Rather than letting your covers gather dust, reignite your spark with a local book club and get together with other literary enthusiasts to rekindle your love of the hobby.
Not only will a book club get you out of that fiction-funk, but it will also offer opportunities to meet new friends, challenge your literary taste and open your mind to new perspectives.
Reading is the ideal escape from the constant glare of screens that populate our everyday lives, so put down your phone and pick up your book with the encouragement of your local reading initiative.
Here are eight opportunities to be part of a new friendship group with the common thread is a mutual passion for literature in Northern Ireland:
1. Goodreads Reading Groups
The Goodreads Reading Group welcomes all fiction freaks that frequent the other-worlds hidden between the pages of books. There is nothing you won’t find on Goodreads, and if your niche is something you’d like to share with fellow eccentrics, the site houses reading groups and discussion forums that welcome the world’s minds to discuss their weird and wonderful opinions on all kinds of literature. The online platform makes virtual conversation possible, connecting like-minded readers across the globe and producing a rich tapestry of perspectives through a collaborative exchange of diverse ideas. If you’re unable to commit to the monthly-selected book of your nearest book club or find it challenging to be in social environments, but still want to share and listen to opinions about your favourite book, Goodreads is a great no-pressure place to start your book club journey. For more information, go to goodreads.com/group Photo: Pexels
2. Waterstones Book Club
This book club is perfect for readers who delve into the modern classics, not just what’s hot off the press. Waterstones Belfast, also known colloquially as the local emporium for book-lovers, hosts a monthly book club in its city centre store in the cosy, upstairs Ground coffee shop, complete with cosy armchairs and group-friendly benches. The selected book of the month varies greatly in style, subject matter and authors, ranging from undiscovered sci-fi gems to well-publicised fiction stories, with every choice never failing to appeal to the masses. Unfailingly excellent in its selection of acclaimed authors with unique stylistic flair in writing, the Waterstones Book Club falls under the nose and guidance of the expert store staff’s limitless knowledge of literature. Held on the last Thursday of every month, this reading group is the perfect place to hear the literary opinions and critiques of Belfast’s brightest bookworms. Be sure to check the website and socials of your local Waterstones store to see what reading circles may be closer to you. For more information, go to: instagram.com/belfastbookclubwaterstones Photo: Waterstones website
3. NI Libraries Online Book Club
Everyone in Northern Ireland is lucky enough to have access to a library and many local premises offer book clubs alongside the usual computer, WiFi and book benefits. With options for adults and children alike, the online NI Libraries Book Club is accessible for all, even those with restricting impairments that might otherwise inhibit their access to local sites. Crime, classics, poetry, Irish language, disability-friendly, chatty or silent, our local libraries have an outstanding range of reading groups that ensure there is something for everyone. They host a range of time slots for their book clubs to suit the busy schedule of those with jobs, school, or who simply struggle to dedicate time to their love of reading. There are also in-person book clubs held at the library, for anyone who wants to be out and about engaging with other paperback-enthusiasts. For more information, go to: librariesni.org.uk/adult-reading-groups Photo: Unsplash
4. Lit(erature) to the Tit
Whether your literary identity ranges from avid ink-drinker to casual Colleen Hoover fan, a vibrant community of women welcome you with open arms to the Lit to the Tit monthly meet ups, wholesome activities and social extravaganzas. A book-club boasting female community at its core, Lit(erature) to the Tit is an encouraging, inviting space for women of all skin colours, sizes, ages and backgrounds, with their only commonality being a passion for great books. Five years established and active on the scene, their monthly discussions on the latest group-read are the perfect blend of fiction, friendship, fun, and all-important female empowerment. For women more on the introverted side but still keen to meet new friends, or for the girlbosses with busy schedules, their new monthly silent-reading sessions are perfect for cosying-up a book of your choice, but in the gratifying company of fellow literature-loving ladies. Whether it be to make female friends in the city, to try reading something new, or simply to revel in the energy and passion of like-minded women, make Lit to the Tit your next chapter. For more information, go to instagram.com/literaturetothetit Photo: Lit(erature) to the Tit on Instagram