Silent Book Club brings introverted readers together

If you're a fellow introvert and book lover like me and want to meet other like-minded folks, you should add the Silent Book Club Atlanta to your list of things to check out.

Why it matters: Being in the company of fellow bookworms—without the distractions of smartphones and tablets—can serve as a unique opportunity to build community.

How it works: The club's Atlanta branch, an official chapter of the Silent Book Club, meets three times a month, typically on the weekends.

• People gather at the designated location around 1pm, and the silent reading hour starts at 1:30pm. The last half-hour allows attendees to mix and mingle if they are feeling up to it.

On Saturday, hundreds of people gathered at Peoples Town Coffee Bar to read. With limited seating, organizers quickly directed attendees to Elsewhere Brewing Grant Park as an overflow location.

What they're saying: Sophia Griesenauer, who started the Atlanta chapter in December 2023, told Axios no RSVPs are required to attend.

• Metro Atlanta chapters are also located in Decatur, Johns Creek, Lawrenceville, Marietta, Roswell, South Fulton and Woodstock.
• She told Axios the clubs are popular because "there's a strong desire to find community."
• "And I think that having a shared interest in books and reading provides a really easy atmosphere for people to come out," she said.

The vibe: I arrived at the Peoples Town Coffee Bar Saturday to find dozens of people already sitting inside and on the patio.

• Once they announced the overflow location, I drove to Elsewhere Brewing and found a seat at the bar.
• I ordered some food and a beer, and settled in to read "The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store."
• The staff at the brewery, which has hosted club meetups before, were friendly and remained calm as a steady stream of book-toting customers placed orders and scouted out places to sit.

• The line to place an order remained long well after the 1:30pm reading start time.

Yes, but: I'm a naturally curious and observant person, so I found myself looking around quite a few times to check out my surroundings. It may have been due to the fact that I sat next to the register.

The bottom line: I will definitely go to another Silent Book Club meetup. There's no pressure to be social, but you still feel connected to the people who are quietly reading next to you.

• "I like to tell people that this is a choose-your-own journey type of experience," Griesenauer said. "You are welcome to come and talk to people. You're welcome to come sit down to start reading right away…so it's really up to each individual how they would like to interact."

If you go: Follow the Silent Book Club Atlanta chapter on Instagram for updates about their monthly meetups.