Buddy Reads Are Like a Book Club for 2 — What You Need to Know About the Trend
The newest bookish trend is a take on a book club, but instead of gathering in a big group, it’s just you and a friend. Read on for the details.
Gone are the days of reading as a solo activity. Thanks to book clubs — both virtual and in-person — online forums and of course, social media, group reading has become more and more popular. However, if you prefer the camaraderie of reading the same book as another person, but don’t want to join a big book club with multiple participants, buddy reads are an easy alternative. Grab your bestie, significant other or family member, pick a book and start chatting — it’s as simple as that!
What are buddy reads?
Buddy reads is the trendy name for the practice of reading the same book with one other person and discussing it. While you can get together for your bookish meetups, you don’t have to necessarily be in the same space to enjoy the book together. Simply find a book you both want to read and start flipping pages! There aren’t any “rules” in place since you and your buddy set the tone of your reading experience.
The main goal is to have someone to talk to about the book you’re reading. You can read at your own pace, and there’s no expectation to finish the book before a certain deadline.
“I love buddy reading because I feel like it keeps me more engaged in the story,” says reader and bookstagrammer Becky Langlais, who shares reads on Instagram at @becks.bookshelf. “It is fun to have someone to scream with when something exciting happens in a book!”
How buddy reads work
You can approach a buddy read in various ways. If you’re not reading with the person physically, it’s easiest to decide on a stopping point. This can be 100 pages, a certain chapter or part or any other benchmark you decide.
Once you both get to that point, you can stop and discuss thoughts about the characters, the plot, the writing style or anything else you’ve read so far. Choose another stopping point after your discussion and continue reading.
While buddy reads are typically two people, you can participate with more than two. What makes buddy reads different than a book club is the fact that you’re essentially reading the same parts of the book at the same time rather than talking about the book after you’ve already finished it.
And reading with another person has its perks. “By reading with someone, you get to share the ups and downs of any book together and experience the story in a different way,” says book pro Cassie Malmo, founder of Malmo Public Relations, a boutique book PR firm. “They may have hot takes on a read that you missed or vice versa, and it can be a wonderful way for friends who may not live in the same city to connect together and stay in touch.”
You can use apps to discuss your progress
If you’re not together and don’t want to text your reactions and thoughts, you can always use a reading app.
Storygraph is an app where you can track your reading habits and it also has a buddy reads feature that makes it even easier to read together. One of you sends an invitation to read and the buddy read starts once you’ve both added the book to your currently reading shelf.
If you’re worried that you’ll see spoilers on Storygraph, they’ve got that covered as well. You can post as many reactions as you’d like and your fellow buddy reader(s) won’t see them until they’ve reached those points in the story.
Other group reading opportunities
You can always join a traditional book club if you prefer to discuss books with a bigger group. And reading retreats are on the rise. These are typically glamping getaways, long weekend trips or other times when you spend most of the trip reading with friends.
Unlike buddy reads, on reading retreats attendees can read whatever they want. Participants can discuss how they feeling about a book, but there won’t be group discussions on each book.
Introverts will really have their time to shine with silent buddy reads or book clubs. “There are also great chapters of the Silent Book Club throughout the states now where readers converge together on a coffee shop and read in silence their own separate books to share a sense of camaraderie,” says Malmo.
Conversation
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