Best Online Book Clubs to Join in 2026: A Curated Guide

What Are the Best Online Book Clubs to Join?

The best online book clubs in 2026 are Readfeed's community clubs for an all-in-one reading group experience, Oprah's Book Club for high-profile literary fiction picks, Reddit's r/bookclub for free and structured reading with a massive community, and genre-specific clubs on platforms like Fable and Bookclubs.com for readers with niche interests. The right club depends on what you're looking for: intimate discussion, celebrity curation, genre focus, or social media energy.

Online book clubs have matured from a pandemic necessity into a preferred format for millions of readers. A 2025 survey by the Book Industry Study Group found that 44% of active book club members now participate in at least one online book club, up from just 18% in 2019. The appeal is clear: no geographic limitations, flexible scheduling, access to more diverse perspectives, and the ability to join multiple clubs without filling every evening on your calendar.

This guide reviews the best online book clubs to join across every category—app-based platforms, celebrity-hosted clubs, genre-specific communities, social media reading groups, and large-scale discussion forums—so you can find the right fit for your reading life.

App-Based Online Book Clubs

App-based platforms offer the most structured and feature-rich online book club experience. These are purpose-built for group reading, with tools for scheduling, discussion, book selection, and progress tracking.

Readfeed — Best Overall Online Book Club Platform

Readfeed is the most complete platform for online book clubs. It was designed from the ground up for reading groups—not retrofitted from a social network or bookstore—and it shows in the depth of its club management tools.

What makes it stand out:

• Club Discovery: Browse hundreds of active online book clubs by genre, meeting format, reading pace, and club culture. Each listing shows what the group is currently reading, meeting frequency, and member reviews.
• AI Discussion Questions: Readfeed generates tailored discussion prompts for whatever book your club is reading, organized by theme, character, and chapter. Club leaders consistently cite this as the feature that saves them the most time.
• Asynchronous + Live Discussion: Members can participate in threaded, chapter-by-chapter discussions on their own schedule, with optional live video or audio meetings for real-time conversation. Spoiler controls ensure no one gets ahead of themselves.
• Book Voting and Queues: A built-in nomination and ranked-choice voting system gives every member a voice in what the club reads next.
• Reading Progress Tracking: Members log their progress, and the club dashboard shows where everyone stands—helpful for coordinating meeting dates and chapter milestones.

Who it's for: Readers who want a full-featured online book club experience with rich discussion tools, flexible participation, and easy discovery of new groups. Ideal for both joining existing clubs and starting your own.

Cost: Free tier covers all core features. Premium unlocks unlimited AI questions and advanced analytics.

Bookclubs.com — Best for Discovering and Joining Clubs

Bookclubs.com (formerly Bookclubs) maintains the largest directory of public online book clubs. If you don't have a specific group in mind and simply want to browse options, this is the best place to start looking.

What makes it stand out:

• A searchable directory of thousands of clubs organized by genre, language, meeting time, and format
• Regular author Q&A events that connect readers directly with writers
• A clean, straightforward interface focused on discovery and scheduling

Limitations: Discussion features are basic compared to Readfeed. No AI tools, limited progress tracking, and the platform prioritizes breadth of club listings over depth of in-club tools.

Who it's for: Readers who want to browse a large selection of public online book clubs and find one that matches their interests. Better for discovery than for long-term club management.

Fable — Best for Guided Reading Experiences

Fable pairs an integrated e-reader with curated discussion guides. For readers who want a structured, editorial approach to online book clubs, Fable offers a polished experience.

What makes it stand out:

• In-app reading with social annotations (highlight passages and comment directly in the text)
• Publisher-curated discussion paths for select titles
• Celebrity and author-hosted clubs with high production value

Limitations: Guided reading paths only cover a subset of books. If your club reads outside Fable's catalog, you lose the platform's primary differentiator. Club management tools are less flexible than Readfeed's.

Who it's for: Readers who prefer digital reading, enjoy structured discussion guides, and are willing to choose books from Fable's curated selection.

Celebrity-Hosted Online Book Clubs

Celebrity book clubs bring massive reach, media attention, and often exclusive author access. They function more like curated reading lists with large community discussions than intimate clubs, but they're an excellent entry point for readers new to online book clubs.

Oprah's Book Club

The original celebrity book club, relaunched in partnership with Apple TV+. Oprah selects literary fiction and memoir with broad appeal and cultural significance. Each pick comes with an author interview on Apple TV+, making this the most media-rich book club experience available.

