As someone who loves reading, collecting and talking about books, I was in a bit of a quandary for a few years. I like to share books, talk with others about them, and buy them for myself and as gifts for others. I regularly visit the various telephone boxes in local and not-so-local areas, as they have now become little treasure troves of books. My local supermarket - one of the Big Four - and our local surgery both have help-yourself bookshelves, complete with donation tins for local charities. Another place where I particularly like to find a stash of books is in remote country churches, which I come across on my Wanderings. Trawling second-hand bookshops is one of my go-to occupations. I really like the little buzz I get when I find a title that's been on my list for a while. I have a few friends with whom I talk books, and I have tried joining book clubs… mmm!
What are your views on book clubs? Mine are somewhat mixed. I have tried a number and haven't really got on with them very well, and I am not quite sure why. Sometimes it was possibly the type of books chosen; sometimes there was hardly any 'book talk', or perhaps I just felt uncomfortable. On reflection, it was probably down to me rather than the book clubs. I do think it is worth mentioning, though, that I have friends who feel the same - so maybe it wasn't just me after all!
So, an idea I had been mulling over for a while finally came to fruition about eighteen months ago, when I decided to set up and facilitate a Silent Reading Group. I approached a local art gallery and café, which provides space for community groups, and set about advertising the group. We held our first get-together in September 2025.
To me, a Silent Reading Group is all about community. The one I facilitate lasts two hours, is free to attend and is informal. Open to all ages and all people, there is no assigned reading material, and all forms of reading are welcome - books, newspapers, e-books, audiobooks, magazines, textbooks, comic books… take your pick and bring your own.
The idea is that we come together to meet and sit (obviously with a cuppa and maybe some cake, purchased from the gallery's café) and read in quiet companionship. The format is simple: the first half-hour allows time for arrivals, organising refreshments and a bit of chat. We then have an hour of silent reading, at the end of which, during the final half-hour, those who wish to do so can share what they have been reading and offer further recommendations. There is no pressure to contribute if anyone doesn't feel like it. The chat is generally book-related, and as we have got to know one another a little better, the conversation has become more relaxed and flows naturally. At our first get-together, there were eleven people. After thirteen months of meeting every month, our numbers generally vary between eight and fourteen.
Following our get-togethers, I send out a 'What We Were Reading' list of the books members were reading during our session. This has proved to be a useful aide-mémoire, as well as a way of noting new titles to add to our ever-growing TBR piles!
Every two to three months, I also send out a couple of pages called 'Margin Notes'. These are irregular snippets of randomly bookish matters which members might - or might not! - find of interest. They generally include news of book prizes, such as the Booker and Wainwright Prizes; book- and reading-related podcasts; dates for localish literary festivals; and any other snippets of information I think might appeal to fellow book lovers.
Since starting this group, I have been asked to start another group locally, which I now facilitate as well. I have also been approached by people wishing to set up something similar in their own areas. I have helped them to establish these groups, which are now running successfully with local facilitators.
To some, a Silent Reading Group may not cut the mustard; for many, it certainly does. Choice is good, and each has its place in our communities.
To me, these groups are a good example of the Rooted & Rural ethos: creating grassroots connections, building community and sharing.
