We are pleased to provide you with helpful resources to support the next chapter of your book group.

If you’re interested in joining a larger book club service, we’ve listed a number of them below for you to consider. Alternatively, if smaller local clubs are your preference, we’ve got you covered there too.

Join a book club

Online

Did you know that there are many book club services on offer throughout Australia?

Well-known international online book clubs include:

Closer to home, there are plenty of Australian online clubs, such as:

In-person

We’ve done some research to compile a list of local book clubs that you might be interested in joining, and you can find it in the appendix at the bottom of this page. 

There are also many book clubs that cater to different niches, such as over 40s, classic book lovers, horror readers and more! You can find many of them on Meetup.com, by entering your location and searching for “book club” in the top search bar.

Run your own book club

If you love your independence, you may want to start or maintain your own book club. To help you do this, here are some resources to help you do it.

A useful resource is Libby by Overdrive, an app that allows you to borrow eBooks and audiobooks through your library. With a valid library card, you can log in and start reading. Libby offers many titles that can be borrowed by an unlimited number of people, making them perfect for a digital book club.

Some libraries also offer a ‘book chat’ service, which is a weekly or monthly gathering for people to discuss the books they have recently read.  A book chat format is ideal for people who don’t mind if people have read different books to them. A further bonus of this format is that the location is already set, as book chats occur at the library.

Another option is to run your book club using eBooks, which you buy from online retailers such as Amazon, Booktopia, Dymocks, eBooks.com, Kobo or others.

You can also hear your favourite fiction authors share the story behind their latest books, on ABC Radio National’s The Book Show. Host Claire Nichols talks to the best authors from Australia and overseas about their new fiction. Visit www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/the-book-show to find out more.

Finally, you can check out some of the following guides for tips and tricks to keep your group thriving into the future.

How to keep up with books and publishing

Our last newsletter edition featured a list of our top 100 books to inspire your reading choices. But with hundreds of books being released every year, we know you’ll probably want to stay across those too.

There are many free newsletters online that can help you find out about new and old hot literary hits, so we recommend you take a look through the list below to find one you like.

