This is not your mother’s book club. The newest activity taking over New York City is designed for readers. Reading Rhythms is a community for book lovers who enjoy reading to the rhythm of curated music. Unlike most book clubs, there are no assignments and no deadlines. You are encouraged to read what you wish and at your own pace. The self-described “reading party” went viral on social media for its unique, younger-skewing version of a book club. Now, that it is expanding across the city, Reading Rhythms has caught the attention of the press and like-minded New Yorkers in different neighborhoods.
A majority of Reading Rhythms reading parties are differentiated by “Chapters,” or smaller events designed for specific neighborhoods in order to build a community of regular patrons who will return again and again. Additionally, Reading Rhythms hosts events available for purchase (with costs ranging from $5-$30) that are designed for smaller clusters. These typically sell out very quickly. In fact, most of the August and September Chapter events for Prospect Heights, Williamsburg, and Lower Manhattan are already sold out. Reading Rhythm’s recent email says, “Our goal is creating local community with Chapters, and giving you a home to create connection with other readers near you. We invite you to bring any book you want and facilitate silent reading periods, as well as 1-on-1 breakouts, and group discussions to pull on the threads of the books that everyone is engaging with.”
To join you can register for an existing reading event, or bring Reading Rhythems to your own neighborhood. You can also choose a more low-key event, which is usually free and open to the public. That includes the Backyard at Hudson Yards sessions of June and July 2024 — where readers sometimes received free books and share testimonials about their newfound friendships through the group.
Wine lovers will appreciate Bibliotheque in SoHo. The popular wine bar/cafe/bookstore offers a bar, comfortable couches, and floor to ceiling book shelves. In fact, it is home to 10,000 books. By the bar, you will notice a rare books shelf. If you’d like to start your day with a book, they offer seriously good breakfast options, like a Smoked Salmon Sandwich. The dinner menu is quite niche but extensive, offering tinned-seafood platters and cheese boards. The wine selection is where they truly excel. Their wine-experts are there to help you create the perfect wine-book pairing. This social-media famous spot tends to get very busy, so we advise you make a reservation.
Bibliotheque, 54 Mercer St (betw Broome/Grand St), Soho
If you are looking for a last-minute non-scheduled reading community, New York is also home to several bookish bars. One of the newest cafes for bibliophiles is Sullaluna Bookstore & Bistrot in the West Village, with another location in Venice, Italy. This modern, charming, and elegantly understated bookstore offers authentic Italian food. If you’re coming with a group, Sullaluna takes online reservations and is open every day except Tuesdays.
Sullaluna bookstore & Bistrot, 41 Carmine St (betw Bedford/Bleeker St), West Village
Our personal favorite, Book Club Bar, is exactly what you want from a night out with a book. The independent bookshop and bar took over a neighborhood staple, No Malice Palace, during the pandemic, becoming a sensation. They offer a bar for cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks, a book shop in the back for browsing and reading, and cozy seating that make you feel like you are in your living room. If you enjoy book discussing, check their website for upcoming literary events. Even the bathroom is bookish. The walls are covered with pages from The Secret History by Donna Tartt. This spot is always filled with book lovers looking to have a relaxing time with the next read and drink pairing. The most recent cocktail menu uses a handful of punny titles (“Murder on the Orient Espresso Martini” is just so silly.) No matter how you spend your time here, stepping in means forgetting about the busy streets outside.
Book Club Bar, 197 E 3rd St (betw Ave A/B), East Village
