If there is one thing we know about our cardholders and visitors, it is that they love books -which makes your local library, and the book clubs it hosts, a great place to meet new books and new friends!
Fairfax County Public Library branches are home to countless book clubs and discussion groups – seriously, it was hard to count how many different groups we have across our system. From your ordinary “we meet on Wednesdays and read all kinds of books” clubs to your more niche “I only want to talk about this specific type of book” groups, if you are looking for a book club to join in Fairfax County, you are almost guaranteed to find one among our 23 branches. Read on to discover just a few of the unique book club offerings we have on the calendar now.
Genre-Based Book Clubs
Are you mad for mysteries? Maybe you are a lunatic for love stories or nuts about non-fiction. Whatever the case, we are certain we have a book club for you. Several of our branches regularly host book discussion groups focused on books of a specific genre. For our friends who prefer the murder, intrigue, and twists and turns of a good whodunit, check out our mystery-based groups at Chantilly Regional, Dolley Madison, Oakton, Patrick Henry and Tysons-Pimmit Regional libraries. If spooky and scary reads are more your vibe, look no further than Centreville Regional Library’s Grim Readers book club. Readers who prefer wonderous tales of romance (with or without the angst) will adore Kingstowne Library’s Love Bug Book Club, while those who opt for the rhymes and symbolism of poems can find a comfortable home at Martha Washington Library’s Poetry Discussion Group. And if you are looking for a more introspective reading experience, find the groups you need with Dolley Madison Library’s Shelf-Discovery Book Club, Reston Regional Library’s virtual Journey Within: Self-Discovery Book Club and Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library’s Women’s Personal Growth Book Club and Sharing Circle meeting for the first time in late October 2025.
Culture-Based Book Clubs
FCPL hopes that everyone who visits or utilizes our library can find themselves among the pages of the books we carry, as well as those we discuss in our programs. Which is why our staff and volunteers have developed discussion groups like the ones we are about to mention. Open to everyone, these book groups cover works of literature about people from a specific cultural background and oftentimes, written by authors of that same background. One such group currently offered is the virtual Soul Sisters Book Discussion group, which focuses on books from Black writers that promote celebration of self, empowerment and leisure. Another is the Desi Book Discussion group, which also meets virtually and centers around books about South Asian culture. Meanwhile, our Spanish-speaking book lovers can connect with each other at City of Fairfax Regional Library’s Club de literatura latinoamericana (or Latin American Literature Club) where they read and discuss books written in Spanish. Finally, for those who are in the process of learning English, Kingstowne Library’s Dear ALL (American Language Learner) Book Club offers attendees an opportunity to share their love of books with others and practice language skills at the same time.
Book Clubs For Kids and Teens
Once you start reading, it is never too early to join a book club – just ask our branches! Starting in kindergarten, children can join their peers in a discussion setting to chat all about their love of books. For example, Martha Washington Library is home to THREE(!) book clubs just for kids. These include: My First Book Club for children in grades kindergarten through 2nd, Story Project Book Club for 2nd through 4th grade readers and the Cliffhanger Book Club, a read-aloud book club for readers in 5th and 6th grades. For young fans of the American Girl series, Sherwood Regional Library has the perfect book club where attendees not only read a book from the series but also discuss the main character’s background and historical context. Moving onto book clubs for older kids, comic lovers and graphic novel fans ages 9 to 17 can gather monthly at Dolley Madison Library’s Comic Bookaneers Book Club to discuss and discover new reads, while teens looking for a more relaxed setting can check out Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library’s Teen Book Club.
Other Unique Book Clubs
We know what you are thinking – “How can there possibly be more?” Well, there are, and these “book” clubs don’t really fall into any of the categories we mentioned already, nor do they fit the traditional mold. In a true testament to just how broad our book clubs reach, these groups extend beyond the walls of our branches and, sometimes, beyond books themselves. A growing number of our branches are taking their book clubs on the road with Books and Brews groups. Hosted at local breweries or bars in the communities they serve, City of Fairfax Regional, Chantilly Regional and Kingstowne libraries currently organize meetings of such groups, while Patrick Henry Library’s previously mentioned mystery book club also meets at a brewery. Our branches even have clubs that don’t discuss books at all, but rather other forms of media. City of Fairfax Regional Library’s Podcast Brunch Club meets at the branch monthly to discuss, you guessed it, podcast episodes. Prior to each month’s meeting, they release a list of episodes on their website for attendees to listen to and prepare to discuss.
Accommodative Book Clubs
We also have book clubs that serve our cardholders and visitors in need of certain accommodations. FCPL’s Access Services branch hosts two book clubs, both of which meet via teleconference call that highlight reading materials available through the branch. These include books available for home delivery, through the Talking Book Service and in large print and Braille. Their All-Access Book Club specifically focuses on books available from both the Talking Book Service and in the FCPL collection but is more general in theme, while their Spotlight On series rotates its focus across various genres. Meanwhile, during Pohick Regional Library’s Tuesday Specials program, readers with intellectual differences and their caregivers can meet to discuss books from rotating genres in a virtual setting.
So Much More to Explore!
This is just a small (even if it doesn’t seem like it) sample of the book clubs and discussion groups FCPL and its 23 branches have to offer. And while we can’t mention every program that is upcoming on our calendars, trust us when we say – if you like to read, we have a book club for you! To check out all of our current book club and discussion group offerings, visit bit.ly/FCPL_BookClubs.