Appendix: List of Australian book clubs

New South Wales

Albury City Libraries Book Clubs (maximum 10 members)
Armidale Regional Library Book Club
Bathurst Library Book Clubs (8-16 members)
Bayside Library Book Groups
Bega Valley Shire Library Book Clubs (6-10 members)
Berkelouw Books Book Club (Mona Vale, Sydney)
Berrigan Shire Council Libraries Book & Reading Clubs
Better Read Than Dead Book Club (Newtown)
Big Sky Libraries Book Clubs
Blacktown City Council Libraries Book Clubs
Blue Mountains Library eBook Club
Book Face Erina Fair Book Club (online)
Bourke Public Library Reading Group
Camden Libraries Book Clubs (maximum 10 members)
Campaspe Shire Council Library Book Clubs
Campbelltown City Libraries Book Clubs
Canterbury Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centres
Central Coast Library Service Book Clubs (maximum 10 members)
Central West Libraries Book Clubs
Cessnock City Library Book Clubs
City of Canada Bay Libraries Book Clubs
City of Parramatta Libraries Book Clubs (maximum 10 members)
City of Ryde Book Clubs and Readers Groups
City of Sydney Library Book Clubs
Clarence Regional Library Book Clubs
Cobar Shire Bookaholics
Coffs Harbour Libraries Book Clubs (maximum 10 members)
Cumberland City Council Book Clubs
Eurobodalla Shire Library Service Book Chat
Fruitful Queer Book Club (Harry Hartog Bookstore)
Georges River Libraries Book Clubs
Gertrude and Alice Bondi Literary Salon (Bondi Beach, Sydney)
Glen Innes Severn Public & TAFE Library Book Club
Goulburn Mulwaree Library Book Clubs
Hawkesbury Library Service Book Clubs
Hornsby Shire Council Book Clubs
Inner West Council Library Book Clubs
Kiama Library Book Clubs (9-10 members)
Ku-ring-gai Council Library Book Clubs (maximum 10 members)
Lachlan Shire Library Service Book Club
Lake Mac Libraries Book Clubs
Lane Cove Library Book Clubs (maximum 10 members)
Library Directory
Lithgow Library Book Chat
Liverpool City Library Book Clubs
Macquarie Regional Library Book Clubs
Maitland Library Book Clubs
Mid North Coast Library Service Book Club
MidCoast Libraries Book Clubs (maximum 10 members)
Mid-Western Regional Council Book Groups
Mid-Western Regional Council Library Service Book Groups
Mosman Library Book Clubs (maximum 10 members)
Muswellbrook Shire Libraries Book Clubs
Nambucca Shire Library Book Chat
Newcastle Libraries Book Club
Northern Beaches Libraries Book Clubs (maximum 10 members)
Penrith City Library Book Clubs (waitlisted)
Port Stephens Library Book Discussions
Queanbeyan Reading Circle and Book Clubs
Randwick City Library Book Clubs
Richmond Tweed Regional Readers Book Club
Riverina Regional Library Book Clubs (6-11 members)
Shellharbour City Libraries Book Clubs (maximum 10 members)
Shoalhaven Libraries Book Club Kits (5-10 members)
Singleton Council Book Clubs
Stanton Library Book Clubs and Kits (maximum 16 members)
State Library NSW The B List Book Club
Strathfield Library Book Clubs
Sutherland Shire Libraries Book Clubs
Sydney Online Book Club (online)
The Hills Shire Library Book Clubs
Umina Beach Book Nook Book Club (Umina Beach)
Upper Lachlan Shire Libraries Book Club (Condobolin Library)
Wagga Wagga City Library Book Clubs (minimum 6 members)
Waverley Library Book Clubs
Wentworth Shire Libraries Book Clubs
Western Riverina Libraries Book Clubs (maximum 12 members)
Willoughby City Library Book Clubs and Kits
Wingecarribee Book Club Kits (maximum 10 members)
Wollondilly Library Third Thursday Book Club
Wollongong City Libraries Book Clubs
Woollahra Book Clubs and BYO Book Clubs

Queensland

Avid Reader Book Clubs (West End, Brisbane) 
Avid Reader Book Subscription Boxes 
Banana Shire Council Book Club 
Blackall-Tambo Regional Council Library Book Club 
Book Face Pacific Fair Book Club (Broadbeach Waters) 
Bookness Book Clubs (Mudgeeraba) 
Books and Belles Book Club (Brisbane) 
Books at Stones Book Clubs (Stones Corner, Brisbane) 
Boulia Book Club 
Brisbane Geek Social Club (Brisbane) 
Brisbane Libraries Book Clubs 
Burdekin Shire Council Library Online Book Club 
Cairns Regional Council Library Book Clubs 
Carpentaria Shire Council Library Book Club Sets 
Cassowary Coast Libraries Next Chapter Book Club 
Central Highlands Libraries Book Club Sets (maximum 9 members) 
Charters Towers Library Book Club 
Cloncurry Shire Council Book Club Sets  
Cook Shire Council Book Club Evenings 
Croydon Shire Library Book Club Sets (to be requested from State Library) 
Fraser Coast Book Clubs 
Gladstone Libraries Book Clubs (maximum 10 members) 
Gold Coast Book Lovers (Gold Coast) 
Gold Coast Libraries Book Club Kits 
Goondiwindi Library Lovers Book Group Online 
Gympie Book Clubs  
Ipswich Libraries Book Clubs 
King Street Book Club (Brisbane) 
LGBTQIA Book Club (Brisbane) 
Logan City Council Libraries Book Club  
Mackay Libraries Book Clubs 
Mareeba Shire Council Book Clubs 
Moreton Bay Book Clubs 
Mount Isa Book Club (Mount Isa) 
Noosa Libraries Book Club Service 
North Burnett Libraries Book Club Sets 
Paroo Shire Council Libraries Book Club Sets 
Public Libraries Connect Book Club Sets 
Public Library Directory  
Quick Brown Fox Bookshop Book Clubs (Grange, Brisbane) 
Redland Reads Book Club 
Riverbend Books Book Club (Bulimba, Brisbane) 
Running Book Clubs Online 
Scenic Rim Libraries Book Clubs 
South Burnett Libraries Book Clubs  
State Library of Queensland Book Club 
Sunshine Coast Libraries Book Clubs 
Tablelands Regional Libraries Book Clubs 
The Book Boutique Book Club (Bundaberg) 
Townsville Libraries Book Clubs 
Weipa Town Authority Book Lovers Club 
Western Downs Libraries Book Clubs 
Whitsunday Regional Libraries Book Club 
Winton Libraries Monthly Adult Book Club  

