Your Next Friend Hang: A "Reading Weekend" Indoors

Josie Wilde and her friends were looking for a fun way to hangout in the middle of a cold Minnesota winter, and that's when the idea of hosting a "reading weekend" came to mind. "We're in a book club together, and we already have a lot of conversations together about reading and books, so we decided we should just read together."

Wilde and her friends then gathered together one weekend in January to read, hike, bake desserts, cook new dinner recipes, and craft DIY bookmarks. "It was great to spend time with each other in a way that was off our phones, low cost, and also relaxing and fun," she tells PS.

When Wilde later posted a video on TikTok documenting the reading weekend, she had no idea it would go as viral as it did: With over 2 million pageviews, the comment section was filled with people eager to try a reading weekend themselves. "Y'all taking applications for friendships or??" one person wrote. Another person commented, "May this type of friendship find me."

With granny hobbies on the rise, hosting a reading weekend with your group chat might just be the perfect plan. It's cozy, intimate, and a great way to connect with your friends without spending $17 on a cocktail. It might even help you make a new couch friend or two. Whether you're interested in finding a new hobby or reading your way through your TBR pile, here's everything to know about how to host the perfect reading weekend.

Why You Should Host a Reading Weekend

Hosting a reading weekend will help you become a better reader, if that's something you're interested in improving. For Wilde, she enjoyed the accountability. "I am the type of person that's like, 'I'm free tonight, I can't wait to read my book!' and then spend two hours scrolling on TikTok. So it's nice to have other people around you reading — it's like a dedicated time to do it," she says. It's also a great way to tackle any lingering books on your TBR pile or get ahead on a book club read.

But even if reading isn't necessarily something you're interested in, it's still an easy hobby to pursue. Because many zillennials report not having any hobbies, reading is a pretty low-stakes activity that connects you with other people while also getting you off of your phone. And really, it's the perfect way to spend time with friends or make new ones.

Not only is it cost effective, but you can connect with people in a different way than you normally would. For Wilde, she loves that she can talk about a book with her friends as she's reading it.

How to Host a Reading Weekend

Your reading weekend can look however you want it to, and with however many people you want to include. However, Wilde suggests starting by inviting friends who you share similar interests with — even if you haven't bonded over books before. "Find people that you know love to read or you know want to try new things," she says.

On Wilde's viral TikTok, many people commented that they didn't have friends to do a reading weekend with, but Wilde says to invite people anyway. "You don't have to be in reading jail all weekend," Wilde says. "There's other activities to do, so you don't have to be a big reader to do a reading weekend." (And if you are looking for friends who share similar reading habits as you, try joining a book club or PS's Reading Challenge Facebook page.)

Once you have the invite list down, it's time to decide where you want to host the reading weekend. Wilde and her friends host theirs in a friend's living room, but you can also rent a cabin or vacation home and make a trip out of it. (Just make sure to plan ahead since people have busy schedules. Wilde and her friends planned their reading weekend four months in advance.)

No matter where and when your reading weekend takes place, however, snacks, cozy PJs, and books are absolutely essential. Also, make sure you have other activities planned for when you need a reading break: Wilde and her friends crafted DIY bookmarks and went on hot girl walks when they needed to switch things up.

At the end of the day, a reading weekend is all about combining a healthy hobby with community – in whatever way that looks like for you. So don't let the fact that you're not in a book club or don't have friends that read discourage you from trying it. "Reading is something people think you just do by yourself, but let's do it together," Wilde says.

Taylor Andrews (she/her) is the balance editor at PS, specializing in topics relating to sex, relationships, dating, sexual health, mental health, travel, and more. With seven years of editorial experience, Taylor has a strong background in content creation and storytelling. Prior to joining PS in 2021, she worked at Cosmopolitan.