NEW YORK – A Wednesday night at Lofty Pigeon Books in Brooklyn is an introverted reader’s dream with cushioned chairs, ambient music, snacks, books and – for an hour – absolutely no talking.
This is a silent book club.
It’s a book club in name only. In practice, it is anything but the lively, let’s-discuss ethos you’d expect.
In a silent book club, participants don’t have to read the same book. They don’t necessarily have to discuss. It’s an excuse to quietly read alongside other readers. As the official Silent Book Club LLC puts it, “it’s BYOBook,” and it’s catching on at Lofty Pigeon and many businesses around the country.
The trend reflects a growing post-pandemic need to connect in person while also being mindful of social batteries. Data provided to USA TODAY from Eventbrite shows a 223% increase in silent book club events from 2023 to 2024, especially in cities like Chicago, Indianapolis, New York City, Seattle and Atlanta. But there are hundreds of locations all around the world – you can find one near you on the silentbook.club interactive map.
Sometimes billed as “reading parties,” these events are particularly popular with young adults, many of whom have found their reading community online through BookTok. According to another survey from Eventbrite, 95% of young adults want to explore their online interests and communities through in-person events, and 62% say they prefer lightly structured activities.
Silent book clubs remove traditional book club pressure
Brooklyn resident Ariya McGrew has come to nearly every Lofty Pigeon silent book club since it started in June 2024. She describes the community atmosphere using the famous “Cheers” theme song – it’s a place “where everybody knows your name.”
Traditional book clubs were never a good fit for her because they felt too rigid, but silent book clubs have only strengthened her reading habits. The monthly dedicated reading time helps her focus, especially to start off a new book on the right foot.
“I’m an avid reader, but the pandemic lockdown threw my reading for a loop because I was so used to reading on the subway during my commute and I found it hard to focus (at home),” McGrew says.
As an introvert, silent reading time also helps her balance her desire to be around others without spending the whole time talking. Lofty Pigeon’s events have an optional 30 minutes of socializing at the end.
At Dorothy, a lesbian bar in Chicago that has hosted monthly silent readings since October 2022, everyone is “the weirdo in the corner reading their book,” owner Whitney LaMora says.
“Not only are we more introverted than ever, but a lot of new queer people who are coming to our bar are still more introverted than ever. So the ability to come to something where you don’t have the pressure, nobody’s going to put a microphone in your face, it’s not going to be your turn eventually,” LaMora says. “A lot of us do want to gather and do want to be with others, but are still reeling from being ripped out of society (during the pandemic).”
There’s also no stress to read at a certain pace or by a certain date.
“That is a beautiful thing if it works,” LaMora says. “I’ve never been a part of a book club that has lasted more than six months ever in my almost 39 years and to have a silent book club that is thriving almost a year and a half later is pretty awesome.”
Readers are hungry for low-cost, accessible third spaces
Silent book clubs and the bars and bookstores they inhabit are examples of “third spaces,” or important community gathering spots that aren’t home or work.
Briana Parker, one of the co-owners of Lofty Pigeon Books, started hosting silent book clubs at the request of her customers. She was skeptical because she enjoys reading alone at home, but then she participated alongside her patrons and found herself relishing in the “wonderful celebration of reading” that made her feel like she was a part of something bigger.
LaMora has seen similar excitement with her customers at Dorothy: “Our first few months, the response was so large that before we would open the doors, there would be a line of people, all with their books.”
The events are usually free, but it’s still a business and community-building opportunity for those who host. Lofty Pigeon encourages participants to shop local with a 10% off discount on silent book club nights. Dorothy partners with local bookstores, collects donations for the nonprofit Chicago Books for Women in Prison and has the Chicago Public Library come in to register library cards.
Above all, it offers readers a chance to slow down.
“People have a lot of demands on their time and energy. This is an hour that’s just for them to set aside and read,” Parker says. “We’re constantly hearing from our customers they just don’t have as much time to read as they would like. So this is a way of scheduling it in and giving that gift to yourself.”
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Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at [email protected].
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