They Love Bonding Over Books

Book clubs are thriving in the city. They expose book lovers to an array of genres, to unfamiliar authors, different perspectives. And they nurture great friendships
[email protected]
The haunting narrative of Hunchback leaves you disturbed, says Sridevi Nayak, a bibliophile.
The novel, which earned a spot on the International Booker Prize longlist for 2025, chronicles the experiences of Shaka Isawa, a resident at a care facility who struggles with severe spinal deformity and an inherited muscular condition. In her solitude, Isawa channels her thoughts into anonymous erotic literature.
Sridevi, 34, notes the complex interpretative layers of the work. Her involvement with the book club Broke Bibliophiles Bangalore (BBB) enhanced her understanding of the novel’s underlying messages. “The novel is a sharp commentary on disabled women's reproductive autonomy,” says Sridevi, who is originally from Udupi. It also challenges readers to reconsider the traditional reverence for physical books, highlighting their frequent inaccessibility to readers with disabilities.
Bengaluru has long had great book stores. It also has thriving book clubs. Anand Ganapathy, a Bengaluru-based techie, is a regular at four book clubs including Atta Galatta (AG) Book Club, Food in Literature Book Club and BBB. The 48-year-old is also one of the admin volunteers of the Bengaluru chapter of Bring Your Own Book (BYOB), a Delhi-based book club that has chapters across all major cities. “We have a community of over 200 members in Bengaluru and 25 to 30 members attend every monthly meeting. In our last gathering held at The Bookworm on March 23, we discussed books ranging from A Game of Thrones to Sufi Comics,” says Anand, who has a home library of a few thousand books which he jointly owns with his sister.
Sujata Shukla is also a participant in multiple book clubs, including BYOB Bangalore (since 2016), Yayavr Book Club, Food in Indian Literature Book Club, and the AG Book Club. Vinay Leo, a professional website designer, is part of two book clubs, BYOB and BBB. Vinay, who co-organises BBB, a 100-member strong book club with his friend Abhiram, has never missed a meetup since Dec 2022.

BYOB members used to host meets at homes until the pandemic. “Now we meet at central places like Bookworm on Church Street or Atta Galatta bookstore in Indira Nagar,” says Anand. BYOB meets happen once a month (third or fourth Saturday or Sunday of the month) from 3pm to 6pm.
Anand says unlike most book clubs which discuss the same book at a meet, BYOB encourages discussions of different books. “This format has worked well for us,” notes Anand who codes and architects security solutions for one of Oracle’s cloud-based products.

Snehakshare Vachak Manch brings together enthusiasts who hold a keen interest in Marathi literature and publications. The book club operates from its dedicated premises, made possible through the contribution of its late founder, Padmatai Sathe.
The book club originated from Snehadhara, a Marathi women's social organisation. The collective has evolved into a dynamic gathering of 25-30 members who engage in literary discussions.
Padmatai introduced the concept of ‘pustak bhishi’, a term used in Marathi. “Each member contributes a fixed sum towards purchasing books. Members have complete freedom to choose any genre or quantity of books. The club gathers on the third Wednesday of each month. We choose reading materials from our shared collection and discuss them during the following month's meeting,” explains Arundhati Vaze. The reading material encompasses diverse genres, including fiction, historical accounts, environmental literature, personal development guides, travelogues, life stories, satire, casual reads, verse collections and works translated from Kannada and various other languages.

Deepak V, a data and analytics manager working for a consulting firm, looks forward to the meetups and the ensuing discussions. He says for a bookworm, there can be no better way to spend a lazy weekend afternoon than with these fellow kindred spirits discussing our latest reads. He has met amazing people over the course of last year, many of whom are friends now.

I was going through a rough patch when I discovered Broke Bibliophiles Bangalore (BBB) in 2022 through a friend's recommendation. My reading preferences have evolved considerably since becoming a BBB member. During my academic years, my reading was limited to romance novels and contemporary works by authors such as Chetan Bhagat and Preeti Shenoy. In the last three years, it has broadened to include personal memoirs, magical realism, horror, history and thriller genres.

I found myself thoroughly engaged with Airplane Mode by Shahnaz Habib. I was equally impressed by Vaadivaasal by CS Chellappa, brilliantly reimagined as a graphic novel by Appupen and Perumal Murugan for today's readers. I just finished reading A Little Life and The Hunchback. I can’t wait to discuss them at our book club meetup. We get together on the last Saturday of the month.

Reading books creates connections among people, and when we share books, we embrace diverse perspectives and ride along the literary path leisurely and exploring new ways of reading. In our reading group, members have the liberty to choose their preferred books or occasionally attend without completing any reading material. They can still participate in the lively discussions. The conversations often begin with literary themes but frequently branch into diverse topics, ranging from political and educational matters to Bollywood cinema. The discussions sometimes extend to exploring societal transformations and cultural shifts.

I read around 120 books a year. For me, the biggest takeaways from book clubs are the book recommendations and the wonderful set of friends I’ve made over the years.
Bonding over books is what has kept us going. We also motivate each other to try different genres and sustain our reading interest. My current reading list includes P G Wodehouse’s Blandings Castle book series and Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp.

BBB meetups happen on the last weekend of every month at The Bookworm on Church Street. Since my school days, I've been a passionate reader, and books have been my escape from reality, my best friends and much more.
I have a home library of around 1,000 books, and I love adding to it. I'm currently reading the book Chikkamma Tours Pvt Ltd by Unmana, which is a murder mystery set in a fictional Bangaluru bookstore.

Most of the book clubs in the city offer free memberships. BYOB's format allows participants to present books of their choice. These sessions expose me to an array of genres and introduce me to previously unfamiliar authors during our gatherings. My reading preferences have evolved significantly through BYOB's influence.
While initially focused on fiction, I now actively explore non-fiction works, including historical accounts and life stories. My particular fascination lies in food and culinary history, which I further develop through enlightening exchanges with fellow book club members.

I'm an avid reader and have a home library of close to 500 books. My current read is Spies, Lies and Allies by Kavitha Rao. I've been a part of Broke Bibliophiles and Bring Your Own Book for over a year.
Sometimes it's interesting to see a different perspective on a book you’ve read and it makes you pick up that book again.

BBB is one of the largest book clubs in Bengaluru, with over 3,000 members.
We meet at a monthly cadence at Bookworm.