If you’ve set reading goals for 2023, our local bibliophiles have you covered with a variety of book clubs to help you jump in.
Nashville stalwart Parnassus Books has been hosting book clubs for years, and the shop’s roster currently includes a Classics Club and Between the Covers Book Club. The latter is billed as “a romance book club which frequently reads spicy books, so this group is intended for those aged 18+ who both love the genre and are comfortable discussing potentially explicit topics.” Tempting! That club is currently reading Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese.
Nashville has a healthy appetite for indie bookstores, and a new one opened last year on the East Side. The co-owners of Novelette Booksellers, Deezy Violet and Jordan Tromblee, told the Scene in July that their shop is a haven for LGBTQ readers, and they want to be a resource for people who fear their mental health is at risk because of how society views their sexuality. Their book club reflects their values. Violet and Tromblee started book clubs in September that are going strong, selling out regularly. For February, they’ll be reading the contemporary fiction novel Exalted by Anna Dorn and the romance novel Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni.
“It brings people together and helps people make friends,” says Violet. “It helps people stay accountable for any reading goals they might have. It’s important to hear from people who have differing thoughts than you to see things from a different angle, and also, we wanted to give our queer besties an extra special place for book club.”
Joelle Herr
Meetings are informal, and participants are encouraged to bring camping chairs or a cushion to sit on. “I think our book clubs are a bit different just because we are such a fun, chatty shop by nature,” says Violet, “so even if we're discussing a serious book, there is going to be fun involved. We are a great safe space for queer readers, and our book clubs have reflected that.” Novelette announces book clubs on Instagram (@novelettebooksellers) and in their soon-to-come newsletter. Readers can shop after the meeting at 15 percent off.
Another East Side outpost, The Bookshop, hosts four book clubs in the coffee shop next door, Hanna Bee Coffee. The monthly clubs are led by booksellers. Other Worlds features sci-fi books; Meet Cute features rom-com books; Needless to Say features essay collections; Those Formative Years features coming-of-age books, like Fatimah Asghar’s When We Were Sisters, which is scheduled for Sunday.
Given the shop’s carefully curated selection, it’s no surprise that the themes are so inventive. “For all of our clubs,” says The Bookshop’s Joelle Herr, “we put a lot of thought into our selections, ultimately landing on ones that we feel will foster dynamic discussion in a relaxed, welcoming environment.”
“Quite simply: We love books,” says Herr. “And we love sharing our love of books with anyone who’s interested. Also, each of our book clubs is led by a different bookseller, which allows them to foster their own community within our larger one. Everything we do at The Bookshop is about community.” You can keep up with the clubs at thebookshopnashville.com/events. Attendees get a 10 percent discount in the shop after the gathering.
The Bookshop also partners with a new community-led queer book club, which was started by Tessa Loftis. Loftis came out as gay in 2020 and struggled to find community because of the pandemic. She created the book club last year to build that community.
“Our meetings are very free-form,” Loftis tells the Scene. “I have discussion questions prepared in case the conversation lags, but I don’t always use them. Sometimes a book inspires a completely separate conversation, and the book discussion goes completely off the rails. I personally love it when this happens. … My goal is to encourage people to read and learn about different experiences, but also to bring people together and have fun.”
The Queer Book Club meets once a month on Sundays. Follow them on Instagram at @queerbookclubtn.
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