✨ Welcome back to another week of LTB! ✨
Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @Eternity Books and co-hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits and myself! In this discussion meme, participants get to talk about certain topics, share opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts! Learn more about LTB, past topics and future topics HERE.
This week’s topic is:
Reading with Friends
Prompts: Do you enjoy buddy reading or participating in group reads? If you do, what do you like most about them? Do you prefer reading 1-1 or in a big group? For those who might not have access to in-person group reads, do you have a recommendation about where to join online reading groups?
Do you enjoy buddy reading or participating in group reads? If you do, what do you like most about them?
I love buddy reading and if you’ve visited my blog before, you’ll probably notice that I participate in plenty of them throughout the year. Over the past few years, especially in 2025, these reads were the ones that gave me the greatest motivation to keep reading whenever I felt out of sorts and couldn’t focus on a book to save my life, lol. I wouldn’t say that I buddy read with a lot of people, but there are a few readers who have become dear friends, who I read a lot of books with. And this isn’t because I’m opposed to reading with more people, but these are the people who I’ve felt comfortable reaching out to asking if they wanted to read something, or they reached out to me first. I’m always down to do more buddy reads if anyone wants to!
As for group reads, I haven’t participated in a lot of them. Coincidentally, Leslie and I are currently running a massive group read for Dungeon Crawler Carl over on Instagram at the moment. Side note: If that’s a book/series you want to read and discuss with others, let us know and we’ll add you to the chat! 🤭
Perhaps the best thing about reading with other people is getting to discuss thoughts and theories, and of course, just generally exclaim over random, intense, and wild things that happen in a book. Alternatively, it’s nice to also have others to commiserate with when a read isn’t living up to everyone’s expectations. If you decide to DNF a book and someone decides to push skim through to find out what really happens, you also get the added perk of still knowing exactly what happens without having to suffer through the pages (and yes, this is speaking from personal experience, lol). 😂 Something I also love is when other people point out things you might not notice while reading or introduce new theories that weren’t even in your realm of considerations (especially if they turn out to be right)!
Do you prefer 1-1 or in a big group?
I don’t mind bigger group reads—maybe not massive ones but a ‘comfortable’ group of say 8-10 people max—especially if everyone kind of already know each other. We don’t necessarily have to align in tastes or engage with each other all the time, but I think it’s more comfortable when you have some familiarity with the other readers in a group. I’ve participated in a few of these and they’re so much fun! Ultimately though, I think I’ll always prefer 1-1 buddy reads because I find they’re better for ‘spur of the moment’ reads but they’re generally also easier to organize. Plus, it’s a great way to know someone as a reader—how they read, how they reflect or react, etc.
For those who might not have access to in-person group reads, do you have a recommendation about where to join online reading groups?
I’m probably not the best person to ask about this actually, as I tend to not really join online reading groups. However, I’ve heard that there are a lot of reading communities on Discord. I know that there are also reading groups that take place on Instagram. I also know that there are announcements about group reads or online book clubs in the blogosphere. I can’t recall where exactly I saw this, but I’m sure that I’ve seen bloggers organizing reading challenges and organizing online reading groups where others who are joining can connect with each other.
Perhaps a good way to start finding them is by searching, or even asking other book friends if they’ve participated in them and seeing if they have tips (or access) to share! I know this is not very helpful but hopefully, if there are other people joining in today’s discussion, they’ll be able to share some useful tips!
Don’t forget to check out the other bloggers who joined the discussion this week! 👇🏽
Anniemieke @ A Dance with Books
Rachael @ The Green Tea Librarian
Lin @ Lin’s Perspective
Emma @ Pages of Emma
Raji @ Worlds Unlike Our Own
Alli @ Alli the Book Giraffe
Abyssal Librarian
Gypsi Reads
If I’ve missed your post this week, don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments, and I’ll add you to this week’s list of community posts ASAP!
Do you enjoy buddy reads or group reads? Do you prefer one over the other or do you participate in both equally? What tips would you have for someone who wants to join an online reading group/community?
dinipandareads 
I’m not sure that my post is pinging anyone. (Feel so stupid for not being sure how to do that!) But anyway, here is my discussion:
https://gypsireads.blogspot.com/2026/02/lets-talk-bookish-reading-with-friends.html
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I love this topic and I am mad I could not prepare a post for this because I have lots to say. I agree with most of what you say. It is so interesting because you end up remembering and taking more from the book. Like you said, even if you’re not into theorizing, sometimes someone might pick up on a thing that you haven’t.
Depending on the book, it also pushes you to continue reading because you need to discuss or listen to what the others have just said. I wish it were possible for me to do in-person buddy reads, like book clubs, but online ones are fantastic as well, and sometimes even more chaotic. I have only ever done 1-on-1 buddy reads, not group ones.
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I only started trying buddy reads last year and I’m surprised by how many of them I got to. They’re great for being able to discuss books as you go and share in the excitement if a read is going well. I also think they’re very good for exchanging theories and sometimes figuring things out. I dont know what I’d have done without you to talk to when it came to We Used To Live Here 😂 I think they’re good for getting you to stick with the books on your TBR too as its very easy to put off your own reading plans for some reason. But if you’ve agreed to read something with someone else youre not going to want to let them down.
On the subject of buddy reads the cover of Strange Buildings has me concerned. There’s a kid on the cover and the blurb mentions a murder house, hidden chambers and shrines. Surely its not going there again??? 🙈🙈
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