While a book club is no new notion having been a social club activity for centuries, here are ones breaking the mold and bucking the ‘book club’ stereotype.
Boxwalla Book Subscription Box
Books can take us anywhere — different countries, other worlds, alternate dimensions. Boxwalla celebrates this ‘no boundaries’ notion by showcasing the best literature from around the world through its bimonthly book subscription box, highlighting authors of both the past and present, and the most celebrated novels from Argentina to Sweden to China and everywhere in between. Boxwalla teams up with translators and publishers around the globe to include the most up-to-date versions of translated work. Readers too are pushed beyond their usual preferences; each subscriber receives two books in a box — one they choose out of three options, and the other, Boxwalla selects for them.
Boxwalla offers readers book quizzes and book boxes as tools to hone in on reader preferences.
If Louisa May Alcott, Audre Lorde and Margaret Atwood gathered today to gush about their favorite books and discovered authors, it would probably be in the Feminist Book Club. This subscription service connects readers with feminist literature and curated products from women-, queer- and BIPOC-owned businesses every month. And the community-driven power behind this book club lives not only in its voice but also in its structure. All members are invited to suggest and vote on the book they want to read each month, and memberships are offered on a sliding scale. The club gives 5 percent of its sales to different social justice organizations each month.
If you are someone who loves your local bookstore but enjoys the convenience of ordering online, Bookshop is for you, a great option to ensure indie booksellers remain an active part of our communities. This e-commerce platform enables independent bookstores to survive in the digital age by linking book shoppers with their favorite booksellers. Each registered bookstore can set up a retail page where readers can purchase books directly, and then Bookshop steps in, shipping books from its wholesaler’s warehouse straight to the consumer. And that favorite bookseller keeps a profit. Of the thousands of indie booksellers Bookshop hosts, many facilitate book clubs on their Bookshop pages where these sellers announce each book selection and how to purchase it, all in one place.
The online world connects us in ways we once couldn’t have imagined, yet there’s no denying the pleasure of gathering over an impactful book with others IRL. Enter Noname Book Club, a Black-led worker cooperative. Each month Noname Book Club highlights two books written by authors of color, and partners with Black-owned and POC-owned bookstores around the world for book club meetups. Readers can access directories to find local Noname Book Club chapters, Black-owned bookstores to purchase from as well as libraries throughout the country that carry club selections so anyone can find a way to access books and resources for free. And with a dedication to uplifting POC voices and the belief that collective learning is a tool for collective liberation, Noname, since 2020, has been sending its book picks to incarcerated individuals through its Prison Program. Anyone can support this effort through packing events, donations, exchanging monthly or bimonthly letters or purchasing a book directly to send to members.
What started out as two BFFs, actor Emma Roberts and writer and producer Karah Preiss, exchanging and bonding over their favorite pieces of literature eventually expanded into a virtual hub for avid book lovers throughout the world through Belletrist, the immersive online book club community. Each month Emma and Karah curate a new book selection, discuss the books with authors through exclusive video and host conversations within the community. Club members can participate in live audio discussions and chat with other like-minded readers, and sometimes with the authors themselves. The high-quality video content, accessible private social events and exclusive insights into how beloved stories came to life create the perfect home for the voracious reader.
Now you have no excuse — get reading.
