11 Things All Book Clubbers Have In Common

I recently moved in down the street from a childhood best friend and, needless to say, we were both ecstatic to be living within walking distance of each other after being apart for nearly 10 years. With out new living situation, we could finally get back to doing the things we love: watching old episodes of Charmed and Gilmore Girls together on the couch, having late-night heart-to-hearts on her patio, and sharing reading recommendations. It didn't take long after I moved back to realize that we had to start a book club.

Book clubs are amazing and they've become a bit of an American obsession. From reading groups at local libraries to celebrity book clubs (like Emma Watson's feminist one) to online book clubs, 56 percent of women in the U.S. are in a book club, and according to The New York Times , there as many as 5 million Americans who belong to one or more book club.

From the small groups of friends who read together, like me and my BFF, to the more organized groups, everyone in a book club has an obvious thing in common: We all love reading. But our bonds go deeper than our bookshelves, much deeper. More than just a shared taste in books, here are 11 things all book clubbers have in common. (I would know, because these things are all true about me, too.)

1. We All Have Huge TBR Piles

If there's one thing I know about book clubbers, it's that their shelves are overflowing with unread books. Despite our commitment to reading, there are just too many amazing books out there and not nearly enough time to read them.

2. We Appreciate Good Snacks

Anyone can sit around and talk about books, but we book clubbers know it's the combination of reading, conversation, and snacks that make being in a book club so great. Novels and cheese plates go hand in hand, it's a simple fact.

3. We Like To Have The Last Word

Book club member love a lively discussion, and we love getting the last word in even more. Sure, everyone's points are valid, but I just have one last things to add...

4. We Tend To Overanalyze

Book nerds in general tend to pick apart every little detail, but as book club members, we do it to the extreme. We can't help but to read into things, both in books and in out real lives.

5. We Don't Mind Playing Devil's Advocate

Every book clubber knows a discussion is only as good as the debate it creates. For the sake of keeping things interesting, we don't mind playing devil's advocate, even if we don't actually agree with what we're saying. The fun is in the discourse.

6. We Love A Good Love Story

We're saps, OK? We love a love story, and the more dramatic the better. Love triangles, separated soul mates, you name it, but we love reading it, discussing it, and even crying over it.

7. We're Open-Minded

Whether it be a new genre or an opposing theory in a heated discussion, book club members are open minded to new things. We like hearing new opinions and ideas, especially when they lead to good books.

8. We Enjoy Surprises

We read a lot as book club members, and it takes a lot to surprise us — I mean, we've read every situation and figured out every possible ending. When something does catch us off guard, whether it's a plot twist in a book or IRL, we appreciate a good surprise, no matter how infrequent.

9. We Always Follow Through — Always

There are plenty of good reasons to quit reading a book you're in the middle of, but being part of a book club doesn't leave you that option. That's OK, though, because book clubbers all have the same great trait: persistence and follow through.

10. We Never Say No To Another Glass Of Wine

Book club meetings aren't really meeting at all — they're fun get-togethers that usually include snacks and, yes, a few bottles of wine. Book lovers are not only great reading companions and good conversationalists, but we also make great drinking buddies, because we never turn down a second drink.

11. We Appreciate Good Company

Anyone can read on their own, but we book clubbers come together for another reason: the company. We love a social environment — as long as everyone has read the book!

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