Discover a New Mexico Book Club During National Book Month

October is the ideal time for National Book Month because book lovers around the country are getting ready to settle into fall weather, collecting stacks (and lists) of books for their TBR piles. For many, the joy of a good book is something to share and discuss with other readers in a New Mexico book club. Whether you wish to make new friends who share your passion or whether you’re experimenting with reading for pleasure as a new hobby, there are a lot of New Mexico reading groups that would love to meet you!

Today, we’ll tell you what it’s like to join a New Mexico book club or reading group and how to find one in your area. We’ll also introduce a few examples from around the state. If you aren’t able to locate one that you like in your own community, you always have the option of starting your own New Mexico book club!

What is it Like to Join a New Mexico Book Club?

Joining a New Mexico book club will keep you intellectually stimulated and socially engaged with interesting people. Since these clubs usually meet just once to a few times each month, they are particularly suited to busy people. They meet at various places, including libraries, book stores, restaurants, community centers, etc. You can count on them to choose safe locations with comfortable seating and a welcoming atmosphere.

You will meet all types of friendly people from different backgrounds and with different interests, but you’ll share one thing in common from the start. Readers know that the most interesting people are the ones who live a thousand lives and have sometimes believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. Readers also know that it isn’t always easy to find others with the same bookish interests in your usual social groups.

Book clubs are a way to bring book lovers together over shared reading experiences. They are also a way to deepen your understanding of the literature. You’ll even get to be a part of events like meet-and-greets with authors, book signings, and outings to book locations. Outside of meetings and events, you can connect with your book club members through social media groups. Since book clubs usually choose one book at a time to read and discuss, you always have a shared interest to inspire conversation and debate.

How Do You Join a New Mexico Book Club?

Start by locating book clubs in your area, comparing them, and contacting those that suit your schedule and interests. Once you’ve learned a bit about your options, you can talk to your favorite group’s administrator about joining the club. You can find New Mexico book clubs and reading groups through the suggestions in this article, through asking your local library for resources, through research, and through friend referrals.

To compare your options, make a list of book clubs and reading groups in your area. Then, contact those groups, ask questions, take notes, and compare them. Here are some good questions to ask:

• Does your book club focus on a particular genre?
• Where does your group meet?
• How long are the meetings?
• What time does the group usually meet?
• Does it cost anything to join?
• How many members do you have?
• What books are you reading, right now?
• What events do you have coming up this month?

You don’t necessarily need to ask all of these questions, but they can help you to discover the best New Mexico book club or reading group for your interests and schedule.

Find a New Mexico Book Club in Your Area

In some communities, book clubs and reading groups are not highly visible, and you may really have to search for them. This is because they often don’t have the funding to advertise in ways that you’re used to seeing. Many readers are actually quite surprised to discover that their own community has a book club. There’s a very good chance that there’s a New Mexico book club or reading group in your area, and it’s probably a lot closer than you think. Start by asking your local library and researching your options online.

Here are just a few of the more popular and active book clubs you can find in New Mexico. Hopefully, this list will start you in the right direction to find your own perfect reading group.

1) BookWorks Book Clubs in Albuquerque

The BookWorks Book Clubs in Albuquerque include three book clubs for adults and another three for kids and teens. These clubs focus on different themes and work with different schedules. The most popular BookWorks Book Club, by the same name, is free to join and meets once each month. Members get a 10% discount on books that are on the book club list, created for the year each December. This month, the group is reading The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. Call 505-344-8139 to learn more, and discover more reading groups in Albuquerque.

2) Bee Hive Book Club for Grown Ups in Santa Fe

One of the more unique book clubs in Santa Fe is the Bee Hive Book Club for Grown Ups. It is organized by Bee Hive Books, an independent children’s bookstore in the historic Guadalupe District. The shop hosts various events to encourage reading in the community, including a weekly Story Time for all ages with music and entertainment. Twice a month, adult readers meet in the Bee Hive Book Club for Grown Ups. Their book for October is The Art Of Fielding by Chad Harbach. Call 505-780-8051 to learn more, and find more book clubs in Santa Fe.

3) One Book/One Community in Farmington

One Book/One Community is a book group that began with the goal of connecting readers from multiple generations in Dakota County. The group chooses a book, and all interested members of the community are welcome to read and discuss. Their current read is The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko with a scheduled meet and greet/book signing with Fedarko on October 17. They also have various events, activities, contests, and meetings for the community to come together in a love for literature. Call 505-566-3476 to learn more, and discover other reading groups, book clubs, and library events in Farmington, New Mexico.

4) Storytellers of Las Cruces

Storytellers of Las Cruces is the oldest reading group in Las Cruces, New Mexico, but they are much more than that. Instead of only reading and discussing books, this group tells stories at regular monthly meetings, at special events for adults and children, and at weekly story time sessions in the COAS Bookstores. The group began in 1927 and is now affiliated with the National Storytellers League. Call 575-640-6867 to learn more, and discover more reading groups in Las Cruces.

Are You Already in a New Mexico Book Club?

If you are already in an amazing New Mexico book club, or trying to start one in your community, share the information for others who might like to join. Tell us what books you’ve read, how often you meet, and what you like about the group. We look forward to learning more about your community. If you’re looking for a book to recommend in your group, consider a top rated book about New Mexico.

What else are you planning to do in October?