Books, Libraries, & Reading Groups

Welcome to Washington, D.C.’s literary haven! In the heart of the nation’s capital, words come to life through a tapestry of libraries, book clubs, and reading organizations. Whether you’re an avid reader, a budding writer, or simply seeking a vibrant literary community, our comprehensive guide will lead you on a journey through the city’s literary treasures. Explore the pages ahead to discover where to shop for your next favorite book, join engaging reading groups, and immerse yourself in the thriving world of words and stories.

Bookstores and libraries have always been community spaces that support growth, education, and gatherings for free or at low cost. Don’t be shy to take advantage the resources, spaces, and events that DC’s libraries and bookstores offer to the community.

Use the navigation menu below to jump to the section you’re looking for:

  1. Books, Libraries, & Reading Groups
    1. Events Calendar
    2. Interactive Map
    3. Libraries
    4. Bookstores & Book Clubs
    5. Reading & Writing Organizations
    6. Friends of the Library Groups
    7. Feedback & Input

Events Calendar

Looking for book related events in DC? Click the button below to go to our events calendar for book fairs, author talks, and other special events in DC.

Book Events In DC

Have an event you’d like to be added to our calendar for future viewers? Hit the “Submit Event” button below to get started.

Submit Event

Interactive Map

Use the map below to discover bookstores and reading/writing organizations near you. Read below to find more details on that shop or organization’s bio and programs.

Libraries

“Visit one of DC Public Library’s 26 locations around the city! Discover your new favorite book, explore our countless services, and participate in programming geared towards kids, teens, adults and families. Find your story at DC Public Library.”
A list of all of the DC library locations, hours, and websites can be found on their “Plan a Visit” website.

DC Libraries also offer a variety of free and popular services such as passport renewals / photos, borrowing materials, meeting and study rooms, tutoring, adult literacy, ESL (English Second Language Groups), Computer Classes, Adult Literacy, Tax Preparation, Voter Registration, Maker Spaces, Dance and Recording Studios, Career Coaching, Legal Support Services, and Small Business Help, as well as plenty of special events and art exhibits just to list a few. See their full list of services at their “Using The Library” website.

Many libraries host in person and virtual book clubs on a wide variety of topics – from new releases to romance, the classics, books that have been turned into films, and even food and cookbooks. Check the following calendar here for all meeting times and locations and for any new clubs that pop up.

