, it sounds more like you are talking about specific chapters already known to be interesting and simply describing them, which is less natural here.

So what does the subjunctive sean add compared to son?

Sean (subjunctive) implies:

the “interesting” quality is a criterion or wish, not just a neutral description
you’re talking about any chapters that meet that condition, not fixed, identified chapters

Compare:

Elige capítulos que sean interesantes.
→ She makes sure to choose ones that are interesting (selection criterion).
Elige los capítulos que son interesantes.
→ She chooses the chapters that are interesting (they’re already known/identified as such).

In your sentence, the first idea fits better, so Spanish naturally uses sean.

Why is interesantes plural?

Interesantes agrees with capítulos:

capítulos = masculine plural noun
the adjective must match in number and gender:
- interesante (singular: un capítulo interesante)
- interesantes (plural: capítulos interesantes)

So we say capítulos interesantes, not capítulos interesante.

Could it be interesante para todos instead of interesantes?

No, not with capítulos in plural.

You must keep agreement:

un capítulo interesante para todos (singular)
capítulos interesantes para todos (plural)

Using interesante in the singular with capítulos would be ungrammatical.

Why is it interesantes para todos and not interesantes a todos?

With adjectives meaning good for / interesting for / suitable for someone, Spanish commonly uses para:

interesante para todos = interesting for everyone
bueno para la salud = good for your health

The preposition a is used with some verbs (like gustar a todos, to please everyone), but in this adjectival structure the natural preposition is para, not a.

Does para todos mean “for everyone” in a gender-neutral way? Could it be para todas?

Yes, para todos here means for everyone in a generic, mixed, or unspecified group. In standard Spanish:

todos is the default plural when the group is mixed or gender-unknown.

You could say para todas if you specifically mean for all women, for example, a group made up only of women. But the usual generic expression is para todos.

What is the difference between lectora and lectura?

lectora (with o/a) is a person:
- la lectora = the (female) reader
lectura (with u) is an action or thing:
- la lectura = the reading (the activity), or a reading (of a text, etc.)

So la lectora del club = the club’s female reader,
while la lectura del libro = the reading of the book / the act of reading the book.