In elementary school, students sit around a reading circle sharing their thoughts about the book they last read together. Adults do it too. It’s called a book club and it’s essentially the same thing — except with wine.
Some credit Oprah Winfrey with giving book clubs a boost when she started hers in 1996, and recently Hollywood powerhouses Reese Witherspoon and Shonda Rhimes have continued the momentum. But, if anything, COVID-19 gets props for bringing even more people into — or back into — reading and wanting to share their thoughts.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“I do believe that during the pandemic there was a huge surge of people who realized that it may be a while [before the world opened up again] and bought so many books at one time,” said Dartricia Rollins, assistant director of Charis Circle, the nonprofit arm of Charis Books & More. “There was a huge uptick in online book buying and then people looking for book clubs. Even if it was online, people were reading more and grabbing their friends to read a book together. It helped them stay connected and it’s still going on.”
Of course, one of the issues with book clubs is that, well, they are clubs and how does one join? A large percentage of book clubs are insular, created by friends for friends. So, if you aren’t neighbors, sorority sisters or best buds, chances are you may not be invited.
But don’t close the book on a club so fast! There are many ways to locate them. The website bookclubs.com is a database of clubs based on genre preference, location or demographics (women, Gen Xers, etc.). The website shows that metro Atlanta has no shortage of book clubs; the question is deciding which one — or ones — you want. There are book clubs specific to topics such as African-American authors, science fiction, the “classics,” mysteries, just-released books and popular fiction.
A good starting point in looking for a book club may be obvious — ask at a book store. Virginia Highland Books hosts two clubs (and is launching a middle-school club), and you can sign up to attend on the store’s website, which also posts the meeting times and selected books. VaHi Reads, which was started shortly after the store opened in 2021, focuses on newly published general fiction. Recent books included “We Are the Light” by Matthew Quick and “The Curse of Pietro Houdini” by Derek B. Miller. A newly started Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club meets every six weeks and is now reading “The Will of the Many” by James Islington.
“We fill up usually within a week [of posting a meeting]. The clubs have been super successful,” said Sandy Huff, Virginia Highland Books’ owner.
While most of the participants live in the neighborhood, some reside as far away as Marietta.
Credit: Courtesy of Virginia-Highland Books
Credit: Courtesy of Virginia-Highland Books
“There is a social aspect to it,” Huff said. “People want to share and talk about a book they’re excited about. You never know what direction the conversation will go, she said. “The fun part is that you might be reading a book — and enjoying it — that you might not have picked up otherwise.”
Adding to the fun, refreshments are served.
Decatur’s Charis Books & More, the South’s oldest independent feminist bookstore, hosts three book clubs. The first is focused on kid literature, mainly aimed at adults who are interested in reading middle grade and young adult fiction. The club, which is 10 years old, attracts children librarians, writers, adults who simply like the books and parents who want to stay in touch with what their kids are reading. The second, a virtual group, focuses on fiction and nonfiction writers by LGBQTI+ authors or queer stories.
“I think the majority [of members] are queer and there are some who are not sure they’re queer and are questioning,” Rollins said. “But you don’t have to identify. You’re just reading good stories and getting different perspectives.”
The third club is a queer romance book club, which attracts a mix of women, trans and nonbinary persons, she said.
“People are reading more because it gives you a sense of being able to learn about people, culture and build empathy from people with different identities,” Rollins said. “It’s a better way than just scrolling through social media.”
The Press Shop in Summerhill is a gift store with a large book section, so it made sense to host a book club, said owner Ashley Buzzy. “It’s a great way to meet neighbors, hang out and listen to people who are really passionate about what they’re reading. It’s a welcoming space.”
Another ideal place to find a book club is at the mecca for readers — a library. The Cobb County Public Library has 27 adult books clubs that meet in-person and online. Each has a special focus, such as African American authors, Sherlock Holmes, science fiction, classics, mysteries, health and wellness and multicultural.
The clubs’ information is all online, and residency in Cobb County is not required. “We get young professionals all the way to retired,” said Terri Tresp, division director of branch services. “It depends on the genre but it can appeal to a wide and diverse audience.” Cobb County Public Library also has book clubs for children including My First Book Group for ages 4 to 7 that meets monthly at Webb Cobb Regional Library.
“At the risk of making it simplified, a book club is all about connections,” Tresp said. “What the public library does is promote reading and enhance the reading experience by giving people the opportunity to share their thoughts with others.” Most of the library’s clubs have a facilitator who guides the discussion and often selects the books.
In fact, the Cobb library system even has a book club for people who aren’t reading the same book — just reading. The Dewey Decimal Online Book Club is a monthly club where participants post comments on its Facebook page with the goal being “to share what you have been reading and see what others are enjoying,” Tresp said.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Local restaurants and coffee shops often host book clubs, as well.
Just One More Page Book Club meets at the Marietta Coffee Shop and is for readers who aren’t looking for any personal connections outside of the club. “I just want to be with people who just like books. Just books,” said founding member Dana DiLorenzo. “No ancillary commitment. It’s a safe space where you don’t have to share anything personal or go out together.”
The group reads all sorts of fiction and nonfiction except “sappy romance novels — anything else is fine.” It’s a diverse multigenerational group that currently is reading Viola Davis’ autobiography “Finding Me.”
School House Brewing hosts chapters of the national Silent Book Club in its Marietta and Emory University locations. There are other metro chapters, too. The idea is that you get together and read — silently — and then socialize.
“It sounds weird but it gives you the freedom to read a book you want and not be obligated to read what a club dictates,” said Iain MacFadden, general manager of the Emory location. “There’s an hour of ‘quiet time’ and then people start talking about their books and socializing.”
Sometimes a book club will start organically, such as the Getting (LIT)erary at VHC: Banned Book Club, which has its first meeting this month. The Rev. Candace Rowell’s daughter told her about a friend’s school banning books with LGBTQI+ content.
“She wanted to know why they found being queer highly offensive, especially since I’m queer,” said Rowell, pastor of the Virginia Highland Church. “I talked to a couple of folks and decided that this was a larger community issue. What does it mean to ban books? How can we support those artists? How can we prevent the community from going backwards?”
So far between 30 to 45 people, from 14 to 70 years old, have signed up to read “Hate U Give,” by Angie Thomas. March’s selection is “Ordinary People” by Judith Guest.
Rowell doesn’t view the club as political. “The more exposure we have to different ideas, the better. It brings us closer to each other and understanding different perspectives.”
No matter where you find one, a book club offers people the chance to read, sometimes books they wouldn’t have selected, share their thoughts with fellow readers and expand their horizons.
“Let’s face it, not everyone in your family cares that you’re reading ‘A Gentleman in Moscow,’” said Tresp of the Cobb Library system. “We give people the opportunity to meet people with similar interests so they can talk about and make connections.”
BOOK A BOOK CLUB
Charis Books & More. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; noon-6 p.m., Sundays. 184 S. Candler St., Decatur. 404-524-0304, charisbooksandmore.com/mission-and-vision
Cobb County Public Library. cobbcounty.org/library
Just One More Page Book Club. Email: justonemorepagebookclubs@gmail.com
Press Shop. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays; 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Fridays-Saturdays; noon-6:30 p.m., Sundays. 470-346-2191, pressshopatl.com/pages/calendar
Silent Book Club. silentbook.club/blogs/events/tagged/georgia
Virginia Highland Books. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m., Sunday. 1034 North Highland Ave. 470-819-4706, vahibooks.com
Virginia Highland Church. 743 Virginia Ave. 404-348-4830, vhchurch.org/events/
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