Bookstores & Book Clubs

  • BOL Co-op (Creative Grounds, Bloomingdale)
    • “DC’s First Worker Owned Bookstore
    • Bol is a project rooted in a vision: worker ownership, free exchange of ideas, and political empowerment. We have a large and growing collection of new and used books for purchase, from history to poetry to speculative fiction. We have presented events on Afghanistan under the Taliban, gentrification and displacement in DC, and the transformative power of science fiction jazz. Please do visit us to browse our collection, buy a book or three, have a good conversation, and also try some coffee and pastries from Creative Grounds, the coffee shop where we are currently stationed.”
    • Book Club, Reading Groups & Events
    • Find out more about their book clubs, reading groups, and events here on their social media pages.
  • Bold Fork Books (Mt. Pleasant)
    • “Located in the diverse and bustling neighborhood of Mount Pleasant, Bold Fork Books is Washington DC’s only culinary bookshop, featuring new and vintage cookbooks and elevated kitchen wares. The owners, Clementine Thomas and Sam Vasfi, worked in the district’s restaurant industry for many years and the culinary books they collected over the years changed the way they cook, eat, and think about the world around them. Now they are committed to sharing this passion by growing a deeply connected and dedicated shop community of home cooks, restaurant professionals, and curious eaters through books and a diverse slate of events.”
    • Cook Book Club
    • Bold Fork frequently hosts author talks, cooking themed events, and a special Cook Book club for our culinary inclined friends. Find their events here
  • Busboys & Poets (Brookland, 14th St, Mt. Vernon Sq)
    • “Busboys and Poets is a community where racial and cultural connections are consciously uplifted… a place to take a deliberate pause and feed your mind, body and soul… a space for art, culture and politics to intentionally collide… we believe that by creating such a space we can inspire social change and begin to transform our community and the world.”
    • This versatile bookshop, restaurant, and community space is really about it! They host a plethora of community events that won’t fail to nourish the mind, body, and soul. A DC establishment that’s been around for a while and stays working to provide for its patrons.
    • Events
    • Busboys & Poets hosts their own In House Series Events focusing on music, poetry, discussion series, labor, storytelling, community service, spoken word, gender and sexuality, climate action to list a few. Their In House Series events can be found here and their full events list can be found here.
  • Capitol Hill Books (Capitol Hill)
    • “Capitol Hill Books is a used bookstore located on historic Capitol Hill in Washington DC, with three floors of quality used books, first editions and rare books. In the summer of 2018, a group of long-term employees purchased the store from Jim Toole. We are located directly across from Eastern Market, two blocks from the Eastern Market metro stop and just a short walking distance from the United States Capitol, The Library of Congress, and The Supreme Court. If you are searching for a particular book, please stop by the store, and we’ll help you find it. We have a small staff, a constantly changing inventory and a shop that’s sometimes bustling with bibliophiles, so thank you for understanding we are not always able to assist with book searches via email or phone.”
    • Events
    • Every second Saturday, Capitol Hill Books hosts a little party at the store offering cheeses, libations, and book sales. To be kept current on their special events, join their mailing list found here.
  • Loyalty Bookstore (Petworth)
    • “We like books. We like you. And we’re ready to bring the best diverse books and events to our community. Loyalty was founded by Hannah Oliver Depp, a Black and Queer Bookseller who has spent her career working to diversify the book industry in order for it to better serve the powerful communities of color and queerness. In February of 2023, Christine Bollow came on as co-owner and business partner, bringing her vast events experience and perspective as a Queer, disabled, and biracial Filipina bookseller into the fabric of Loyalty. We aim to be the Mid-Atlantic’s neighborhood spot for wonderful books and unique stationery, gifts, and programming. Our staff and our selection highlight the diverse voices and creatives that make our communities great. Our intersectional community is important to our staff, therefore those are the books you’ll find centered in our store, in our programming, and in our promotions. We work to create an inclusive, welcoming environment and provide books and goods for the home because, well, books are home. By creating a team of local vendors and community partners in Washington, DC and Silver Spring, MD that center Black, PoC, and Queer voices we create singular shopping and event experiences.”
    • Events
    • Find their in person book talks and special events on their site’s calendar here.
  • Politics & Prose Bookstore (Union Market, Chevy Chase, Wharf)
    • “P&P’s mission, as articulated by Brad and Lissa, is this: ‘Politics and Prose is a DC-based business devoted to cultivating community and strengthening the common good through books, programs, and a respectful exchange of ideas. We’re committed to exceptional customer service and to the values of independence, inclusion, and diversity.’”
