Five of the best online book clubs for older people

Books can mean different things to different people, whether you are a seasoned book buyer who follows all the up-and-coming releases, or pick up a book every now and then to escape to a different world.

However, for older people who would like to bury their head into something spectacular from the comfort of their riser recliner chairs and to socialise with others whilst doing so, there are many great online book clubs to join. Here we list five of the best for you to pick from and follow to make your reading experience even better! 

Good Housekeeping

Good Housekeeping is one of the nation’s favourite monthly magazines. With a demographic targeted to women of 40 years +, their book club is a perfect resource for any older person to interact with like-minded people, and what better way than over some of the most talked about books.

By joining Good Housekeeping’s online book club you will receive the book recommendation each month, picked by those at Good Housekeeping themselves. You are able to see each recommendation on their website, or if you are signed up to Facebook, you can check out their page where members are always welcome. This page will allow you to interact with over 2,000 other avid readers and talk about and review the book of the month. You can also recommend your best books too. 

The Willoughby Book Club

Do you have a bookworm in the family and want to surprise them with something truly unique and thoughtful for a birthday or special occasion? Or want to treat yourself with something new and exciting each month? Then head over to The Willoughby Book Club.

Whilst offering some of the best up-and-coming titles in the industry, those at The Willoughby Book Club have brought the idea of sharing the love through an online book club to a whole new level.

The subscription-based book club enables you to gift a book club package to someone else, as well as treating yourself to one. The packages range in price and you are able to choose the number of books you or your loved one receive.

Adam Pollard, owner of The Willoughby Book Club, describes how it was established and why books can bring people together:

“The concept behind the book club came out of a personal need. Our chief bookworm Chloe wanted to buy a personalised book subscription as a birthday gift for her partner Adam and couldn't find anything suitable online. And so in September 2012, The Willoughby Book Club was born from their kitchen table. 4 years later, we send our books to thousands of subscribers in over 30 countries across the world.

“Quite a number of our more mature subscribers are based in rural areas without easy access to a local bookstore (we've a number of subscribers on remote Scottish islands!) and so our service helps to ensure that their bookshelves remain stocked with titles that we know they'll enjoy.

“We also service a number of book groups, providing bulk discounts on titles that can be enjoyed and discussed together.”

Larger print books are also available and lighter paperbacks wherever possible.

Richard & Judy 

Former This Morning hosts and couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan have their own online book club in association with WHSmith. With more than 28,741 members, it is a thriving community where book lovers and enthusiasts can join in on discussions about every genre that is out there!

Just like Good Housekeeping, Richard and Judy select their favourite title every month for the members to enjoy and they are encouraged to share their views and opinions on their official Facebook page.  

Each book that is recommended is featured on their website along with a list of Book Club Questions. If you are following the online book club on the Facebook page, you can get stuck into the discussions relating to these questions. Those who have their own book club and follow Richard and Judy’s recommendations can use these at their monthly meetings too.  

My-bookclub

My-bookclub is a fantastic resource for every book lover and reader. The online book club allows you to interact with many different clubs based on your preferred genre/s. For example, if you like to read crime fiction, romantic novels or want to know what your favourite celebrity likes to read, then there are opportunities to join all of them!

If you have friends on Facebook who you think would benefit from this fantastic online book club, then why not invite them to discuss different topics on hundreds of books that take your fancy? If you haven’t found a club that caters for your preferred reading taste, you have the opportunity to create your very own so you can spark conversations about your favourite book with like-minded people. 

Reading groups for everyone

Run by the book-loving team at the national charity The Reading Agency, Reading Groups For Everyone is designed to put individuals in touch with local reading clubs if they want to get out and about meeting new people with the same passion for books. Using a clever tool where you can enter your postcode, the map will show you the nearest books clubs to you.

They also have a section on the website dedicated to news about the book industry, here they have everything from round-ups of the Radio 2 book club, interviews with celebrities who also like to lose themselves in books, and winners and contenders of the year’s best authors and publications. 

 

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