Students Launched Romance Book Club at Boston University

The new student organization Rhetty to Read focuses on romantic literature and community engagement.

Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Romance

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Sophomores at Boston University recently launched 'Rhetty to Read,' a new romance-focused book club designed to foster community engagement and a shared reading culture. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Four sophomores at Boston University founded a romance-focused book club to address a lack of such groups on campus. The club, known as Rhetty to Read, has already attracted over 100 people to its mailing list.

Why it matters

The club was established after its founders identified that romance literature lacked dedicated community spaces on campus. By providing a curated list of books accessible through university libraries, the group aims to foster a shared reading culture.

Rhetty to Read currently maintains 70 active members in its group chat and over 100 addresses on its distribution mailing list. The organization expects to sustain monthly participation as it grows beyond its founding cohort.

The players

Rhetty to Read

This is a student-run romance book club based at Boston University.

Boston University

This is a private research university located in Boston where the club was founded.

The details

Members will meet monthly to discuss a selected romance novel, with reading materials sourced via the university library system. In addition to book discussions, the club plans to host social activities including craft events like bookmark making.

Timeline

  1. The club held its first meeting on September 16, 2026.

Culture Shift

The emergence of this club mirrors the wider popularity of romance literature among university-aged students, a trend heavily influenced by digital reading communities. This student-led effort signals a shift toward physical, campus-based literary discussions as a complement to digital engagement.

Students interested in the genre can join the mailing list to participate in monthly discussions and upcoming craft events. Members can also look forward to scheduled outings to the Boston Book Festival in Copley Square and Love Struck Books in Cambridge.

The takeaway

Starting a specialized hobby group can effectively fill gaps in campus social life while building a dedicated community. Interested readers should check their university library resources regularly to keep pace with monthly club selections.

Further reading

Learn more about the latest trends in the Romance section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by The Daily Free Press.

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