Samantha Impaglia 
There’s nothing like cozying up with a good book on the beach — it’s actually one of our go-to activities — and there’s a Jersey Shore book club that lets you do just that, but with a twist. The Silent Book Club of Monmouth County hosts several reading events throughout the year, some on the beach, some at other Jersey Shore locales. The best part? You can choose to read amongst locals while being completely silent, or you can choose to socialize. A few of our Jersey Shore Girl team members have attended events recently, and highly recommend it. Read on for more about The Silent Book Club of Monmouth County, and how to attend an event (or a few!) at the Jersey Shore.
About the Silent Book Club + How it Works
The Monmouth County chapter of the Silent Book Club (aka SBC MoCo) hosts events throughout the Jersey Shore each month. All readers are welcome, and there’s no set reading material — you can bring whatever book(s) you’d like. There’s even a book swap option where you can bring a book, place it on the table, and select a new one.
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Each month includes a main reading meet-up as well as a “side quest” that can entail anything from craft nights to birdwatching to cocktail classes. The free reading meet-ups are open to all, while the side quests are usually ticketed. Around 100 locals attend each event, which are held at various venues including the beach, bookstores, coffee shops, breweries, bars, and other fun spots. As for the socializing part, you can wear a green or red wristband to indicate if you want to socialize or not. The event starts with socializing for the first part, then it’s silent reading, then social time again.
The Monmouth County club, which was started in 2023, is led by Nicole, Kate, Amy, Hannah, and Kristen. This chapter is one of over 2,000 globally, and its mission is to “connect like-minded booktroverts for a cozy reading experience in cool venues.”
“Our motto is “You can sit with us!” Members come to every meeting with a book and leave with new friends,” the website reads.
Jenna, a Jersey Shore local and JSG team member, shared that she loves going to Silent Book Club as it’s given her a way to connect with other Jersey Shore book-lovers, and it’s also been an outlet for getting the chance to read in some of her favorite local spaces.
Upcoming Events at the Jersey Shore
While SBC MoCo’s last beach event of the year has already passed, there are still a few other events to look forward to this year. The August side quest will be a message and a bottle craft night on Tuesday, August 19th at Thunder Road Books in Spring Lake.
The September meet-up will take place on Wednesday, September 17th at Marlboro Library from 6PM-8PM. There will be two side quests for September — a birding “big sit” on Sunday, September 7th at Lake Topanemus Park in Freehold, and a trip to Two River Theatre in Red Bank on Wednesday, September 24th for a showing of Murder on the Links.
For October, the meet-up will be held at Deal Lake Bar Co on Tuesday, October 14th from 7PM-9PM. The side quest will be at 3BR Distillery in Keyport for a literary cocktail class on Tuesday, October 7th.
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Keep up with the Silent Book Club of Monmouth County and its upcoming events on the website and Instagram.
Follow @thejerseyshoregirl_ on Instagram for the latest Jersey Shore updates, sign up for our weekly newsletter here that shares everything you missed each week, and check out our events calendar, which has over 40+ events weekly to peruse.
