In 2016, hair stylist Brittney Young hosted a small group of friends at her Atlanta home to discuss Liane Moriarty’s novel, “The Husband’s Secret.” That intimate gathering was the first official meeting of Books & Bordeaux, a book club for Black women that now includes over 100 members. They meet monthly at elaborately planned events with playlists, food and wine pairings, and outfits inspired by each book they’re reading.
While book clubs have roots in 18th-century salons and reading circles, modern-day book groups like Books & Bordeaux represent a new generation of readers, like Millennials and Gen Z who seek to replace solo doomscrolling with intentional, community-focused events.
“Book clubs offer both tangibility and connection, which are two things that seem to be increasingly threatened by today’s digital world,” said Katie Barringer, co-owner of Lucian Books & Wine in Buckhead and forthcoming Sargent in Old Fourth Ward.
Barringer and the team at Lucian recently launched Bouquinistes, a monthly book club named for the iconic Parisian booksellers who line a three-mile stretch of the Seine River. Each month, Bouquinistes members receive two newly published art and design books. The June selection features a catalog of a National Portrait Gallery exhibition of work by Lucian Freud, the Buckhead restaurant’s namesake.
Eventually, Barringer hopes to host book pick-up parties at Sargent for members to discuss the latest selections, similar to previous “Books and Bubbles” events.
Real-world connections
Real-world connections are also key to the success of Books & Bordeaux.
At the club’s recent gathering for a discussion of “These Heathens,” members arrived at Mary Mac’s Tea Room in Atlanta donned big hats to pay homage to Black church culture. Then they sat down to a fellowship-style dinner of fried chicken, collard greens, and peach cobbler before discussing the book.
“In a world where so much of our communication happens online, many people are looking for opportunities to gather in person and build meaningful relationships,” said Books & Bordeaux co-founder J. Denelle Robinson.
That’s exactly why avid reader and healthcare product developer Katie Roan has become a regular at Atlanta gatherings of the Silent Book Club. Hosted in coffee shops, breweries, and other community spaces, these events include an hour of independent reading, followed by optional social time and book discussion.
Roan, who reads over 100 books each year, said book clubs are a “low-pressure” way to connect with new people.
“I work from home, so it is also an opportunity to get out of my house and see people, since I don’t have an office setting,” she said.
Why now?
Since participating in Silent Book Club, Roan has become a regular at local independent bookstores like All the Tropes in Kirkwood and VaHi Books in Virginia-Highland. Like book clubs, independent bookstores are also on the rise. According to the American Booksellers Association, 422 new independent bookshops opened in 2025, a 31% increase from 2024.
In Atlanta, forthcoming Long Story Books recently launched a viral book vending machine near the main entrance of Krog Street Market, while longstanding bookshops like Decatur’s Little Shop of Stories are also experiencing a resurgence in book club participation for children and adults.
Diane Capriola, co-owner of Little Shop of Stories, said the store recently started a “Banned Books” club for teens and adults in response to increased book censorship.
“We are living in a time where people are craving real—not digital—connection and looking to escape into books and be in community with other readers,” said Capriola.
