I joined Derby's silent book club and discovered a wicked new cocktail bar in the process

How often do you read? I could happily spend the entire weekend curled up with my favourite book. I don’t care where I read, as long as I have a book at my fingertips.

I have been known to pack a book with me when I’m visiting town, going to do my nails, even when seeing mates down the pub (because I can easily read a few pages while waiting for them to return from a packed bar with queues).

Finding the time to dive into a book may be tricky, which is why I was a little bit surprised when I heard about a new book club.

The Silent Book Club takes place every month at Carnero Lounge, a restaurant in Derby.

You may well be wondering ‘What is a Silent Book Club?’

It’s where you spend a solid 60 minutes in a ‘readathon’ where people read in silence alongside you.

The quirky aspect about this is that there is no set book, you can read what you want, be it an essay, hardback, paperback, poem or anything else.

My curiosity got the better of me and I went along to one of the Silent Book Club events.

The set-up is pretty informal.

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We all met upstairs on the first floor of restaurant Carnero Lounge on St Peters Street at 6pm.

This gave us time to have a quick chat, get to know each other very briefly, before reading for the full hour.

I took along my current book and got stuck in.

It did feel a little odd reading alongside 20 other people, but it was a pleasant experience.

I had also got two cocktails which is part of Carnero Lounge’s Happy Hour, so I really did enjoy sipping cocktails and reading my book.

The Silent Book Club will appeal to those who struggle to carve out reading time in their busy lives.

I’m quite lucky in that I find it fairly easy to make time for reading.

It’s something I have drilled into me, after setting up my own book club, but more on that some other time.

I enjoyed attending the book club and met some friendly souls.

What blew me away was the popularity of the group.

Read more: What's On in Derby?

It was set up by organiser Lizzie Rowley in October 2023 when a handful of bibliophiles rocked up on a chilly autumn evening.

Fast forward seven months and meetings are typically attended by around 15 people.

The online Meetup group also has 159 members, which hints at the success of the book club.

As far as reading groups go, it is a welcome addition to Derby’s reading scene.

I think I may be inspired to explore Derby’s book scene even more!