Reading alone together

You may be reading alone, but it is anything but lonely. For me, a good book means never feeling alone. I see what the protagonist sees while I walk with him or her through the same landscape. So I trudge through muddy alleys in 19th-century London (‘There are Rivers in the Sky’ by Elif Shafak) or walk across the cobblestones of a piazza under the Neapolitan sun (‘Gap’ by Yannick Dangre).

Still, physically you are just sitting there alone with your book, but it doesn't have to be that way. Silent Book Clubs* show how special it is to read together. No shared reading list or deadlines, but reading your own book together in silence. And afterwards, if you like, you can share where you were: in London, Naples, or somewhere totally different.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who gets easily distracted at home or automatically reaches for their phone. At a Silent Book Club, there is only one plan… reading. In complete peace and quiet. No distractions, no pressure. It is not for nothing that these clubs are also called ‘happy hour for introverts’.

At Bed&Books, you take the experience of a shared reading hour to the next level: a reading weekend in Sweden! Imagine: an entire weekend centered around reading. No errands, no obligations — just you, your book, and the silence… a wonderful, relaxing weekend to

fully recharge!

*Source: Volkskrant March 10, 2026 (‘From Dostoevsky to fantasy: at the ‘silent reading club’ you really get around to reading together, without distractions’ by Leen Vervaeke)

NB: In Great Britain, there are 135 Silent Bookclubs that have registered on the official website (2026).