For anyone who’s ever searched for a local book club without much success, there’s a new book club on the Peninsula creating a space for book lovers to connect.
Sunday, 9 August marks International Book Lovers Day, and this month we’re highlighting ‘Booked’, a local book club that meets twice a month at local venues where members gather to discuss the book of the month over themed food and conversation.
Creator Claire McKeen said the idea came after she struggled to find a local book club that offered the experience she was looking for.
“At the start of the year, I started looking for a book club to join,” Claire said. “I was really excited about it but found them all to be not at all local, not accepting new members or being held in random parks in the middle of nowhere; nothing was quite the experience I was looking for.”
Each month, members gather at local venues including Bramble Bay General and The Tipsy Tomato to discuss the selected book while enjoying themed food and drinks, with many people attending on their own. The club has become so popular that it now runs across two evenings each month.
Claire said reading provided the perfect starting point for meaningful conversations and new friendships.
“Being a part of a club and coming to an event when you know you have something in common with everyone there (the book) takes a lot of that awkwardness away,” Claire said. “You know you can sit next to anyone and have an opening line… ‘Did you like that book?’”
Alongside general fiction, members have explored books with elements of mystery, thriller and romance, with titles such as Broken Country, Wild Dark Shore and Yesteryear giving members plenty to talk about.
Reading Together Builds New Friendships
Claire said one of the most rewarding parts of Booked had been seeing friendships develop between people who may never have otherwise met.
“It’s been so wonderful seeing connections made,” Claire said. “Walking into a book club, you might think some of the tables are lifelong friends by the way they are chatting, but so many of them have just met at book club this year.”
Booked Tickets start from $30
Visit Booked North Brisbane online or follow them on Instagram.
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