7 Great Spots for a Missoula Silent Book Club Meeting

UPDATE 1/22/24: I found another opportunity for a "silent reading party." Gild Brewing has teamed up with Hush Hour Missoula to host a reading event on January 30, 2024. You can find more details on their Instagram page.

ORIGINAL STORY: 

Missoula is a book city full of readers and lately, my friends have been texting me about an idea that's been taking off in other cities.

Have you heard of Silent Book Club? 

Your first thought might be, "Isn't that just what people do at a library?" and yes, it is, but Silent Book Club is also more.

Silent Book Club is described as an "Introvert Happy Hour" on the Silent Book Club website. They describe what they're all about like this:

Silent Book Club is a global community of readers and introverts, with more than 500 chapters in 50 countries around the world led by local volunteers. SBC members gather in public at bars, cafes, bookstores, libraries, and online to read together in quiet camaraderie.

My friends and I have all been texting about this because Missoula seems like the perfect city to host a Silent Book Club meeting (party? hang?).

I had a few ideas of my own, but I put out some feelers on social media and got some great recommendations. Here are the top 7 places in Missoula I think would make for a delightful Silent Book Club location.

Plonk

Plonk might be the most traditional book club-like because it's a wine bar, but it's an ideal choice because of the plentiful seating, ambient noise, and food options.

Break Espresso

The Break might have been a Silent Book Club before Silent Book Clubs were even a thing. It's the kind of place where you'll see a lot of people reading on their own, but occasionally looking up to say hello to an acquaintance.

University Center

This would draw readers who are also plant lovers and the dozens of plants in the University Center would be a welcome environment for an "introvert happy hour" I'd think.

Caras Park (good weather permitting)

Wouldn't it be amazing to see dozens of people just reading in Caras Park? You may laugh, but it seems like it would be a sort of rebellious act.

Liquid Planet Grille on Brooks

What a great way to break in Missoula's newest breakfast spot. Have some biscuits & gravy with your Flannery O'Connor.

VRTX Fitness

One social media user pointed out the cozy accommodations: "The lobby is inviting, the couch will pull you in, there is a cozy fireplace and you can order a coffee with Green Source Missoula." I'm sold. 

Dark Horse Bar

For the slightly less introverted and for reading with a little music. Also, you might need to bring a book light.

Honorable Mention: Missoula Public Library

It's an obvious choice, but for good reason. The building itself is beautiful (and award-winning) and the setting is already conducive to reading. Plus, if you decide you want to change what you're reading, you'll have plenty of options.

NOTE: During this exercise, I discovered that there's a private group on Facebook called Silent Book Group Missoula and it looks like the moderator on the Instagram account tied to Silent Book Club LLC is the same moderator as the Facebook group. It's a private group with 84 members, so people are already meeting. I'd be curious to know if the group has met at any of these locations. In any case, I may just have to request an invitation to join the club.