8 Instagram Book Clubs To Join Now

Belletrist

Founded by actress Emma Roberts, along with her friend Karah Preiss, Belletrist encourages members to ‘discover, read and celebrate a new book every month’, as chosen by the duo. Titles range from light and entertaining to sophisticated literature, and the club also has a blog featuring its own range of merchandise and interviews with various authors.

Recent reads: Three Women by Lisa Taddeo; Searching For Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok; The Dragons, The Giant, The Women by Wayétu Moore

Follow: @Belletrist

Ladies Lit Squad

This all-female collective of book lovers from the world of fashion, art and media are on a mission to make reading cool again. In normal circumstances, Ladies Lit Club also holds real-life member meet-ups at the likes of the Curtain Hotel and The Allbright, alongside its fast-growing Instagram account. For those who can’t be there, it’s well worth checking out for some brilliant all-female literature recommendations (we’ve got to give founder Sheree Milli some serious props for re-introducing classic 80s bodice-rippers to a new generation of women).

Recent reads: Self Care by Leigh Stein; Wonderland by Juno Dawson; Hunger by Roxane Gay

Follow: @LadiesLitSquad

Our Shared Shelf

An Instagram book club from another famous Emma (this time  actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson), Our Shared Shelf was launched in 2016 as a place to encourage and inspire women to share their intersectional feminist wisdom by discussing a new book each month, alongside lively debate, passionate conversation, intellectual curiosity and involvement from the authors themselves. Emma might have wrapped up the initiative in January, but there’s plenty of inspiration throughout the grid, and Emma still shares book recommendations and encourages debate on her personal account (@EmmaWatson) using the hashtag #OurSharedSpace.

Recent reads: Beloved by Toni Morrison; Whose Story Is This? by Rebecca Solnit; Butterfly by Yusra Mardini

Follow: @OurSharedShelf

Between Two Books

Florence Welch, better known as superstar singer Florence + the Machine, started this group on Facebook back in 2012, but it has since made its way to Instagram. Every few weeks a new book is added to the pile, chosen by Welch or one of her famous friends from the music world (such as The Maccabees), and anyone who wants to join in the big read – and discussion after – can do so.

Recent reads: How Much Of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang; Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier; On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Follow: @BetweenTwoBooks

Poppy Loves Book Club

Created by one of the UK’s top influencers, Poppy Loves London, this is an online and local book club in one (if you live in the capital). The lifestyle blogger chooses a new book each month for fans across the world to read, then invites those within reach to a real-life meet up to discuss it along with the author. Online – and during lockdown – members are encouraged to come together on Instagram and Facebook to share their views.

Recent reads: The Salt Path by Raynor Winn; The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton; An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Follow: @PoppyLovesBookClub

The Hyphen – Book Club

The Hyphen – Book Club is a new online club which launched in March. Set up by writer and podcaster Emma Gannon – whose own debut novel Olive comes out next month – the book club has read four books together so far and already built up an impressive community. Discussions take place at the end of each month and book recommendations are made constantly throughout the feed. 

Recent reads: I Am Not Your Baby Mother by Candice Brathwaite; Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny; On Being 40(ish) edited by Lindsey Mead

Follow: @TheHyphenBookClub

Rebel Book Club

With a focus on non-fiction reads, Rebel Book Club began in Bali in 2015 and expanded to London and Barcelona soon after. Now a global community, each month the team recommends thought-provoking non-fiction reads based on member recommendations, trends and what’s in the news. A great place to look if you’re after some BLM-inspired reads.

Recent reads: Rise Up by Stormzy; How To Argue With A Racist by Adam Rutherford; Fashionopolis by Dana Thomas

Follow: @RebelBookClub

Reese’s Book Club

Every month, Reese Witherspoon picks one book she loves with a woman at the centre of the story and shares it with her book club. Reese began her community in 2017 and now has over 1.7m followers. And some of the books she’s read for the book club over the years have sparked big things – both Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies and Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere have been turned into TV series, both starring Witherspoon herself.

Recent reads: The Guest List by Lucy Foley; I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown; Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Follow: @ReesesBookClub