Building Better Book Clubs: Buddy Reads Are Magical

May 26, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

is a series of posts focused on all things book club related: discussions, listicles, how to’s and more!


 

I’m constantly shocked when I mention buddy reads to people and they just blink at me. “Like… in school?” is often the response I get. Is the magic of buddy reads some hidden, magical, universe only book clubbers and social-media savvy bloggers are into? I want to shed some light into this low-effort, high-reward reading opportunity in the hopes more people will try it out!

To those who respond to my fervor with, “Like… in school?” you aren’t wrong. Buddy reading is often utilized by elementary school teachers as a way to build fluency. It is exactly what it sounds like — students, or a student and their parent, pair up together and read aloud to each other. This makes learning to read more fun, interesting, and engaging. But when I talk about buddy reads, I’m not talking about building literacy and a passion for reading. If you’re here, you already have that.

This sort of buddy read is simple as pie: Find a buddy and read the same book at the same time with them. 

I know, I know. It’s a variation on a book club. A book club for two. So what makes buddy reads awesome?

  • It keeps you accountable to read. In the time of a global pandemic, sticking to reading has been hard for a lot of us bibliophiles. Focus is hard to come by. I’m greatly looking forward to my next buddy read so I can get back into a good reading habit again.
  • There are no rules – Low-effort, high-reward. Buddy reads are always what you make them. There are no hard and fast rules (though I’ll share some tips in a future post). Talk to your buddy, decide what you want to read, how you want to communicate and go. That’s it.
  • They are flexible for involvement. Yes, flexible when it comes to how to participate, but also flexible when it comes to WHO can participate. I’ve done buddy reads with people from all over the USA, Canada, England and even Lithuania (<3 you, Evelina!). In person, online – it doesn’t matter! As long as you can communicate, you can buddy read.
  • It’s a safe place to discuss literature. If someone wants to be your buddy, they actually want to discuss this book with you. You can geek out over what characters you ‘ship together, get into the science behind why some worldbuilding would or wouldn’t work, extrapolate your own theories on how the politics of invented countries will work, or even just flat out judge the author’s writing straight up. It’s all fair game. The worst thing that will happen is your buddy will disagree with you — and that just makes the conversation better!
  • You get to hang out with an awesome person. Fact: All buddy read participants are awesome people. I know. I’ve never had a dud, and I’ve done a lot of these. Trust me.
  • If this person is new to you, you might make a new friend. So true! Some of the people I am closest to in my life are people I’ve participated in repetitive buddy reads with over time. A buddy read can be strangely intimate as you get to understand this person’s worldview through the discussion.
  • You’re not alone. This is obvious after my last few, but sometimes it’s important to have the realization you are not alone. Someone else is there with you. Crying when you do, laughing when you do, reading with you. I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve finished a book and been so devastated I couldn’t talk to someone about it. Here you have a built-in person for that conversation!

In this global pandemic, it can be hard to have a social life and stay connected with the people we know and love. Buddy reading is a great way to stay connected with others. If you’re missing people, missing reading, or just looking for something new to fill your time with I encourage you to try a buddy read. Each buddy read I’ve never had the pleasure of participating in has been amazing. I hope that you will have that pleasure as well.

 


A shout out to all my buddy read Buddies – You all improve my reading experiences & my life

Evelina @ Avalinah’s Books

Kim @ Traveling in Books

Jane @ Greenish Bookshelf

Amanda @ Cover2CoverMom

Melanie @ Grab the Lapels

Dani @ Perspective of a Writer

Non Bloggers: Emma — Jo — Mark — Sara — David — Laura

My Mother 💗


Book Club Challenge: Participate in a buddy read — one that you initiate.

Click here for more Book Club Challenges! 


What do you think?

  • Have you ever participated in a buddy read? Do you enjoy them or not?
  • What do you think are the benefits of buddy reads?
  • Do you have any fears or hesitations about buddy reads?
  • Would you be interested in participating in a buddy read with me in the future?

