What are the unwritten rules of book club?

(EDITOR'S NOTE: View From The Pugh is a podcast/journalism project from Chris Pugh. Connect with him here).

Welcome to your required reading on the Unwritten Rules of Book Club — because no one hands you a syllabus when you show up with a bottle of wine and a vague memory of the first chapter. 🍷📚

Whether you're in a serious literary circle or a "read-the-cover-and-vibe" kind of crew, every book club has its own chaotic charm. But let’s be real — there are rules, and we’re here to expose them. Loudly. Dramatically. And possibly while hiding our bookmark in chapter three.

In this video, we break down the holy commandments of Book Club that no one talks about out loud — but everyone knows:

🔹 Thou shalt not spoil the ending (unless you crave passive-aggressive cheese plate denial).
🔹 Skipping the book? Fine. Just don’t fake it. We will ask follow-up questions.
🔹 You may judge the book. You may not judge Diane for picking another WWII romance.
🔹 You bring snacks, not strong opinions on the Oxford comma (save it for Twitter).
🔹 That one friend who “read it years ago” and keeps quoting it? She’s now the co-host.
🔹 If your book pick flops, just blame the Goodreads algorithm. We get it.
🔹 The group therapist is always the one who suggested a “light, fun” memoir about intergenerational trauma.

We’ll also introduce the Book Club Zodiac:
✨ The Overachiever: Tabs, notes, and probably built the group’s Google calendar.
✨ The Wine-Only Member: Literally hasn’t read a book since “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” — vibes are immaculate.
✨ The Tangent Queen: Somehow turns every discussion into a TED Talk about her cat’s allergies.
✨ The Silent Judge: Doesn’t speak much, but her eyebrow raises say everything.
✨ The “I Thought We Were Reading This Next Month” One: Always confused. Always forgiven.

🔥 Bonus round: Themed book club snacks and why we all pretend to love goat cheese.

So if you’re wondering whether it’s acceptable to DNF (Did Not Finish) the book but still show up in a themed outfit — this video is for you. If you’ve ever fake-laughed through a confusing literary reference or nodded along during a breakdown of metaphorical rain, this is your safe space.

Grab your beverage of choice, set your reading lamp to “cozy,” and let’s dive into the chaotic world of book clubs, one unspoken rule at a time.

📣 COMMENT BELOW: What’s your weirdest or funniest book club moment?
📚💬 What book almost destroyed your club? (You know the one.)
✨ And what’s the one rule your club enforces with military precision?

🛎️ LIKE if you’ve ever faked reading a book.
📚 SUBSCRIBE for more literary chaos.
🍷 SHARE with your book club besties before your next meeting.

And remember: Book club is where judgment goes to quietly sip rosé and listen politely.\