    • Book Groups, Special Events & Programming
    • Find out more information regarding their special events, children & teen services, programs including classes, trips & book groups, and other services on their website.
    • Politics and Prose supports more than 20 different Store-Sponsored Book Groups. Several book groups are meeting online. Please check the individual book group webpages above for online meeting information. For direct inquires please email: bookgroups@politics-prose.com
  • Sankofa Video Books & Cafe (Pleasant Plains)
    • “Named after the internationally acclaimed film called SANKOFA (produced by the founders) , Sankofa Video, Books & Café carries with it an expectation of quality and discovery. Founded in 1998 by filmmaking couple, Haile and Shirikiana Gerima, Sankofa Video and Books specializes in videos and books about people of African descent around the world. Sankofa Video, Books & Cafe is liberated territory that hopes to be a place where thoughtful consideration of the past and future can take place via books, films, and programming particularly generated by and about people of African Descent.”
    • Events & Programming
    • Sankofa hosts a consistent and strong lineup of events including film screenings, book tours, Noname’s book club, book launches, open mic nights, lecture series, guest speakers, live poetry readings, art programs just to list a few. A view of their full calendar can be found here. Follow them on social media to keep current on all of their special events, festivals, and community gatherings hosted inside their store and on their patio.
    • Claudia Jones School for Political Education has also begun their monthly book club at Sankofa
  • Kramers (Dupont Circle)
    • “Kramers is an iconic independent bookstore, versatile events space, award winning-restaurant, and illustrious bar – all in one. Since 1976, Kramers has been the quintessential gathering place for friendly locals, curios visitors, highfalutin foodies, happy hour revelers, comedy lovers, jazz experts, authors, intellectuals, and frankly, every one else, too.”
    • Book Club & Events Calendar
    • Kramer Books posts its book club picks on its Twitter profile. For a full list of ongoing events at its store, look to their EventBrite page here. Events include Trivia, book talks, poetry readings, and other special programmings.
  • East City Bookshop (Capitol Hill)
    • “Since our opening on April 30, 2016, East City Bookshop has become a gathering place for book lovers of all ages. It’s a place to talk about books and ideas, to learn something new, or to revisit something you once knew well. By offering author events, book clubs, other community events, we want to connect you with the books and ideas you want and need…and some that maybe you didn’t even know you wanted and needed. We also have a selection of toys, gifts, art supplies, and bookish items that we think would make a special treat for yourself or for someone you like a whole lot. Our mission is to provide friendly and warm service, community-oriented events, and support for the literary arts at every reading level.”
    • Book Clubs & Events
    • A full list of their events can be found on their site. Past programs have included book talks, book festivals, and virtual & hybrid events. East City Bookshop also runs a dozen different book clubs for readers of any inclination to find a reading group that suits them. Information on each group’s theme can be found on their site here.
  • Kahini Books (Online & Popup)
    • “Kahini Books is an online/pop-up bookstore that highlights South Asian fiction & other lesser-known fiction from authors from other communities. Our books are mainly used but some are new. Most books are priced at $15 or less, with some higher. Kahini also has a Personalized Recommendation Survey that you can take to find the perfect book for you. We ship to the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. Pick-up is available in the Washington, D.C. area.”
  • Middle East Books and More (Dupont Circle)
    • “Middle East Books and More is a project of the American Educational Trust, a non-profit, non-partisan organization incorporated in 1982 in Washington, DC. Foreign Service Officers. For 40 years, the American Educational Trust (AET) has been promoting U.S.-Middle East understanding with an emphasis on informed debate on the Arab-Israeli peace process. To provide these books, the American Educational Trust began importing thousands of titles about the Middle East from Europe. In August of 2003, AET partnered with Celebrate Presence, a project in Hereford, MD selling Palestinian arts and crafts, to create International Marketing for Middle Eastern Artisans (IMMEA). In 2005, AET assumed responsibility for a large portion of the project, and these products were officially incorporated into the organization as the Palestinian Arts & Crafts Trust (PACT). The AET Book Club and PACT are now under the banner of Middle East books and More.”
    • Along with an expansive collection of curated books, this shop also sells pottery, cookbooks, children’s and Arabic books, olive oils, and other foods
  • Lost City Books (Adams Morgan)
