A friend asks what to read next, you name a book, and a week later neither of you remembers it. Or you finish a book you loved and wonder which of your friends has read it too.
Bookclubs' mission has always been to inspire meaningful connections through books. For years, that happened mostly inside book clubs. But you read more than your club does, and the urge to talk about a book doesn't wait for the next meeting. So we've built new ways to share what you're reading with your book people. You can now follow other readers, see what your friends are reading, and recommend books to them in a few taps.
Share your shelves with friends
Your profile now leads with who you are as a reader: your favorites, what you're reading now, and the books on your shelves.
- Follow your friends to see what they're reading and the books they loved.
- Share your shelves, even with friends who aren't on Bookclubs yet. Send your profile link by text or email.
- You decide who sees your shelves. You approve each new follower before they can see what you're reading. Everyone else sees only your first name and your favorites. If you'd like friends to follow you right away, turn on Let anyone follow me.
You can turn emails and notifications about follow requests on or off anytime in your email and notification settings.
Recommend a book in a few taps
On any book page, choose Recommend to a friend. Pick someone you follow or a clubmate, add a note about why they'll love it, and send. They'll get a notification and can add the book to their Want to Read shelf with one tap.
Friend not on Bookclubs yet? Send it by email or text. When they join, the book is already on their Want to Read shelf, and you're friends on Bookclubs.
A home in the app built around your reading
If you're not in an active book club right now, the Bookclubs app opens to a home built around you:
- recommendations from friends
- book clubs reading books you might like
- new Book Talk discussions on books you've read
- a nudge to rate what you just finished
Talk about any book in Book Talk
Every book on Bookclubs has its own Book Talk page. Anyone can read the discussions, any member can reply for free, and Bookworm Platinum and Pulitzer members can start new ones. Spoilers stay hidden until you choose to see them. We'll also send you a roundup when readers start new discussions on books you've read recently.
A community you can trust
Bookclubs readers are real people who meet, talk, and read together. Your privacy comes first in everything we build.
- You approve your followers. Until you approve someone, they see only your first name and your favorites.
- Your private clubs stay private. Readers who follow you see your public clubs, plus any clubs you're both in.
- Coming soon: find friends by name. You'll be able to search for readers by name or email address. If you'd rather not be found, you can turn off Let people find me.
- Coming soon: block and report. You'll be able to block a reader and report them to our team.
How to use it
Following, profiles, and recommendations are available now on the Bookclubs website and in the iOS and Android apps.
On the website
Set up and share your profile
- Click your name in the top menu, then My profile.
- To pick your favorites, click Choose from books you've read in the Favorites section.
- Click Share my profile at the top right of your profile to send your link by email or copy it. On a phone, you can also send it by text message.
- Under Share my profile, you'll see whether anyone can follow you or you approve followers. Click Change to turn Let anyone follow me on or off.
Follow other readers
- Click a member's name in your club's member list, or open My Friends in the left menu on your profile and look under People from your clubs. You can also use the Search people in your clubs box.
- On their profile, click Follow. If they approve their followers, the button says Requested until they accept.
- When someone asks to follow you, click Follow Requests under your name on your profile, then Accept or Decline.
Recommend a book
- On a book page, click Recommend next to Add to my shelves, then Recommend to a friend.
- Add a note if you like, then click Recommend next to a friend or clubmate. Use Search readers to find someone.
- For a friend who isn't on Bookclubs, click Send by email or Copy message under Can't find your friend?
In the app
Set up and share your profile
- Tap the My Friends tab. Your profile is at the top.
- Tap the share icon next to your name to send your profile link.
- Tap You approve followers (or Anyone can follow you) under your follower counts to open Privacy settings, where you can turn Let anyone follow me on or off. You can also get there from More > Account > Privacy settings.
- To pick your favorites, go to the My Books tab and tap Choose from books you've read on the Favorite Books card.
Follow other readers
- On the My Friends tab, look under People from your clubs or use Search people in your clubs. You can also tap a name in your club's member list.
- On their profile, tap Follow.
- When someone asks to follow you, a Follow requests button appears on the My Friends tab. Tap it, then Accept or Decline.
Recommend a book
- On a book page, tap Recommend, then Recommend to a friend.
- Add a note if you like, then tap Recommend next to a friend or clubmate.
- For a friend who isn't on Bookclubs, tap Send by text or Send by email.
- When a friend recommends a book to you, tap See the recommendation in your notifications, then Add to Want to Read.
For more detail, see these Help Center articles:
- How do I follow other readers on Bookclubs?
- How do I approve or decline follow requests?
- What can other readers see on my profile?
- How do I recommend a book to a friend?
Share your shelves with a friend today, and send them the next book they should read 📚
Related Content
- Start a Conversation About Any Book: Introducing Book Talk
- Organize Your Shelves Your Way: Custom Shelf Tags and Want to Read Ordering Are Here
- How to use Digital Bookshelves on Bookclubs
Not a Bookclubs member yet? Join Bookclubs and find or start a book club today.