Find community with Old Town Books’ book clubs
Connecting readers to their next favorite read and to one another is a cornerstone of our mission here at Old Town Books, and our book clubs are one way we do that! Whether you’re looking to read more, make new friends or find community with other readers, our book clubs help connect people with shared interests.
Read on to learn about each of our book clubs, meet the leaders of each and see what we’re reading next. You can always find our upcoming book clubs on our website here.
Want to join us but not sure which book club is right for you? Pick up our December book club pick, Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World by Mark Waddell, mark your calendar for our Book Club Holiday Party on Thursday, December 11, and keep an eye out for tickets when they go on sale in mid-November.
Queer Book Club
Join a community of LBGTQIA2S+ readers meeting monthly to discuss stories by queer authors, centered on queer life!
When: Second Friday of each month
Meet the Leader
Hi, I’m Lane, a bookseller at OTB. When I first came out, I didn't have a lot of queer friends to help me navigate the questions and challenges. So I did what I've done my whole life and turned to books. Reading queer stories brought me a better understanding of myself and the joys and challenges of queer life. I also found community in other LGBTQIA+ readers.
QBC was created to be a place where we can all share that experience, whether you've been been out for 10 years or 10 days or even if you're just looking to learn more. We read across all genres and gather each month in community. Join us on the second Friday of each month as we chat books and make new friends!
Upcoming picks:
November: The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye by Briony Cameron
January: Pantomime by L R Lam
Fiction Book Club
Join us to discuss our fiction pick of the month! Picks skew literary, and are always fodder for good discussion!
When: Third Tuesday of each month
Meet the Leader
Hi, I’m Nicole, a long-time bookseller at OTB and lover of books with big ideas and lots of discussion topics. Since I also run the Good Yarn book club, my heavier picks tend to find their way to this club. We love reading debuts, authors from marginalized backgrounds, and the occasional big blockbuster title. We have great conversations every month, and would love to have you join us!
Upcoming picks:
November: To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage
January: Make Your Way Home by Carrie R. Moore
Bad Romance Book Club
Join us each month to discuss a romance title, HEA guaranteed! The club reads across a wide range of tropes, subgenres (including paranormal, historical, and contemporary), and spice levels. Monthly picks feature diverse authors and characters because everyone deserves a happy ending!
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
When: Third Friday of each month
Meet the Leaders
Hello! We're Kim and Kelli, and we run the Bad Romance Book Club (BRBC for short). We alternate who runs the meeting each month, but we try to read all the picks either way. So, you're always welcome to chat with us about the picks if you see us in the store, even if we weren't at the meeting.
We try to pick a wide range of subgenres within romance (like paranormal, historical, suspense, and contemporary), along with hitting lots of different tropes (Kim's favorite is grumpy/sunshine, while Kelli's is one room left at the inn), and of course varying spice levels.
Join us on the 3rd Friday of every month to chat about our monthly pick that we work to feature diverse authors and characters, because everyone deserves a happy ending! We don't yuck anyone's yum in this club, so come ready for a giggly good time.
Upcoming picks:
November: Isn't It Obvious? by Rachel Runya Katz
January: The Princess and the P.I. by Nikki Payne
A Good Yarn Book Club
Join a group of craft-curious makers who get together and unwind via making: knitting, crochet, needlepoint, collage - you name it. Listen to the month’s book while you craft at home and then bring your WIP or FO to show off while we discuss the book!
When: Fourth Monday of each month
Meet the Leader
Hi, I’m Nicole, a mutli-form crafter and lover of audiobooks who runs the Good Yarn book club! Our general guiding principles for picking GY books are (1) not too gory, (2) fast-paced, and (3) not a bummer, though I’ve been known to accidentally deviate from these if a pick veers into surprise cult territory! We’re a friendly, supportive group who loves to ooh and aah over each other’s incredible craft projects and would love to have you come hang with us!
Upcoming picks:
November: What a Time to Be Alive by Jade Chang
January: Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests by KJ Whittle
Murder by the Book Club
If all year is spooky season in your world, then this is the book club for you! With a mixture of horror, thriller, and true crime reads, we explore diverse sub genres, subject matter, and authors. This monthly book club has a little (or a lot of) creepiness for everyone.
When: Fourth Tuesday of each month
Meet the Leaders:
Hi! We are Cooper and Jessica, co-hosts of Murder by the Book Club. As lifelong avid readers, we both gravitated towards spooky, weird, and macabre books at a young age (thanks, Goosebumps and Fear Street). Today, we love to share and discuss our current spine-chilling reads at Old Town Books.
Upcoming picks:
November book: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
January book: When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy
Sci-Fi and Fantasy Book Club
Join us to discuss reads full of magic that are out of this world! The SF&F club focuses on diverse works, often by debut authors, that cover the width and breadth of the many subgenres that fall within the sci-fi and fantasy genres.
When: Fourth Friday of each month
Meet the Leader:
Hi! I'm Kim, and I run the sci-fi and fantasy book club (you'll also see me running the Bad Romance Book Club with Kelli!). Sci-fi and fantasy have always been my favorite genres to read, and I'm so excited that I get to discuss new picks with you all every month!
Join me every 4th Friday of the month to chat about that month's pick. The club focuses on diverse works, often by debut authors, that cover the width and breadth of the many subgenres that fall within the sci-fi and fantasy genres. I aim for an even split of fantasy and sci-fi titles even though if I'm being honest, sci-fi will always be my first choice!
Upcoming picks:
November: Volatile Memory by Seth Haddon
January: The King Must Die by Kemi Ashing-Giwa