Polyamorous Dracula? Richmond has a book club for that
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Richmond has a polyamory book club, another for feminist horror fans and several where you can read in silence alongside other people.
Why it matters: The traditional book club is getting a Richmond makeover as readers turn increasingly niche interests into opportunities to find community.
By the numbers: Book club events on Eventbrite jumped 108% in Richmond last year compared to 2024, the platform exclusively tells Axios Richmond.
- Nationally, they jumped 33% during the first half of this year compared with last — driven largely by "hyper niche" meetups, Eventbrite tells Axios' Sami Sparber.
What they're saying: "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 says.
The big picture: In Richmond this year, that's included a group audiobook walk on Brown's Island and an "alternative book club" where people talk about their latest book obsession over tea.
- Events have turned into wine tastings, book exchanges, craft nights and making your book into a purse.
- Richmond also once had a smut book club until it ended in August.
Zoom in: There are countless other options, including one at Abi's focused on banned books, the Spooky Book Club for fans of "downright bizarre literature," and a members-only club that meets at locally owned businesses.
- Virginia Polyamory's monthly book club at local public libraries centers fiction and nonfiction books about polyamory and other LGBTQ+ topics.
- Last month's book reimagined Dracula as a toxic, polyamorous vampire.
- Good For Her, which celebrates femme rage in film, has a spinoff book club with monthly picks.
Some upcoming events:
- Oct. 1: Silent reading party at the Pit and the Peel with Melanin & Manuscripts. Reserve a spot here.
- Oct. 7: RVA Baddies Book Club is having a Halloween-themed meetup.
- Oct. 23: ACOTAR Launch Party at Bingo Beer is celebrating the newest addition to the "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series with theatrical readings and promises of "the drinks and the smut." Tickets: $39.19.
The bottom line: Looking for your people? There's definitely a book club for that in Richmond.