{"id":162172,"date":"2025-08-20T22:10:12","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T22:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/162172\/"},"modified":"2025-08-20T22:10:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T22:10:12","slug":"they-say-that-l-a-doesnt-read-these-books-clubs-say-otherwise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/162172\/","title":{"rendered":"They say that L.A. doesn\u2019t read. These books clubs say otherwise."},"content":{"rendered":"

Relaxing, instrumental music pipes in overhead on the back patio of Botanica<\/a>, a small Silver Lake restaurant<\/a> with hanging plants and soft candlelight. Tables full of (mostly) women chat about the books<\/a> they\u2019ve brought over wine and cheese plates.<\/p>\n

At a designated time, the event\u2019s organizer, Helen Bui, comes around with a chime in her hand. The peals of the chime ring out and the attendees fall silent\u2014it\u2019s reading time.<\/p>\n

For the next two hours, participants at Silver Lake Reading Club<\/a> will bury themselves in the books they\u2019ve brought on this Tuesday evening, taking small breaks to mingle with others. The event is often topped off with local authors presenting their latest work.<\/p>\n

\"Silver
\nPhotograph: Courtesy Helen BuiSilver Lake Reading Club at Botanica <\/p>\n

Bui started Silver Lake Reading Club in January 2024 with the intention of fostering a close-knit community of bookworms. \u201cReading is not a new idea. What we do is not novel, the programming is very straightforward\u2014what it comes down to is the person who is hosting and the intention,\u201d says Bui. \u201cThe main impetus for me is looking for connection and to have that connection at each event.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since first launching Silver Lake Reading Club as a weekly meet-up at Lamill Coffee<\/a>, Bui has expanded the event to rotate among several Silver Lake locations. She charges a $20 fee in order to keep a venue open in the evenings past normal operating hours, crafting an intimate experience by limiting the number of participants to several dozen people. Silver Lake Reading Club\u2019s events have been consistently sold out since last year, and by Bui\u2019s count, she\u2019s had over 2,000 readers\u2014almost entirely women, and mostly millennials\u2014pass through some 90-plus events.<\/p>\n

\"Silver
\nPhotograph: Courtesy Helen BuiSilver Lake Reading Club at Cafe Tropical <\/p>\n

The Silver Lake Reading Club touches on a growing phenomenon of reading with others in the post-pandemic era (Elle went so far as to declare the reading retreat the \u201ctrendiest travel trend of 2025<\/a>\u201d). It\u2019s certainly not the only meet-up of its kind in L.A. either: The Silent Book Club, a similar, global organization that has nearly 2,000 chapters worldwide, has about a dozen outposts in the greater Los Angeles area.<\/p>\n

Kari Erickson, one of the primary cohosts of Silent Book Club L.A.<\/a>, started the first L.A. chapter back in 2018 in North Hollywood. The monthly meet-ups were simple: A group of readers would gather at a venue and read in silence, with time at the beginning and end to socialize.<\/p>\n

Silent Book Club L.A. went on hiatus during the pandemic, but when Erickson picked things back up again in 2023, the club\u2019s popularity exploded. Now it hosts events at a weekly rate\u2014the most popular meet-up takes place at Equator Coffee in Culver City, where some 40 people will take over the whole space. There are additional Silent Book Club groups that target Inglewood, Pasadena, Buena Park and the Westside.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think during the pandemic when everyone was at home, reading itself had a resurgence. And that\u2019s carried over to people reading these books and wanting to talk about it,\u201d says Erickson. \u201cThat\u2019s helped reading groups thrive\u2014to have a place to go to discuss these books. Reading can be very solitary but there\u2019s that desire for connection and something outside the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Female
\nPhotograph: Courtesy Erin J DouglassFemale rage event at Silver Lake Reading Club <\/p>\n

Bui agrees that one of the best parts of a reading club is getting book recommendations from other readers. \u201cIt\u2019s not an algorithm. The most magical thing about a reading club is I don\u2019t like to read a review, I want someone to tell me why they like it. That means so much more than something that can be sponsored online.\u201d<\/p>\n

All of these silent reading events are run on a not-for-profit basis\u2014Bui does not take a cut from ticket sales; all the proceeds go back to the venues. Similarly, Silent Book Club L.A. is run by an army of volunteers who help to organize and host the free events.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The schedule for Silver Lake Reading Club can be found on their website<\/a>, and the upcoming events for Silent Book Club L.A. are posted to their Instagram.<\/a> Between the various chapters, there\u2019s no shortage of opportunities to enjoy the company of fellow book-lovers.<\/p>\n

And they say that L.A. doesn\u2019t read.<\/p>\n