The thing my dad likes most about his book club is complaining about it.
“Why can’t we read Tom Clancy?” is a grumble I’ve heard many times, especially when Shuggie Bain was book of the month.
“I’m not going read it,” he told me, several times. “I know about post-Thatcher Scotland. It’s depressing and miserable,” he said on repeat for a month, before telling me about the latest post-WWII movie he pirated.
My dad’s disdain for literary fiction is no doubt connected to his love of a plot-driven airport novel thriller and being the minority in a circle full of retired captain of industry-type women who all want to read the latest Booker Prize winner.
The thing is though, not all book clubs look and read the same, as the numerous groups around Thanet indicate. In the area, we’ve got book swaps and reading clubs as well as your regular-style book clubs, including groups for teens - each with their own personality and reading list.
We’ve rounded up a handful of the book-related clubs below, so go find your Tom Clancy and curl up for the afternoon.
Thanet Book Club
Broadstairs-based transient book club Thanet Book Club’s dates and venues change month to month, with details of the next meet on its Insta bio. Most definitely a book club my dad would love to hate, literary fiction, high concept genre and prize winners and nominees are up for discussion, with a few classics thrown in.
instagram.com/thanetbookclub/
The Old Curiosity Shop’s Book Club
Another book club in Broadstairs, this one sometimes has two books on the go in a month - read them both or pick the one that interests you the most. The reading list is accessible and varied, with thrillers, popular fiction and literary fiction all covered. Check with the venue regarding dates each month.
instagram.com/curiosityshopbroadstairs/
The Margate Bookshop Book Club
With a reading list comprised of eclectic, unexpected reads, there should be a title among them that piques your interest. Unless you’re a die hard Tom Clancy fan, perhaps. Meets on the last Wednesday of every month at the Fort Road Hotel.
themargatebookshop.com/the-bookshop-bookclub
Margate Rocks Books
Another group chat for your WhatsApp, Margate Rocks Books meets monthly, with times dates and locations changing, but you could chance your luck and find them at the George & Heart. A book club for people who read widely, there’s lots of variety with books on the list. The group is also a good place for book recommendations, book-related events and library book borrowing chat. To join, get in touch with the Bookshare by the Sea organisers.
Margate Anarchists Reading Group
The Margate Anarchist Reading Group gather at the Margate Queer Library and Archive most Wednesdays to discuss historical and contemporary literature and what it might tell us about current times and personal politics. They also hold film screenings at 101 Social.
instagram.com/margsreads/
Wine Down Reads Book Club
Wine Down Reads Books may be a relaxed and informal book club, but it is a busy one. Meeting on the first Friday of every month Ramsgate Arts Club, the book club can only accommodate a certain number of people each month, so DM the organiser to let them know you’re coming, rather than just turning up.
instagram.com/winedownreadsbookclub/
Teen Reading Group
For younger readers, the Teen Reading Group at Broadstairs Library is for 13-17 year-olds to meet fellow book lovers, discuss recent reads and get recommendations for your next book. It’s held on the first Monday of every month, 3:30pm-4:30pm.
Bar & Peace
More of a reading club than a book club, head to Ramsgate’s Bedford Inn on a selected Thursday every month to read quietly in company. Check Instagram for upcoming dates.
instagram.com/bar_and_peace/
Ramsgate Book Club
With over 400 Facebook members, this club has been going since lockdown. I doubt each member turns up each month however, as I’m not sure where the Bedford Inn would put them all. Find out, by heading to the pub on the second Thursday of every month.
facebook.com/groups/ramsgatebookclub/
Agatha Christie Book Club
If you love mystery and suspense, what better writer is there than Agatha Christie (apologies again, Tom Clancy fans)? She wrote 66 novels in her time - plenty to occupy a book group for years. Hence the existence of this one, which meets on the last Sunday of each month at the Orchid Room in Cliftonville. DM the venue to be added to the WhatsApp group.
instagram.com/the_0rchid_room/
Bookshare by the Sea
What once was Bee’s Bookshare is now Bookshare by the Sea, a lovely little gathering of bookworms who each bring with them a book they have enjoyed. Taking it in turns, each person bigs up their read, and the idea is that you walk away with a different book in hand to the one you walked in with.
instagram.com/booksharebythesea/
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