Built for Bookish Besties Across Chicago & Every Suburb.
Welcome to the WidowReads and Chicago Book Besties hub, where bookish friends across the city and all of the suburbs (near and far) come together to meet up, chat about books, and make real-life friends.
Why We Started Chicago Book Besties
Making adult friends who get excited about new book releases, fun book club picks, or bookstore crawls shouldn't feel intimidating. And if you live in the suburbs, you shouldn't have to drive downtown every single time just to hang out with other readers.
Started in 2026 as part of the WidowReads Community, #ChicagoBookBesties has grown into a fun, welcoming group of over 962 readers across Chicago and the suburbs, with in-person book clubs in Logan Square, Arlington Heights, and Bolingbrook, plus special events and meetups all around Chicagoland.
Read Whatever You Love
Whether you love romantasy, thrillers, audiobooks, romance, or fiction, there is zero book snobbery here. Read at your own pace and have fun.
Suburbs & City Included
We host book clubs, dinners, book exchanges, craft nights, and coffee meetups right in the suburbs as well as Chicago neighborhoods.
Come Solo, Leave with Friends
Most people come to their first meetup solo! You can chat with everyone in Discord beforehand so you already know friendly faces when you arrive.
Who is Widow?
Hi besties! I'm Widow (@widowreads), a Chicagoland book creator and the founder of the WidowReads Community and Chicago Book Besties.
I created this space because I wanted a cozy, real-life community where book lovers in both Chicago and the suburbs could actually meet up, talk about the books we're obsessed with, and make genuine friendships. I personally host our three monthly book clubs in Logan Square, Arlington Heights, and Bolingbrook, along with our seasonal dinners, book swaps, and Chicagoland events!
Follow along on my socials for book recs, reading vlogs, TBR updates, and behind-the-scenes from our meetups:
Follow @chicagobookbesties
Check out our latest meetup photos, event announcements, and book club updates on Instagram.
Contact & Collaborations
Have a question about joining, want to suggest an event, or looking to collaborate as a local bookstore, cafe, or author? Send us a message below!