You’d probably assume San Luis Obispo’s Silent Book Club would live up to its name. But when these reading enthusiasts are together, it’s just the opposite of silent—a space of inclusivity, connection, and happening conversation over a plethora of written stories.
Silent Book Club is actually a worldwide effort with chapters filled with eager readers looking to connect with others, but maybe in a more introverted way. Think of it like an in-person Goodreads, if you will.
Kassidy Steaffens started the SLO chapter a couple of years ago after being inspired by a club in Fresno. She said the club doesn’t have a designated book of the month, so readers are allowed to bring whatever they may be into at the moment—whether it’s a physical book, on a Kindle, or an iPad—and chat about it.
“Everyone just brings whatever they’re reading, and then it acts like a conversation starter, essentially, you know?” she said. “The traditional way this club works is supposed to be an organized 30 minutes of socialization and an hour of reading. But our group is just so chatty, and I think that’s beautiful. So we just kind of let everyone do their own thing. And some people will go off and read, some people will just hang out and talk the whole time.”
Steaffens said books are a great way to build community.
“It’s like, ‘Oh, you’re reading this book by that author?’ ‘Oh, my God. Have you read this one?'” she said. “It’s so natural and easy to start conversations that way and a really natural way to make friends and build relationships and build community.”
Since it started, the Silent Book Club chapter has proven successful among Central Coast readers. Years ago, even the chapter’s first meeting had a great turnout with 20, Steaffens said. Since then, the group, which meets the last Sunday of every month, has grown to at least 50 attendees at each meetup and has 1,000 Instagram followers.
“So, it’s definitely big and consistent. There’s always new people, there’s always regulars. It’s like a very solid group, and everyone is so nice,” she said.
Traditionally, the group found refuge in SLO’s Bang the Drum Brewery, which recently had to vacate its location at 1150 Laurel Lane in May because the city deemed its building unsafe. Steaffens said the loss of Bang the Drum has been difficult for the group—it was a safe space, especially for the queer community, which Steaffens said is important to her personally.
“I would never want to host something in a place that didn’t feel that way. And I feel like a lot of people who come to the club share those same values. So that was definitely something that I really wanted to consider [when] finding a place,” she said.
Since the Silent Book Club lost its trusty meeting quarters, Steaffens said she’s been on the hunt for a new queer-friendly space for the group to gather and has since found The Bunker SLO, located at 810 Orcutt Road, to be just the ticket.
“It’s super amazing. I have been so worried about where we were going to go, but The Bunker actually hosted a little last karaoke night thing for all the Bang the Drum people … and then there, my friend introduced me to their owners who were amazing, and they were so excited about the club,” Steaffens said. “I feel so thankful to support another really cool queer-friendly, local woman-owned business. I’m glad that we found another really good home base.”
The book club’s next meeting is scheduled for Friday, June 27, at The Bunker from 6 to 8 p.m., but Steaffens specified that the usual schedule of meeting the last Sunday of each month will start in July.
For more information, visit the chapter’s Instagram at instagram.com/silentbookclubslo.
Fast fact
• The Cambria Scarecrow Festival, a nonprofit known for its charming decorative papier-mache displays during October, is hosting an upcoming fundraiser, Summer Soirée—a festive evening at Camp Ocean Pines on July 12. Guests will enjoy local wines, small bites, music by DJ Ponce, and a beautiful coastal sunset, all in support of the annual fall event. For more information visit cambriascarecrows.com. Δ
Reach Staff Writer Libbey Hanson at lhanson@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Pride 2025.