In a world that often feels divided and disconnected through the onset of social media, book clubs are a solution to bring people together. From casual gatherings among friends who enjoy reading to structured and scheduled meetings, book clubs help people connect over shared interests. Joining a book club is more than just an opportunity to work on your reading list — it’s a way to meet new people and learn from them, expose yourself to new things and explore literary themes through conversation with others.
Eugene offers many opportunities to find this community, both on and off campus, and these clubs draw people in with social media, reshaping the way we connect with others in the process.
These local book clubs, like Chapter 54 book club, Silent Book Club Eugene and Eugene Bookish Babes, take advantage of the ease of social media without letting it overpower the connections.
These clubs, although all based in Eugene, have online home bases on TikTok or Facebook, which allow members to share their reading goals, swap books and coordinate meeting times with ease. The clubs then meet in-person at cafes, bookstores or members’ houses to discuss their most recent reads.
If meeting in person is not possible, members turn to the internet to meet online to maintain the same connection, even if that connection is hundreds of miles apart.
Platforms like TikTok and Facebook, along with Instagram and Fable (a social app for bookworms) have made it easy to find a book club that fits your interests and availability — and it’s all thanks to the internet.
Social media has helped build connections easily with others and leaves room for people to take that next step to further the relationships. Whether that’s by starting a book club, or meeting up in person, social media has changed the way readers find community.
While reading can be a solitary activity, it doesn’t have to be. Book clubs allow members to see the words they read through a new perspective, and thought-provoking conversation can change the way members see the books they read.
From Eugene to across the world, social media has revamped the book club and made it easy to connect with others, no matter the distance. While book clubs push readers outside of their go-to genre’s, the connection with other people is what makes the experience compelling, and social media has only made that easier.
Groups like Chapter 54, Silent Book Club Eugene and Bookish Babes are building communities that go beyond state lines and are a place for connection in a world that often feels quite the opposite.
