Do you need a list of nonfiction book clubs? We’ve featured 10 in the compilation below.
1. JLC Virtual Book Club
This book club is sponsored by Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. While reading materials are primarily focused on historical and biographical nonfiction books, they do include some historically based fiction in their selections, chosen by staff every three months.
Jackson’s Library Card (JLC) Virtual Book Club meets on the first Tuesday of each month via Zoom from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Selections are posted on their website. You can purchase from your preferred vendor or borrow from the library. Choose only the discussions you would like to join.
Register for an event.
2. Non-Fiction Book Club
The Non-Fiction Book Club is all about what its name says. This group focuses on reading nonfiction books concerning a variety of topics, both historical and contemporary: economics, self-help, travel, religion, politics and much more are on the reading list.
The book club meets in person at various Houston, Texas, area venues such as bars, coffee shops, and casual cafes within the Loop every month. Dates, times, and locations are posted privately to group members on Meetup. Books are chosen from member suggestions by vote.
Join this book club.
3. Social Impact Book Club
Sponsored by the Chicago, Illinois-based advocacy group, Studio ATAO, this book club explores nonfiction focusing on the social aspects of the world around us. It aims to promote advocacy in the world around its group members, promoting new ideas for a better future.
Online discussions are held quarterly as posted on Eventbrite. There is a small fee to join, but a free spot can be secured if you are a member of their Patreon page or by emailing the group to request a complimentary ticket. Discussions last between 1.5 to 2 hours.
Get in contact.
4. Homestead Museum Non-Fiction Book Club
This Los Angeles, California, book club focuses on nonfiction writings about the history of their area between the years 1830 and 1930. The group meets monthly in person at the Homestead Museum and also online via Zoom. Times and dates for each meeting are sent out via email.
Those who want to participate can sign up for the club’s newsletter to be notified about details on upcoming books and meetings. Selections are made by museum staff, who sometimes show attendees curated items from the museum’s collection that pertain to the monthly selection.
Get involved with this group.
5. Narrative Non-Fiction Book Club
The Falmouth Public Library in Falmouth, Massachusetts, hosts the Narrative Non-Fiction Book Club. This group explores nonfiction written in a narrative fashion such as memoirs, biographies, historical accounts, and travel adventures that read like a novel.
Those who wish to join the discussion are invited to meet once a month in the Hermann Meeting Room at the library or join in via Zoom every first Thursday of the month from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. A link to the meeting will be provided when you register for upcoming discussions.
Sign up online.
6. Pearl S. Buck Novel Discussion Group
Are you a fan of Pearl S. Buck? If so, you will love the Pearl S. Buck Novel Discussion Group based in Perkasie, Pennsylvania. The Pearl S. Buck Writing Center’s Writers Guild sponsors this free online group to examine the nonfiction works of this great woman author.
The group meets on the third Monday of every month from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom. You can email the organizer, Cindy Louden, for complete details and to register for the meeting. There is no requirement to read the book, but it is encouraged to foster greater discussion.
Register for the group.
7. Hickory Corner Non-Fiction Book Club
This book club meets monthly in the parking lot outside the Hickory Corner Library located in the Ewing-Hollowbrook Community Center in East Windsor, New Jersey. Book discussions take place from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the last Friday of the month or as weather dictates.
Books discussed by the group include a wide variety of nonfiction that can be checked out of the library for free or online through Hoopla to encourage wider readership and participation among those who may not be able to afford books otherwise.
Join the discussion.
8. Savoy Non-Fiction Book Club
The Savoy Nonfiction Book Club is conducted by Andie Tomek at the Savoy Bookshop and Café in Westerly, Rhode Island. Books are selected by the bookstore and can be purchased there or online, through them or another retailer. Upcoming selections are posted on their website.
The group meets in the book store’s café at 6 p.m. Dates are posted alongside the titles coming up for discussion but are usually the third or fourth Monday of each month. Meetings are held from January through October but are suspended in November and December for the holidays.
Get engaged in the chat.
9. Seekonk Public Library Non-Fiction Book Club
The Seekonk Public Library in Seekonk, Massachusetts, hosts this nonfiction book club. The group meets on the final Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at the library to discuss a variety of nonfiction books selected by library staff from their holdings to increase participation.
Reading material explored by the group includes historical and contemporary books on subjects like personal narratives, history, self-help, health, cooking, gardening, and a lot more. Books can be borrowed from the library or through the Overdrive app for those not wishing to purchase them.
Sign up for their next event.
10. Homegrown History Book Club
Each month, the Athens-Limestone Public Library in Athens, Alabama, hosts a book discussion about a nonfiction book written about area history. Members of the library are invited to check out the book to be discussed from the library or from the local archives to read and discuss.
The group is sponsored and led by the Limestone County Archives. Meetings are held at the library and include local historians or the authors themselves to provide additional insights and answer any questions from the group. Dates and times are posted on the website.
Learn more about history.