    • “Lost City Books is owned by Adam, a veteran and dog-lover, a long-time resident of DC, and an enthusiastic disseminator of books. Our small team is a collection of some of DC’s coolest kids: artists, educators, musicians, writers, and—of course—avid readers all coming together to enrich this unique environment. To consider the past, the present and the future with an equal mind is often the purpose of literature and is certainly the story of the human condition: molded by the past, yet inevitably changed by the future. Lost City Books is a rediscovery of both, a chance to visit diverse places, ideas, time periods and experiences. To be curious –emotionally, intellectually, psychologically — about the world, the mind, and the imagination is to be an explorer, always between shores, weighing the latest discoveries with what is tested true. Lost City Books is the place for explorers, for deep divers, who want the books they find to take them to a new horizon.”
    • Bookclubs & Events
    • Lost City Books hosts both Author Events & Community events at their store. A full list of their upcoming events can be found here. They also host monthly book clubs with rotating topics and themes all of which can be found here on their site.
  • Potter’s House Cafe & Bookstore (Adam’s Morgan)
    • “We constantly strive to uphold our values of solidarity, justice, spirituality, and care for the earth. Learn how we live our values every day, and consider donating or purchasing a gift card to support our mission as a nonprofit social enterprise. What we offer: Our bookstore specializes in curation for social movements, justice and equity, cultural studies, and spiritual traditions. Our Books: Our coffee & tea drinks, bakery items, and food are available to order online or at the counter, all with in-store pickup. Our Menu: We have been serving tens of thousands of free meals each year to those in need, and rely on your support to keep our welcoming doors open to all.”
    • Events Calendar & Book Clubs
    • Potter’s House full calendar can be found on their site here. They’ve hosted their own monthly book club, morning yoga sessions, live music, special series, author events, and other workshops to list a few.
  • Reiter’s Books (Foggy Bottom)
    • “Located in the heart of our nation’s capital on the corner of 19th & G Street N.W., Reiter’s Books is a treasure for DC’s great minds and big thinkers. Established in 1936, Reiter’s is one of a few woman-owned booksellers in the world that is focused on bringing scientific, medical and technical books directly to the community. From finance, economics, math and medicine to design, architecture, politics and policy, Reiter’s has what you’re looking for. We also carry Littmann Stethoscopes, Welch Allyn Diagnostic Sets and other pocket medical equipment and puzzles, games and toys for thinking children of all ages.”
    • Meetups, Events & Bookclubs
    • Reiter’s hosts their own book club and events all of which can be found on their website here. They also post their book club gatherings and special events on Meetup.com.
  • Solid State Books (14th St, H Street Corridor)
    • “Solid State Books is a fiercely independent bookstore and café featuring a deep and diverse selection of fiction and non-fiction titles, an extensive children’s book and young adult section, and a selection of stationery and gifts curated to appeal to customers of all ages. Ideally situated in the heart of the bustling and historic H Street Corridor, Solid State Books is a vital intellectual and social hub. We are a city of readers, writers, students, artists, activists, and politicos. Solid State Books is the nexus for all of these groups, engaging the community through our slate of dynamic programming and an unparalleled bookstore experience.”
    • Bookclubs & Events
    • A full list of their events calendar can be found here. Previous events have included author events, poetry readings and recordings, festivals, open mics, story times, knitting events just to list a few. More information on their book clubs can be found here on their website. Topics range from deaf centered literature, romance, horror, books you love to hate, sci-fi/fantasy, drugs, new fiction, young adult, and even the opportunity to start your own book club.
  • Second Story Books (Dupont Circle)
    • “Second Story Books has grown from its small second floor location in northwest Washington, D.C., to become one of the largest used and rare bookstores in the world. USA Today cited Second Story Books as one of the ten best bookstores in the country. The Dupont Circle store, frequently cited as one of the best bookstores in the Washington metropolitan area by Washingtonian Magazine, The City Paper and various consumer polls, marked its 40th anniversary in 2018. The 16,000-square-foot Rockville Warehouse store has received its fair share of praise, as well, from Washingtonian Magazine, Bethesda Magazine and Montgomery Magazine, among others.”
    • Events, Auctions, and Services
    • A full calendar view of their upcoming events can be found on their website here. Furthermore, Second Story also provides appraisal services, auctions, special collections, bookbinding and consignments
  • Carpe Librum
    • “Used bookstore supporting @turningthepagedc. Pop-up store hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 12pm-6pm.”

