How to Find a Book Club
There is something magical about a book club!
I’ve belonged to quite a few in my life, from a mother-daughter one in my tween years to a couples one while Bart was in grad school to one that focused on classic texts to one that read children’s literature.
There’s nothing quite like gathering together with other book lovers to talk about your recent reading.
If you’re looking for how to find a book club, here are some suggestions!
How to Find a Book Club
Start your own book club! When you create your own book club, you can really make it what you want. Invite neighbors, friends, family, or talk about books to everyone you meet and invite them. They can be in-person or virtual. One follower said, “I started one with some old college friends and we meet over Zoom”. That is my kind of way to stay connected! Another follower made a co-ed book club with their couple friends. The opportunities are endless if you start a book club yourself.
Let people know you’re looking for a book club. Every book club I have been a part of in my adult life were because someone knew I loved to read and invited me. Tell friends at church or the PTA or work that you’re looking for a book club. Post on Instagram or Facebook asking for suggestions.
Connect through your kids. If you have kids in school or sports, you know that through their friends, you have a sort of built-in social network of other parents. See if some of the other parents are part of a book club that you can join or make one together. It’s a win-win if all the kids can play and keep each other entertained while book club is going on.
Check out your church. If you go to a church, chances are you are surrounded by an instant community. There might already be a Bible study setup, but check and see if you can start a social book club.
Make work fun. You are with them day after day, and sometimes work colleagues can become kind of like your family with all the time that is spent together. Ask around if anyone in the office is part of a book club, or join together to make your own workplace book club (what a fun way to decompress after a long week or during your lunch break).
Go to the place with the books. It would be silly if they didn’t, but many local libraries and bookstores will host their own book clubs. If you don’t see signage around, ask the librarian or sales clerk and they will be able to point you in the right direction. (And sometimes if they don’t, but they notice interest – they are more likely to start one.)
Look into the apps. When I asked on Instagram for suggestions, the Meetup app (meetup.com) came up several times as a way that many followers have found local, or even virtual book clubs. It is a platform that connects people based on interests, so all you need to do is enter your “city” and “book club” and see what options are available.
Utilize social media. The wonderful thing about technology, is it can be very easy to find information quickly and social media has made it easy to connect with others. Look on Facebook groups for book clubs in your town, see if you can find a subreddit for book clubs in your city, Goodreads and even many Instagram book influencer have their own book clubs you can join. (I host the Everyday Reading Book Club on Wednesdays in my Instagram stories.)
Don’t be afraid to be nosey. If all else fails and you feel confident doing so, don’t be afraid to invite yourself into a book club. At some point, you are bound to overhear a conversation about a book club, or even have a discussion with a random person who mentions the book club they are in. Feel free to ask if they have room for one more and that you would love to join!
Any other suggestions for how to find a book club? I’d love to hear!
