On a new page: Bengaluru sees rise in book clubs with unique formats

In recent months, a meet-up that pairs food with books, and one held on public transport have come up

Bengaluru is home to numerous book clubs, but a handful of clubs with unique concepts have cropped up in the past few months. One club discusses books they hate, while others mix food and reading, with menus based on the book in question. 

Diss a book

A meet-up this Saturday will see readers gather to talk about the books they dislike. The event was conceptualised by Aparajitha Sankar of Atta Galatta, Indiranagar. “The announcement was put out on Monday and we received 15 signups almost immediately,” says Aparajitha. Some of the books she would like to discuss include Chetan Bhagat’s latest — ‘12 Years: My Messed Up Love Story’. “The age gap relationship in the book has caused quite a stir and I would like to talk about the way the woman protagonist has been described,” she says. She also plans to bring up the fantasy series ‘Powerless’ by Lauren Roberts. “As an avid reader of the fantasy genre, I found it quite disappointing. It had elements ripped from other fantasy books and film plots,” she shares. For details, look up attagalatta.com

Bus reads

More of a community reading event,
Bus Reads (@readintransit on Instagram) sees a group of people boarding BMTC buses to read while on the move. The idea came to Sahana Srikant on her long commute from her home in Banashankari to her Sarjapur Road office. “I use this time to read and I thought it would be great to get some people together to do the same,” says Sahana. 

Introduced in late 2025, the events are typically held on Sundays. The group boards the V500D bus at the Silk Board bus depot. The route takes commuters through HSR Layout, Iblur and Sarjapur Road. Usually, the bus rides are paired with on-ground events. In the last edition, the group disembarked at Kalyan Nagar. The readers participated in an ‘imaginarium’, organised by Greenpeace India, where they were asked to imagine a positive future for the city. “Sometimes, after the ride, we also visit a bookstore or spend time at a lake,” she shares. Sahana ran a pilot in November last year. “One person showed up,” she recalls. Now, an average of 13-15 people attend. Participation is capped at 20 and the group boards at the bus depot to ensure everyone gets a seat.

The rides, usually on the newer AC buses, attract a mix of people, including those interested in mobility and public transport. The books read on these commutes are as diverse as the people who participate — from ‘The Metamorphosis’ by Franz Kafka to ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ by Kurt Vonnegut.  

Food and stories 

The Women Who Cook Club is yet to have its first meeting. The club was conceptualised by chef Sreya Vittaldev who goes by @darthdevi on X. Her post calling for applications, on February 21, was reposted 26 times and has already received over 100 responses. Participants will be added to a WhatsApp group where they will decide on a theme and a date. Each attendee will cook a recipe from a cookbook under the theme chosen and bring the book and dish along to the meet-up. They will talk about the recipe, culinary traditions, and the book. 

Book A Table will host its first meet-up on March 1. The supper and book club (@book_a_table on Instagram) is organised by sisters Shachi and Kriti Srivastava. The duo plans to host a maximum of 12 participants at their home once a month. The first edition will see a discussion of the ‘Bridgerton’ book series by author Julia Quinn. The food, inspired by the series, will include scones, tea and tea-based cocktails, among other dishes.