Reading groups

Reading groups are a great way to meet new people and share a love of reading. Our libraries host friendly and informal reading groups which meet once a month and read a wide selection of books – mainly fiction – from debut authors to classics. Find a group near you or ask at your local library for more details. New members are always welcome.

We support community reading groups in a variety of venues. If you would like to start your own, our free service for reading groups can help. Reading groups meet in a variety of places, from private homes to pubs and cafes. It might be possible for your group to meet in your local library – ask the staff in your branch.

Fill out our registration form for new groups, giving us all the details we need to support you. We’ll create a library card for your group, which we’ll keep at the library.

You can also register your group on the Reading Groups for Everyone​ site where you can also find out what other groups across the country are reading and apply for publisher offers.

We have over 300 titles available for reading groups to borrow, ranging from debut novels to classics. Have a look at our stock lists.

We can lend you multiple copies of your chosen titles (usually up to 12 copies). We may also be able to provide the title in other formats such as large print or audio.

There is a book request form for groups which we ask you to use. We recommend you suggest enough titles for the first year and we’re grateful if you could also use the space to fill in some reserve choices in case we’re not able to provide you with one of your chosen titles. We’ll notify your group contact when your set of books is ready to collect. Please return books promptly after use so they become available for others to use.

It can be helpful to do a bit of research before the meeting, e.g. print off information about the novel from the author’s website, find interviews with the author or look at reviews. You can take it in turns to do this.

A useful suggestion is for all members to come to the meeting with one question/talking point prepared beforehand - this way everyone feels involved and the onus doesn’t just fall on one person to provide all the discussion points.

You’ll find that opinions may differ radically but there are no rights or wrongs - everyone’s opinion of a book is equally valid.

It’s best to ask open-ended questions to keep a discussion going. Ask What did you think of the book? rather than Did you like the book?

Try to get people to explain their reactions. If they didn’t like the book ask them to explain why - was it the characters or the style of writing, for example?

General discussion questions could include:

• what were your reactions to the book?
• what did you think about the author’s style
• could you relate to the characters?
• what were the book’s main themes?
• was there a section of the book you wish the author had spent more/less time on?
• did it get off to a slow start or were you straight in?
• was it what you expected?
• how did you feel when you finished the book?
• were you satisfied with the way the book ended?
• would you read this book again?
• did the book remind you of anything else you’ve read?
• is this a book you would recommend to others and why?
• what did you think of the cover - would you have chosen to read it?
• how well did the cover and synopsis represent the book?
• if you gave up on the book, can you explain why you didn’t like it?

Useful websites for reading groups

There are many useful websites for reading groups, whether you want help to choose your next book, download a reading guide or share your reviews. Here is a selection to get you started:

• Between the Covers
• Faber Reading Guides
• GoodReads
• LitLovers
• The Booker Prize Reading Guides
• New Books Mag - a reference copy of the magazine is available in our 6 Community Hubs
• The Reading Club
• Reading Groups for Everyone

We love to hear about books that you have read. Why not fill out a book review?

Why not register to receive our library newsletter?

We can email you a regular newsletter to keep you up to date with what’s happening at North Tyneside Libraries. To receive it, simply email a request to library.events@northtyneside.gov.uk.