KC book clubs are getting "weird"
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Book club events on Eventbrite jumped 33% during the first half of this year compared with last — driven largely by "hyper niche" meetups, the platform tells Axios.
Why it matters: These clubs are as much about finding community as finishing the book.
The big picture: "The definition of a 'book club' is splitting into a dozen different directions, expanding to fit all kinds of readers, interests and social appetites," Eventbrite general manager Andrea Parodi tells Axios.
Kansas City book clubs are using phrases like "weird literature" and "bookish balls" to lean into themes, while offering selfie stations and baked goods to sell the event beyond the pages alone.
- Rabid Unicorn Events has been around since 2020, with clubs centered on horror, dark romance and "weird smutty books" meant to "leave you blushing through the whole discussion."
- The Inked Page, a thrill-themed bookstore in Overland Park, also explores edgy themes and offers light refreshments.
- Rainy Day Books hosts 12 book clubs based on genre, like nonfiction, romance and sci-fi.
Zoom out: Readers across the country are lacing up corsets, attaching prosthetic fairy ears, and gathering with fellow fans of the red-hot "romantasy" genre.
- They're also reading together silently, sometimes not even the same book.
Between the lines: Book clubs are also getting a lift as younger generations embrace offline hobbies and in-person hangouts.
Yes, but: Many people still prefer to read on their own.
- In a 2025 Pew survey, just 7% of U.S. adults said they'd participated in a book club recently. Women (10%) were twice as likely as men (5%) to be members.
What's next: The next book in the popular romantasy series "A Court of Thorns and Roses" comes out Oct. 27.
- Rabid Unicorn Events has a prerelease party Oct. 24 at Fountain City Winery. Admission is $15.
The bottom line: Looking for your people? There's probably a book club for that.
Go deeper: 8 great local bookstores around Kansas City