Recent notable picks: "Long Island" by Colm Tóibín, "Familiaris" by David Wroblewski

Best for: Readers who want prestige literary fiction with multimedia companion content. The community discussion happens primarily on social media and Apple's platform.

Reese's Book Club (Reese Witherspoon)

Reese's Book Club focuses on stories with strong female protagonists, spanning literary fiction, thriller, and memoir. With over 3 million followers across platforms, it's one of the largest online book clubs in the world.

Best for: Readers drawn to women-centered stories, often with movie or TV adaptation potential. Many Reese's picks end up on screen, so the club doubles as an early-discovery platform for future films.

Jenna's Book Club (Jenna Bush Hager / Today Show)

Jenna's picks tend toward accessible literary fiction and memoir with emotional resonance. The Today Show platform gives each selection national TV exposure, and Jenna hosts regular Instagram Live discussions with authors.

Best for: Readers who prefer emotionally engaging, moderately literary picks and enjoy the multimedia discussion format.

Good Morning America Book Club

GMA's club selects across genres with an emphasis on diversity and debut authors. Picks are announced on-air, and the club hosts periodic read-along events with structured discussion schedules.

Best for: Readers looking for a mix of genres with a focus on emerging and diverse voices.

Genre-Specific Online Book Clubs

If you know exactly what you like to read, genre-specific online book clubs offer deeper, more focused discussion than general-interest clubs.

Mystery and Thriller

• The Thriller Book Club (Readfeed): One of Readfeed's most active featured clubs, reading one thriller per month with spoiler-gated chapter discussions and live video meetings.
• CrimeReads Book Club: Run by the popular crime fiction website, this club pairs monthly picks with essays, interviews, and critical commentary from CrimeReads editors.

Science Fiction and Fantasy

• Sword & Laser: A long-running sci-fi/fantasy book club that combines a podcast with community discussion on Goodreads and Discord. One of the oldest and most established genre clubs online.
• Hugo Award Reading Group: Informal clubs that read through Hugo Award nominees each year, often organized on Reddit and Discord.

Romance

• #RomanceBookClub on Instagram: A decentralized community where readers use the hashtag to share monthly picks and discuss romance novels. Multiple sub-communities exist for specific sub-genres (historical romance, romantasy, contemporary).
• Bromance Book Club (inspired by the novel series): Several online clubs have organized around the premise of the popular novel series, reading romance with a focus on inclusive, welcoming discussion.

Nonfiction

• Ezra Klein Show Book Discussions: While not a formal book club, Ezra Klein's podcast frequently centers on nonfiction books, and listeners organize read-along groups on Reddit and Discord.
• Next Big Idea Club: Co-curated by Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink, this club focuses on big-idea nonfiction. It includes author interviews and curated excerpts.

Social Media Book Clubs: BookTok, Bookstagram, and Beyond

Social media has created the most dynamic—and chaotic—ecosystem of online book clubs. These communities are less structured than app-based clubs but generate enormous energy, cultural influence, and book discovery.

BookTok (TikTok)

BookTok isn't a single book club—it's a vast, decentralized reading community that has reshaped the publishing industry. Specific BookTok book clubs emerge organically: creators announce monthly reads, followers participate, and discussion happens across comment sections and response videos.

How to participate: Follow popular BookTok creators who host monthly reads, use hashtags like #BookTokBookClub and #BookTokReads, and engage in comment-section discussions. The format favors short, reaction-driven conversations rather than deep literary analysis.

Best for: Readers who enjoy fast-paced, visually driven community engagement and want to stay current with trending books.

Bookstagram (Instagram)

Bookstagram book clubs operate through dedicated accounts that post monthly picks, discussion questions, and reading schedules. The format is more curated than BookTok, with longer captions and more structured discussion in comments and Stories.

Popular accounts to follow: @bookclubofone, @girlsnightinclub, @thereadingwomen

Best for: Readers who appreciate aesthetics alongside discussion and prefer Instagram's slower pace to TikTok's rapid-fire energy.

BookTube (YouTube)

Several BookTubers host monthly book clubs with video discussions, live streams, and community polls for book selection. The longer video format allows for more substantive analysis than TikTok or Instagram.

Best for: Readers who enjoy video-format discussion and want more depth than short-form social media provides.

