Book clubs are more popular than ever, with events on Eventbrite jumping 33% in 2026 and in-person clubs rising 8% since 2024, according to Axios and Everand. But beneath the wholesome image, many members have witnessed meetings go down in flames.
When book picks spark conflict
Laura, a young mother in the US south who requested a pseudonym, spent four years in a church book club where one member insisted on picking only spicy romance fiction. "She only reads spice ... and there's different levels of comfortability," Laura said. After everyone stopped reading the books, the group set content guidelines banning smut and violence. The member reacted by lobbying each person individually, but still attends monthly, sitting in a corner and sulking.
Freelance writer and editor Steph Auteri can list the ways her disbanded clubs died: people not reading, not prioritizing meetings, or having incompatible tastes. "Every book feels like homework," she said. Once, during a Covid-19 lockdown, she moderated a virtual club where everyone hated the book—and the author had been invited.
When discussions turn heated
Barbara VanDenburgh, former books editor for USA Today, runs the First Draft Book Club in Phoenix. In August, a meeting about Ann Patchett's novel Whistler erupted after an attendee advanced a theory. "We were yelling theories across the room," she said. "Somebody at one point was like: 'I will see you in the parking lot after this meeting, Alex, you and me.'" They were joking.
VanDenburgh advocates a "benevolent dictator" approach to book selection, having once faced lasting anger for choosing Ottessa Moshfegh's Eileen as a December read. "People are mad to this day," she said.
Etiquette and inclusivity
Erin Pepler from Toronto notes that some members take criticism of book picks personally, while Jenn, a New York book club member, saw a founder dissolve the group over a political dispute before continuing without her.
Bittina Sheen, owner of Away With Words Bookshop in Poulsbo, Washington, keeps her club successful by ensuring picks match the group's tastes. Olivia Alatorre's Florida fantasy club, Wings & Flings, playfully requires unread members to wear a dunce hat. "Some book clubs can be so strict ... this was kind of a play on that," she said.
For those wary of joining, specialized clubs are growing among 18- to 44-year-olds, according to a 2024 Penguin Random House survey. "Think of it as a hangout with your friends, with a book at the center of it, and just see what happens," Alatorre said.
