Axios Nashville

November 12, 2026

Good morning Nashville! Let's read about reading: Today we have a special edition just for all the book worms out there.

👀 More of a visual person? We've got you covered. Catch local news, happenings and more on Instagram through Reels, photos and bite-sized updates.

Today’s newsletter is 704 words — a 2.5-minute read.

1 big thing: Find your book people

Illustration of two people talking while sitting on a stack of books. — Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios

Nashvillians hoping to meet new people over a good book don't have to start their own book club. Their public library already offers groups for just about every interest.

Why it matters: Book clubs are enjoying a national resurgence as people look for new ways to connect and pursue shared interests away from their screens.

The big picture: Book club events listed on Eventbrite jumped 33% during the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to the company.

The growth has been driven in part by highly specialized groups, from romantic fantasy enthusiasts to readers who gather to enjoy books silently.

Zoom in: Nashville Public Library offers free monthly book clubs at branches across the city, including:

Mocktails & Meet Cutes: A romance-focused group at Hermitage.
More Graphic, Less Novel: A graphic novel club at Donelson.
Black Female Authors Book Club: A Richland Park group focused on books written by Black women.
Books & Brews: A monthly group that meets at Black Abbey Brewing.

Check the library's book club directory to find a group that fits your interests

What they're saying: "We want everyone in Nashville to know: Their public library can also be their book club," library spokesperson Andrea Fanta tells Axios.

"We're a space for readers to come together," she says. "That's the beauty of NPL — you can be as solo or as sociable as you want, and you always have an open door to learning and discovery."

Prefer to start your own? The library offers Book Club in a Bag kits complete with 10 copies of a book, discussion questions, an author biography and tips for getting a group started.

Fun fact: The library also hosts music listening clubs where you can enjoy albums and discuss them with fellow music lovers.

2. Stat du jour: 7.8 million loans and renewals

Illustration of a book smiling and reading another book. — Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios

Nashville Public Library users checked out or renewed items from its collection nearly 7.8 million times from Sept. 1, 2025-Sept. 30, 2026, according to figures provided to Axios.

By the numbers: The library recorded 7,774,713 loans and renewals, encompassing physical books and other materials as well as digital offerings.

Zoom out: Americans averaged 6.5 public library checkouts per person in fiscal year 2024, according to federal data analyzed by Axios.

3. Nashville's most-borrowed books

Table showing Nashville Public Library's most-borrowed titles in October 2026, ranked separately by format. Digital leaders were "Threshing Day" by Rebecca Yarros (1,482 checkouts), "The Witch" by Freida McFadden (1,451), "Yesteryear" (1,256), "Theo of Golden" (1,037) and "The Correspondent" (967). Physical leaders were "Partita" by Barbara Kingsolver (211), "The French Illusion" by John Grisham (190), "The Calamity Club" (167), and "Yesteryear" and "Whistler" (161 each). — Data: Nashville Public Library; Chart: Adam Tamburin/Axios

Freida McFadden, Rebecca Yarros and Barbara Kingsolver are among the authors commanding Nashville readers' attention this fall, according to new library checkout data shared with Axios.

Zoom in: "Threshing Day" by Yarros led the library's digital rankings in October with 1,482 checkouts.

"Partita" by Kingsolver topped its physical-title rankings with 211 checkouts.

Between the lines: Five books appeared on both top-10 lists: "Threshing Day," "Yesteryear," "Theo of Golden," "The Calamity Club" and "Whistler" were popular among physical and digital readers alike.

4. 📉 America's reading rut — and how to get out of it

A line chart shows the share of Americans ages 15 and older who read for pleasure on an average day from 2005 to 2025. The rate fell from 27% in 2005 to 16.1% in 2024 and 2025. — Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Note: Excludes 2020 because data collection was paused for part of the year; Chart: Sami Sparber/Axios

Americans are spending less time reading for pleasure than they did a decade ago, according to new federal data.

By the numbers: Just over 16% of Americans ages 15 and older read for pleasure on an average day in 2025, down from 27% in 2005.

Americans spent an average of 16 minutes per day reading for fun last year, compared with 2.6 hours watching TV.

Yes, but: If deciding what to read is part of what's holding you back, NPL has a service for that.

The Library Concierge program creates personalized recommendations based on your favorite books, genres and interests.
Librarians can even place recommended books and other materials on hold for pickup at your preferred branch.

How it works: Fill out a short online request form and give the library staff a few days to prepare your recommendations.

The other side: If you'd rather take in some tunes, NPL's vinyl collection now includes roughly 650 albums.

Cardholders can borrow two records for three weeks. If you don't have a turntable, you can borrow one of those, too.

Our picks:

Nate and Adam are considering launching an Axios Nashville book club. Who's in?

This newsletter was edited by Jen Burkett.