Reddit Book Clubs

Reddit hosts some of the most well-organized and intellectually rigorous online book clubs available—all completely free.

r/bookclub

The largest dedicated book club subreddit, with over 200,000 members. The community runs multiple concurrent reads organized by genre, length, and difficulty. Structured discussion posts follow a regular schedule, with designated check-in points throughout each book.

What makes it exceptional: The moderation team creates detailed reading schedules, marginalia posts for real-time reactions, and final discussion threads—all free and open to anyone. The asynchronous format means you can participate from any time zone at any pace.

r/52book

While not technically a book club, this subreddit challenges members to read 52 books in a year. The community provides accountability, recommendations, and mini-reviews. Many readers use r/52book alongside a more traditional book club for added motivation.

r/suggestmeabook

A discovery-focused community where readers request and provide book recommendations. Not a club per se, but an invaluable resource for finding your next book club pick.

How to Choose the Right Online Book Club

With so many options, choosing the right online book club comes down to a few key questions:

How much structure do you want?

• High structure: Readfeed clubs, r/bookclub, Fable (scheduled meetings, chapter milestones, guided questions)
• Medium structure: Celebrity clubs, genre-specific clubs (monthly picks with loose discussion)
• Low structure: BookTok, Bookstagram (organic, come-and-go participation)

How important is community intimacy?

• Small, intimate groups: Readfeed's private clubs, Discord-based groups (5–20 members, you know everyone)
• Medium communities: Subreddit clubs, genre-specific clubs (dozens to hundreds of active participants)
• Large, anonymous communities: Celebrity clubs, BookTok (thousands of participants, minimal personal connection)

What genre do you prefer?

General-interest clubs rotate across genres. If you strongly prefer a specific genre, seek out a dedicated club—the discussion quality will be higher because every member chose to be there specifically for that type of book.

Do you prefer synchronous or asynchronous discussion?

• Synchronous: Video/audio meetings on Readfeed, Discord voice channels, Instagram Lives
• Asynchronous: Reddit threads, Readfeed chapter discussions, social media comments
• Both: Readfeed and some Discord communities offer a blend of threaded discussion and scheduled live meetings

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Online Book Clubs

• Join two or three clubs maximum. Spreading yourself across too many groups leads to shallow participation in all of them. Pick one primary club and one or two supplementary communities.
• Participate in discussions, not just reading. The value of a book club is the conversation. Even a brief comment adds to the group's collective experience.
• Use a dedicated platform. Groups that coordinate through scattered text messages, emails, and social media posts tend to lose coherence. Platforms like Readfeed centralize everything—discussion, scheduling, book selection, and progress tracking—so nothing falls through the cracks.
• Give a new club three months. It takes time for a group's rhythm and personality to emerge. Don't abandon a club after one pick that didn't resonate.
• Contribute to book selection. Nominate titles, vote in polls, and share why you're excited about a book. Active participation in selection increases your investment in reading and discussing the pick.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are online book clubs free?

Most online book clubs are free to join. Reddit-based clubs, social media book clubs, and many app-based communities (including Readfeed's free tier) cost nothing. Celebrity-hosted clubs are free to follow, though some associated content (like Apple TV+ interviews for Oprah's Book Club) may require a separate subscription. A few platforms charge for premium features, but free options are abundant.

How do online book clubs work?

Online book clubs follow the same basic structure as in-person clubs: a group selects a book, members read it on a shared schedule, and the group discusses it. The discussion format varies by platform—it might be threaded text discussions (Readfeed, Reddit), video meetings (Readfeed, Zoom), social media posts (BookTok, Bookstagram), or a combination. Many online clubs use asynchronous discussion, meaning members post and respond on their own time rather than meeting simultaneously.

Can I join multiple online book clubs at once?

Yes, and many readers do. The key is managing your reading load realistically. Two to three active clubs is a sustainable maximum for most readers. Consider joining one primary club with committed participation and one or two lighter communities (like a BookTok read-along or a subreddit) where participation is optional. Readfeed makes it easy to manage multiple clubs from a single dashboard.

What is the best online book club for beginners?

For readers new to online book clubs, Readfeed's featured clubs offer the most welcoming and well-organized starting point. Each featured club has active moderation, structured discussion schedules, and clear participation guidelines. Reddit's r/bookclub is also excellent for beginners—it's free, well-moderated, and the reading schedule is transparent and easy to follow. Celebrity book clubs (Reese's, Jenna's) are good for casual participation since there's no commitment beyond reading and optional social media discussion.