By Laura Weisskopf Bleill
I caught the reading bug during the pandemic. During those months of being at home, I found solace — and distraction — in stories. It sounds trite, but I rediscovered the love I had for reading when I was a kid. And it hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.
Thanks to social media, reading is cool again. There’s BookTok and Bookstagram, full of accounts that promote and advocate for every kind of book and genre possible. You can find online book clubs galore.
For many, discussing books is a much more social activity — and meant to be in person. There’s something about connecting with fellow readers.
Luckily for us, there’s plenty of places in our wordy college town community to find them. This can be a great way to meet new people, something not always easy or simple to do as grownups.
In the Champaign-Urbana metro region, book clubs can be found at the usual suspects — libraries and book stores. But they also happen in non-profit organizations, faith-based institutions, event spaces, and more.
A more recent trend: silent book clubs. Yes, we said silent. Silent book clubs are usually BYOB – bring your own book. There’s no assignments. Typically, a silent book club offers a place where people can read together but individually. Most of the time, there is socializing where people talk about the books they are reading or recently finished.
At the end of this article, we offer tips on how to start your own book club, and Champaign-Urbana area resources available to support book clubs.
(This list is subject to change at any time; please contact each organization or business with questions directly.)
Champaign Public Library
CPL hosts two book clubs currently, Cover to Cover and Table Talk. New members are always welcome at both book clubs. The library generally has multiple copies of book club selections.
Cover to Cover Book Club: Meets at the main library on the second Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. Titles range from fiction to memoir to non-fiction.
Table Talk Book Club: Join these casual get-togethers to talk about books by contemporary African American authors. The Table Talk Book Club meets on the second Tuesday each month at 6:30 p.m. (September through May) at the Douglass Branch Library.
Mahomet Public Library
Tuesday Night Book Club meets on the second Tuesday of each month to discuss that month’s great read.
Allerton Public Library (Monticello)
Located on the edge of downtown Monticello, the Allerton Public Library has several book clubs in a given month, including BYOB: Bring Your Own Book and a Non-Fiction book club. Check the events calendar for info.
The Literary, downtown Champaign
This funky bookstore/cafe/bar in downtown Champaign takes hanging out with fellow readers to a whole new level. Its book fun includes multiple book club discussions, author visits, and book release parties. Book club discussions are generally free and do not require registration. At this time, The Literary offers a lot of different book clubs; some of them are focused on a genre — history, sci-fi, fiction, to name a few. Stay up to date with Literary events via social media or on The Literary website.
Let’s Read Champaign-Urbana
An independent group that typically meets at Alto Vineyards. This is a more traditional book club that picks a book in advance and reads it. Learn more about the club on socials (Facebook here).
Silent Book Clubs
Urbana Free Library Quiet Book Club: Trying to find time to read? Bring a book or find one at the library to read quietly at this all ages, monthly event. Light refreshments and tea provided. Generally held the first Monday of the month. Check the calendar to confirm.
The Urbana Silent Book Club is hosted at Analog Wine Library, generally the last Thursday of every month in the evening.
Allerton Farms Silent Book Club: Selected Mondays from 5 to 7 p.m. The evening begins with a brief group discussion of what we are currently reading and to swap recommendations. Then participants will break up to do what they love: READ! Curl up in the Butternut Room, find a chair in the Solarium or read in front of a fire in the Gallery. If the weather is nice, feel free to bring a lawn chair or blanket and read outside. A cash bar will be available. Silent Book Club is free and registration is not required. Just show up to Allerton Park and Retreat Center with a book, bring your favorite snack and get to reading.
Niche Book Clubs
Urbana Public Library: Do you love reading romance? How about cozy romance, suspenseful romance, or historical romance? Are you interested in discussing the romance books you love without the pressure of reading one particular book? Then Swipe Right: A Romance Book Club is the book club for you. Bring a book you’ve recently enjoyed and share what you loved about it, and then listen to great recommendations from others. Generally the third Monday of the month. Check the calendar to confirm.
The Women’s Resources Center Book Club at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers members of the community an opportunity to engage in meaningful and thoughtful discussions that explore various cultural, political, social, and personal issues related to how gender and sexuality impacts different aspects of our lives. Sometimes free books are available, with priority given to students and campus affiliated members, but the club is open to all. Find more information online here.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign’s Feminist Book Group (est. 1987) is an opportunity for those identifying as women of all ages and backgrounds to read and discuss works by female authors whose writings are particularly relevant to women’s lives. Meets the third Tuesday of each month. More info can be found online here.
Start your own bookclub:
A friend of mine posted on social media that she really wanted to join a book club, but didn’t know where or how. So she decided to start her own, after multiple people said they wanted to join the fun. Members take turns suggesting books, and the group generally meets every 4-6 weeks, usually at a public location where food/beverage is served. The person who suggests the book, leads the discussion.
BOOK KITS: Don’t know where to start or what to pick? Head to the Champaign Public Library, which has multiple copies of 25 recommended books. See the book kit selection at Champaign Public Library online here.
Did we miss your open-to-the-public book club? Send us an email – editor@chambanamoms.com.