Book club events on Eventbrite surged 31% in 2024 compared to 2023, with some formats quadrupling in popularity. If you think book clubs are just for retirees discussing literary fiction over tea, you haven’t been paying attention. The humble book club has become the social scene for a generation craving connection, spawning everything from silent reading meetups to romance-fantasy clubs to run-while-you-read groups.
The Post-Pandemic Reading Renaissance
COVID created two critical conditions for book club revival. First, many people rediscovered reading during lockdowns when entertainment options disappeared and screens became exhausting. Second, the isolation of pandemic life created a hunger for meaningful in-person connections that persists years later.
“Reading is such an escape,” explains Allison Yates, who founded Chicago’s Read and Run club. “But really what people want is to feel something deeply, and it slows us down a lot in a time when everything is digital and everything is fast-paced.” That combination of rediscovered reading habits plus desperate need for structured social time created the perfect conditions for book clubs to flourish.
It’s Not Your Parents’ Book Club
Today’s book clubs look radically different from traditional formats. Gone are the ultra-serious literary analysis sessions with assigned discussion questions. Modern book clubs prioritize social connection as much as reading. Some clubs meet at Barry’s Bootcamp classes. Others combine with candle-making sessions or wine tastings. The Chicago Read and Run club literally runs through locations mentioned in the book they’re reading.
Silent book clubs, where members read independently in the same space then socialize afterward, more than doubled in 2024. Romance-fantasy book clubs quadrupled, driven by the massive #BookTok community. Cities seeing explosive growth include San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Boston, with dozens of book-related events happening weekly.
The Social Scene Aspect
Book clubs have become genuine social infrastructures, particularly for women and female-presenting people who make up the overwhelming majority of attendees. One Austin organizer saw her Book and Sip chapter grow from 6 to 300 members in a year, with 800 more on the waitlist. The club hosts monthly book discussions but also regular social events like fitness classes and weekend retreats.
This isn’t about deep literary criticism. It’s about structured opportunities to meet people, make friends, and have conversations about something besides work. According to Eventbrite data, 79% of Gen Zers and millennials seek events that blend multiple interests. Book clubs deliver perfectly: reading plus socializing plus sometimes wine plus sometimes exercise plus whatever creative twist the organizer dreams up.
Structured Social Time with Purpose
There’s something deeper happening here. Modern life often feels atomized and lonely despite constant digital connection. People’s social circles shrink as they age, especially once friends have families and demanding careers. Yet humans still crave genuine connection and conversation.
Book clubs solve this elegantly. They provide scheduled, recurring social time with clear purpose. You don’t have to convince yourself to leave the house, you committed to the book club. You don’t need to orchestrate complex social plans, the structure exists. You have a built-in conversation topic even with people you don’t know well yet. For socially anxious or overwhelmed people, this framework removes so many barriers to connection.
A Sustainable Trend
Book club resurgence doesn’t feel like a flash-in-the-pan trend. It addresses genuine human needs in ways that feel sustainable and adaptable. Whether it’s a traditional discussion-focused club or a silent reading group or something wildly creative, the core formula works: bring people together around books and watch community happen.
So if you’ve been thinking about joining or starting a book club, now is genuinely the perfect time. They’re everywhere, they’re varied enough to match anyone’s interests, and they’re socially acceptable again in a way they maybe haven’t been since before the internet existed. Plus, it turns out reading books and talking about them with other humans is actually pretty great. Who knew?