Victoria

Antipodes Dear Reader Book Club (Sorrento) 
Avenue Bookstore Book Clubs (Albert Park, Melbourne) 
Bayside Library – Library Facilitated Book Clubs (maximum of 12 members) 
Book and Paper Book Clubs (Williamstown, Melbourne) 
Booker, Nobel and Miles Franklin Prizes Bookclub (Melbourne) 
Bookgrove Book Clubs (Ocean Grove)  
Boroondara Libraries Book Groups (maximum of 10 members) 
Brimbank Book Groups 
Campaspe Shire Council libraries Book Clubs (several formats) 
Central Highlands Regional Council Book Clubs (self-run) 
City of Melbourne Book Clubs 
Collins Booksellers Subscription Service 
Connected Libraries Book Groups 
Corangamite Moyne Library Service Book Clubs  
Crime and Wine Book Club (Melbourne) 
Darebin Libraries Book clubs  
East Gippsland Shire Council Book Clubs 
Frankston City Library Book Clubs 
Geelong Regional Libraries Book Clubs 
Glen Eira Libraries Book Clubs 
Glenelg Libraries Book Chat 
Goldfields Libraries Book Clubs (maximum 10 members) 
Grace and Louie Booksellers Book Clubs (Emerald, Melbourne) 
Greater Dandenong Libraries eBook Club 
Hares & Hyenas Book Clubs (St Kilda, Melbourne) 
Heads and Tales Book Club (Barwon Heads, first in first served) 
High Country Library Network Book Clubs 
Hobsons Bay Library Book Clubs (maximum 10 members) 
Hume Libraries Book Groups  
Kingston Libraries Book Group (maximum 8 members) 
Latrobe City Libraries Book Clubs (maximum 10 members) 
Library Directory  
Lorne Books Subscription Service 
Maribyrnong Library Book Groups 
Merri-bek City Libraries Book Groups for Adults 
Mildura Rural City Council Libraries Book Clubs (maximum 12 members) 
Monash Public Library Service Book Clubs (maximum 10 members) 
Moonee Valley Libraries Book Clubs 
Mornington Community House Book Clubs 
Myli Library Book Clubs and Book Chat  
Port Phillip Library Service self-run book clubs (maximum of 10 members) 
Readings Book Clubs (Carlton) 
Readings Book Clubs (Doncaster, Melbourne) 
Stonnington Library Classic Short Reads Club 
Swan Hill The Book Club (televised) 
The Bookshop at Queenscliff Book Club (Queenscliff) 
The Hare and Tortoise THAT Book Club (Korumburra) 
The Melbourne Bookworms (Melbourne) 
Towong Shire Libraries Book Clubs 
Verso Books Book Club (Healesville) 
Wimmera Libraries Book Clubs & Chats  
Wodonga Library Book Clubs (maximum 10 members) 
Wyndham City Library Book Clubs (8 members) 
Yarra Libraries Book Groups (maximum 10 members) 
Yarra Plenty Regional Library Book Groups (6-12 members) 
Your Library Book Clubs & Chats