Reading & Writing Organizations

  • DC Writer’s Salon
    • “Based in Dupont Circle, the Salon is a studio and community for writers, the active or aspiring, extroverted artists seeking humans or introverted linguists seeking accountability. Come write with us!”
    • Bookclub, Programs, and Calendar
    • DC Writer’s Salon not only hosts their own monthly book club, they also put on a variety of workshops and programs for aspiring writers in DC. See their calendar here.
  • Capitol Hill Writers Group
    • “Capitol Hill Writers Group is a network of local writing groups in Washington, DC.  By connecting writers who are passionate about the craft, CHWG helps form the crucial support you need to keep writing.”
    • This writers group oversees a broad network of writers in DC grouping them by writing style and subject. With over 16 different writing groups, there’s bound to be a writing cohort that you connect with. Submit an application to join here.
  • The Inner Loop
    • “The Inner Loop is a literary reading series and network for creative writers in the Washington, D.C. metro area. We aim to create a space for both emerging and established writers to connect with their community, and to transform the written word into a shared experience through the act of reading aloud. Founded in 2014, our organization is driven by a love of writing, by the joy of hearing people read their work, and by a desire to make the work of local writers more accessible to their community. We strive to create a space where people gather to experience the short stories, the memoirs, the poems, the essays, and most especially, the writers themselves. We feel that the act of reading aloud transforms the written word into a communal event, bringing the writer and the audience together in a way that is entirely different from reading on the page.”
    • Programs
    • The Inner Loop runs a reading series, radio, residency, retreats, and their own “Author’s Corner” teaming up with local food & beverage partners to feed you words from area writers. Learn more about how you can connect with these writers through their industry partners. All their programming can be found on their website here.
  • The Writer’s Center
    • “We’re a community of writers from around the world, headquartered in the Washington DC area. The Writer’s Center supports writers and everyone who wants to write! Every year we offer hundreds of creative writing workshops in all genres and for all experience levels, dozens of free events for writers, and countless opportunities to connect with the Washington DC and national literary communities.”
    • Workshops, Free Events, Resources, & Poetry
    • The Writer’s Center offers writing workshops, scholarships and fellowships, free events which can be found on their calendar here, resource libraries, coaches and consultants, and publish their own poetry journal.
  • Split This Rock
    • “Calling poets to a greater role in public life and fostering a national network of socially engaged poets. Split This Rock cultivates, teaches, and celebrates poetry that bears witness to injustice and provokes social change. It calls poets to a greater role in public life and fosters a national network of socially engaged poets. Building the audience for poetry of provocation and witness from our home in the nation’s capital, we celebrate poetic diversity and the transformative power of the imagination. Split This Rock explores and celebrates the many ways that poetry can act as an agent for change: reaching across differences, considering personal and social responsibility, asserting the centrality of the right to free speech, bearing witness to the diversity and complexity of human experience through language, imagining a better world.”
    • Programs & Resources
    • Find their programs such as poem of the week series, open mics, youth programs, poetry contests, biennial festivals, eco-justice projects here. They also thoughtfully organized a list of resources, literary organizations, and journals its readers may find useful.
  • DC Writers Room
    • “Established in 2012, the DC Writers Room provides a professional, respectful and quiet environment that fosters literary success. Since opening, we have served hundreds of writers who have published countless articles, books, poems, dissertations, and stage and screen plays. Here, you won’t hear ringing phones, doorbells, and no one interrupts because they need something. You are here to write. We make this possible. The DC Writers Room’s top floor suite at 4000 Albemarle St. NW. Members have access to lockers, available on a first-come, first-serve basis, a kitchenette, as well as coffee, tea, Wi-Fi and a printer. Besides Metro access, members can use nearby four-hour or two-hour metered parking or access free, on-street nearby.”
  • 826 DC
    • “26DC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting DC students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Free, year-round writing and publishing programs for DC students ages 6-18. We host programs at our Columbia Heights writing center, in schools, and in community spaces across the city.”
  • Meetup.com Writing Groups
    • A bunch of writing groups pop up on Meetup.com as well in the DMV area if none of the organizations above work for you.
  • MGD Bookclub
    • “MGD Book Club was created to liberate Black women (including femme, trans and non binary identifying folks) through reading and reflection 📚🪞”
  • Silent Bookclub DC
    • “Silent Book Club Washington, D.C. Est. 2019. Read alone, together. Last Wednesday evening of the month on the patio @sonnyspizzadc.”
  • Libereaders DC
    • “Libereaders is a mobile community library that shares Black stories, centers marginalized voices, and ✨melanates✨ minds by providing free books to the masses and education on the go. In addition to creating reading lists & liberation-related content, we have had the wonderful opportunity of hosting & participating in film screenings, teach-ins, mutual aid markets, letter-writing projects (to incarcerated folks), poetry slams, other creative events & more. All of the profits from this affiliate bookshop will go toward purchasing more books for folks, funding our events, & helping us meet needs in our community. If you purchase a book from our shop, Libereaders receives 10% commission and another 10% goes toward supporting independent book stores. To see some really dope book-related content and to be a part of our lil’ literary community, follow us on IG @libereaders. Lastly, if you would like to donate to our book/event funds, visit our Linktree.”
  • DC Bushwick Book Club
    • “The DC Chapter of the Bushwick Book Club, the joyous intersection of indie artists and book nerds!”
  • Grassroots DC Book Clubs
    • “Black Feminist Book Club is a traveling book club that brings together community members to read, discuss, and take action inspired by Black feminist texts. Book clubs will be hosted at different locations around DC, from branches of the DC Public Library to other community spaces. Participants will be able to explore the selected text together, take field trips to special exhibitions and community spaces, meet local organizations that continue the work of historical Black feminists, and more.
    • Black Studies Book Club meets every first Saturday of the month to explore, engage, and discuss books from and relating to the Black radical tradition.”

Friends of the Library Groups

“The Friends of the DC Public Library are a vital part of the library community. Across the District, Friends groups: Share information about the library’s amazing services and resources with neighbors; Build community support for the library system through neighborhood and city-wide advocacy; Raise critical funds to help support library programming locally and across the District; Volunteer time and share their expertise with libraries; Connect with others and make new friends who are passionate about their communities! The Friends of the DC Public Library work hard to improve equity and allow libraries across the city to bring in exciting events, foster creativity, engage with learners of all ages and so much more.

You can join the Friends of the Library here.
And a full list of each library’s Friend group can be found here on their site. To learn more about each Friend group click on the name of a neighborhood library.

Feedback & Input

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