13 Comments

  • Lashaan Balasingam @ Bookidote May 27, 2020 at 12:22 pm

    I love buddy-reads, especially when it’s done with like-minded people. You learn so much and appreciate the book even more (or happily hate it together)! 😀 I also like your buddy-reads with Dani. They’re always so intriguing and profound! 🙂

    • Jackie B May 27, 2020 at 6:12 pm

      My buddy reads with Dani are so interesting to me because we prioritize different things in our reading. She always has something new to teach me about the world. Perhaps that’s what makes it so intriguing? Unclear! But I’m glad you enjoy them. 🙂

      Do you do many buddy reads? I don’t recall hearing anything abou it on Bookidote, but I’ll be the first to admit I cannot keep up with all your posts.

      • Lashaan Balasingam @ Bookidote May 28, 2020 at 9:05 pm

        Hahahah no worries about keeping up with my posts. Not many can and neither can I with everyone else’s! 😀

        The last buddy-read I did was with Dani actually hahahah For the novel titled The Rook by Daniel O’Malley! 😀

        • Jackie B June 6, 2020 at 1:28 pm

          Whew. I’m glad I’m not alone there. But we are part of such a loving community that I guess no one cares how much week keep up, just that we’re here for each other.

  • Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction May 27, 2020 at 6:29 pm

    This is why I love doing dual reviews with the people who win my wrap-up round-up giveaway—buddy reads are lots of fun!

    • Jackie B June 1, 2020 at 3:12 pm

      That’s a neat way to connect with other bloggers! And thanks for connecting me to this round-up. I’ve never participated in one before, but this sounds like my jam. 😉

  • wadholloway May 27, 2020 at 10:44 pm

    I’m meant to be reading along with Melanie/GTL right now- Flannery O’Connor. I’ve fallen behind but it is still fun seeing what she and her buddies come up with.

    • Grab the Lapels May 28, 2020 at 4:06 pm

      The thing that appealed to me about the Flannery read-along when I was thinking about doing it is that people can read as little or as much as they want. If you only read one story, that’s still a perspective on what this home-bound character-killer was up to in her day. You’re doing just fine, Bill!

    • Jackie B June 1, 2020 at 3:17 pm

      Me too! I found I didn’t have the mindset for O’Connor’s writing during this global situation. The stories require too much focus for me to enjoy them right now. But I, too, have enjoyed following along. A lot of buddy read review posts are more interesting for me to read because they are more thoughtful than posts written solo. It’s obvious to me when someone has put more thought into a post than usual. I enjoy that.

  • Megan @ The Hungry Bookworm May 28, 2020 at 9:10 am

    I love buddy reads! I always read with the same buddy, and we generally have the same opinion on books, so it’s nice to gush about stuff together or vent/rant as needed. We used to do a lot of “oh I read this, now you have to” so we could talk about — even if it was bad, haha — but it’s much better to read bad books at the same time then knowing you’re sending the other person into a potentially not great experience just so you can get your feelings out about it.

    • Jackie B June 1, 2020 at 3:24 pm

      I’ve found that reading repeatedly with the same buddy is a lot of fun. The better we get to know each other, the better our book selections and related discussions tend to be.

      I love that you recommended bad books to each other! Sometimes, you need a bad book. I’ve been devouring bad books lately. It’s been amazing. In the right moment, they can be just what you need. Plus, I love any opportunity to talk to others about the books I read — particularly if they are bad! I want someone to commiserate with me. XD

  • Sam@WLABB May 28, 2020 at 4:19 pm

    Buddy reads are things I always want to do, but timing is never right. I agree with those ideas up there, though. I would definitely make an effort to read a book on time, if another person was involved, and I love the idea of having someone to discuss the book with while it’s still fresh in my memory.

    • Jackie B June 1, 2020 at 3:53 pm

      You read a ton of new releases. I find it very difficult to read new releases in a buddy read of book club format, particularly if the main way you get books is through ARCs. You then need to coordinate with someone who also has the ARC — and that’s difficult!

      Maybe if you ever get into reading some older publications you can find a buddy? It’s very rewarding, I promise! 🙂

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