Online Book Clubs by Genre
Explore genre-specific advice for finding a reading group or starting your own. These are practical guides, not a directory of open clubs or a ranking of services we have tested. Each guide covers what to check before joining and how to prepare your first discussion.
Find or Start an Online Romance Book Club
A romance club can agree that love matters and still disagree about almost everything else: heat level, favorite tropes, or what counts as a satisfying ending. Start with those differences before choosing a group or a first read.
Find or Start an Online Thriller Book Club
A thriller discussion needs more than a surprising ending. Look for a group that handles spoilers carefully and makes room to talk about tension, motive, and whether the reveal plays fair.
Find or Start an Online Literary Fiction Book Club
If you want to talk about how a novel works as well as what happens, look for a literary fiction club that welcomes different interpretations. You should not need a literature degree to bring a passage that puzzled or moved you.
Find or Start an Online Mystery Book Club
Cozy mysteries, classic detective stories, and darker crime novels make different promises. A useful mystery club starts by agreeing which kind of puzzle—and how much on-page violence—members want.
Find or Start an Online Nonfiction Book Club
A memoir discussion is not the same as a science or business book discussion. Decide whether you want a shared subject, a compelling life story, or an argument to examine before searching for a nonfiction club.
Find or Start an Online Historical Fiction Book Club
Historical fiction clubs can follow a favorite era or use each book to visit a different one. Agree on that scope, then make room for both the invented characters and the historical record around them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an online book club?
A group that reads a shared book and discusses it through a video call, messages, or a reading platform. Some groups meet live; others use written chapter-by-chapter threads across time zones.
How do I start an online book club?
Invite a small group, agree on a genre or theme, check book availability, and set a first discussion date. Choose a way to nominate and vote, plus a separate channel for conversation. Review any platform's current prices and member limits before committing.
Does Picked Together provide a club I can join?
These pages are guides, not a directory of open clubs. Picked Together provides book recommendations and tools for your own group's nominations, voting, and reading history. You arrange the members and a place to discuss the book.
How many people should we invite?
Start with a number you can comfortably include in a conversation. A smaller group leaves more speaking time per person; a larger one may need a facilitator or written threads. Check the platform's member limits and ask the group before expanding.
How often should we meet?
Try a monthly meeting if the first book and members' schedules allow it, then adjust. Longer books may need extra time or chapter checkpoints. Agree on what unfinished readers can join without encountering spoilers.
Find a first read for your group
Take the free quiz for book recommendations based on your preferences. Already organizing a club? Open your dashboard to manage your group.