Joining a reading group is a fantastic way to meet people, make friends, share your favourite books and read something new!

Reading groups read anything from accounts of world-changing scientific discoveries to autobiographical comics, from gritty thrillers to sparkling romances, and meet anywhere from libraries to coffee shops, private homes to pubs.

Explore York lends sets of books exclusively to reading groups who register with us, with no reservation fees. As most reading groups meet monthly, groups borrow these books for eight weeks dated from when they are notified that the set is ready for them to collect.

If you would like to register a reading group with Explore York Libraries, you can do so at any library in the York area. You will be given a reading group ticket with which you can borrow reading group book sets. Some of our titles may also be available in large print, ebook and audio format but we are unable to guarantee that all titles will be available in all formats.

We charge an annual subscription of £25 per group to enable us to continue buying new sets for you to borrow. We will ask you to pay this when you join.

Many of our libraries host volunteer-run reading groups during library opening hours. Please ask at your local library and they will let you know if they have any capacity for new members.

The Reading Group Collection

You can browse and search our reading group sets on our online catalogue.

Browse sets »

When you have decided what you would like to read click on the order sets button to open a form to let us know which titles you would like to read over the next 6 months.

Order sets »

We will try our best to reserve them for you in the order you have specified, but may need to change the order if another group has already reserved them. When your specified library has requested your books, they will send you an email to confirm that the titles have been requested for you and will notify you when they are ready for collection.
If any of the titles are not available, your library will follow up and help you to select alternatives.

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Suggest a New Reading Group Title

If you would like to suggest a new title for the collection please let us know here

Suggest sets »