Tackle Your TBR List with These 7 Rhode Island Book Clubs
Are you a picky reader? No worries, Little Rhody has a book club for you.
The Newport Ladies’ Book Club
Led by “Real Estate Wars” star and Newport-based luxury realtor, Kylie McCullough, the Newport Ladies’ Book Club announces which contemporary bestsellers it plans to dive into each month on Instagram and follows up with a ticketed Newport-based event that ties into said book’s theme (e.g. an International Tennis Hall of Fame outing paired with a reading of Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum, which heavily features the bougie sport).
RECENT READ: The Truth About Horses by Christy Cashman
MEETS: Monthly; event times and locations vary.
LEARN MORE: instagram.com/newportladiesbookclub
Banned Book Club
From titles that encourage independent thinking to those featuring lead characters who embark on “unconventional” adventures and relationships, this club’s picks would have many of our ancestors clutching their pearls. Discussions as to why these books were banned are accompanied by light snacks and drinks.
RECENT READ: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
MEETS: Third Wednesday of the month from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Olneyville Library’s community room in Providence.
LEARN MORE: clpvd.org/series/banned-book-club
Stephen King Book Club
Is your spouse or friend group tired of hearing your frequent odes to the Master of Horror? This club will link you up with fellow SKCRs (Stephen King Constant Readers, as his fans are known) to appreciate both his books and the films they’ve inspired. Preregistration is appreciated and copies of King’s works are available at the library’s circulation desk.
RECENT READ: Stephen King’s Insomnia
MEETS: Third Tuesday of the month at the Cumberland Library.
LEARN MORE: cumberlandlibrary.org
Queer Book Club
A welcoming and inclusive space for all, this LGBTQA+-oriented book club makes sure every identity is seen, heard and represented in its picks. Past special guests have included state Senator Tiara Mack, and copies of each month’s titles are available for sale at Small Format via Heartleaf Books.
RECENT READ: Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: Intimate Histories of Riotous Black Girls, Troublesome Women, and Queer Radicals by Saidiya Hartman
MEETS: Last Monday of the month from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at
Small Format in Providence.
LEARN MORE: instagram.com/smallformatpvd
Silent Book Club
Now this is truly an introvert’s happy hour. Silent Book Club
allows readers to mingle and grab a snack before settling in for an hour of silent yet accompanied reading, followed up with a final half-hour of socializing. There are two chapters in Rhode Island: one at the Landing PVD and one at the Westerly Library.
RECENT READs: Whatever is on your TBR list.
MEETS: Every Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m.
LEARN MORE: facebook.com/thelandingpvd; westerlylibrary.org
Boozy Book Club
With Reilly O’Hearn of Boozy Bitchez RI as your host, you know this won’t be your mother’s book club. Follow the club on Instagram to keep up with each month’s pick, theme and meeting
location (typically a fun cityside bar or eatery). Themed cocktails, snacks, games and goodie bags are usually involved.
RECENT READ: Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
MEETS: Monthly at various locations (past spots have included the XO Bar and Kin, both in Providence).
LEARN MORE: instagram.com/boozybitchez_ri
Reading with Robin
One of the OG book influencers, East Greenwich resident Robin Kall is best known for hosting virtual and in-person events that connect readers with their favorite authors. She also regularly entertains (sometimes signed) book giveaways on Instagram, as well as Facebook Lives where she invites followers to tell her all about the novels they’re reading. robinkall.com
Book Club in a Bag
Many local libraries — including Barrington, Newport, Warwick, North Kingstown — offer versions of Book Club in a Bag, including kits with up to ten copies of a title, plus a binder of author info and discussion questions. The kits can often be checked out for six weeks, giving you plenty of time to dole out the goods, gather and gab. See individual library websites for details.
