FAQs - Chapters & Chai

Our most frequently asked questions about Chapters & Chai Book Club, answered! If you have any further questions, please get in touch via our contact form or Instagram.

What is Chapters & Chai Book Club?
Chapters & Chai is a book club based in Worthing, West Sussex. Established in Summer 2025, Chapters & Chai was born from a love of reading and a desire for community and connection. Together, we've created such a friendly environment where people can share their love of books, and bring their own unique perspectives to our discussions. Supported by the lovely Waterstones booksellers, you're bound to find your next favourite read at Chapters & Chai! We aim to read across a range of genres and themes to help you expand your reading horizons!

Who Hosts Chapters & Chai Book Club?
Me! Keeley (she/her). I'm in my twenties, and I've been reading books since I was a toddler! I studied Creative Writing and English Literature at college, I'm currently pursuing an English Literature with Creative Writing degree, and I've been blogging about books for over ten years now. So, a book club seemed like the next thing to do! I decided to set up Chapters & Chai in the Summer of 2025 in order to find a community of fellow book lovers in my local area, and I am so blown away by the reception it has had! Never did I expect to bring so many people together to talk about books, or to find such a lovely group of people.

Who is the Book Club for?
Everyone! Our core demographic is women between the ages of 20-30, but any and all readers are welcome. We recommend members be 18+ due to the nature of some books we may read. We are LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent friendly. 

What does the ticket include?
Ticket prices secure you a seat at book club! You'll also get a discount from Waterstones on our monthly reads, and there's often some bookish goodies too. Tickets are £3pp.

How does it work?
Each month, you'll be presented with a selection of books to vote between, and you'll also be able to purchase the book for our current month (with our book club discount!) You have most of the month to read the book independently, and then we meet up in the last week or so of each month to discuss! There are discussion prompts on the tables for if you need a starting point. You'll also have time at each meet to browse the bookshop and purchase any books you like the sound of. We have social meet ups throughout the year too - these are optional, take place in locations throughout Worthing and wider West Sussex, and are priced according to relevant charges (but many are free).
   Doors for each meet up open at 6pm, and we wrap up around 7:30pm.

Will book club be held on the same day of the week every time?
Dates depend on Waterstones’ availability as they have their own events throughout the year. I’d like to keep it midweek, and in the last week or so of the month where possible. Social events will likely vary depending on venue availability.

Can I just come along to the social meets?
Sure! I’d like to give our book club members priority, but where there’s enough tickets, you’re more than welcome.

I’m shy, so I’m not sure if this will be for me. What should I do?
So am I! I’ve decided I really need to push myself out of my comfort zone, which is why I’ve started my own book club. I promise you a lot of our members feel the same way, and we’ll all be trying our best together. Come along to one of the meet-ups, and if you want to leave ten minutes in, that’s okay! If you make it through the whole meet-up but don’t come back, that’s okay too - at least you’ve given it a go.

Is the venue accessible?
Waterstones Worthing is an accessible venue, and I’ll always try to ensure our other venues for social meet-ups are accessible too. If you have any specific accessibility needs for a disability, chronic illness, or anything else, just send me a message and I’ll try my best to help! And if you have any concerns about venues and accessibility, please let me know.

Will you be filming or taking photos at book club and our other events?
Yes, but if you don’t want to be in photos/videos or can’t be in photos/videos for any reason, please do let me know! I’ll be letting people know to be mindful about sharing photos with other people in without their consent, so if there is anything else I can do, please get in touch.

If you are in a photo uploaded by me, the venue, or another book club member and you’d like it taken down, just let me know.

If I can’t make a meet-up, can I still attend the next?
Absolutely! You are more than welcome to come and go as you please. If you skip a month, or two, or three, you’re still welcome back whenever it works for you. And, if you miss out on tickets one month but still want to be involved, please still get a copy of the book from Waterstones and join us on our socials to chat about it.