At the end of the summer, about 20 members of the Bad Bitch Book Club arrived in Door County, Wisconsin. Their plan was to read books provided by Simon Schuster, talk about books, and simply relax.
According to Bad Bitch Book Club founder Mackenzie Newcomb, the trip capped off “a landmark year.” That’s saying a lot. Ever since the club launched in 2018 as an online community of book lovers, they’ve convened for reading retreats in New York, New Mexico, Florida, and Vermont. “The vibe of a Bad Bitch Book Club retreat is electric and comfortable at the same time,” explains retreat director Kaylynn Arnett-Sampson. “We can talk about the book we hated the most this year, or the one that made us cry the hardest. You’ll almost always find someone who agrees and even if they don’t, the likelihood that they ‘get’ you is extremely high.”
While the retreats usually attracts between 15 and 40 people, the club also hosts “summer camps” in Maine, where the number of “campers” is between 80 and 90. “We went to an adventure resort in Maine that I had gone to a lot as a child, and it was a huge success,” says Newcomb, noting that they’ll also be hosting a smaller “Historical Romance Retreat” in Lenox, Massachusetts with authors Sarah Maclean, Adriana Herrera, and Joanna Shupe this November.
Like any summer camp—or, any addictive novel, for that matter—it’s hard to say goodbye when a reading retreat ends. They’re more intimate than a literary festival and less crowded than a writing conference. Bookish people can connect with each other in a cozy setting and talk about books all day long and late into the night without apology. And, because nearly all reading retreats include food and activities, precious time isn’t spent making decisions about what to eat or do when not reading. “It’s less information-gathering and more grounding in nature with a page turner,” explains Lauren Blanford, founder of Lost Woods Farm Forest, a 160-acre glamping resort in Boyne, Michigan, which already has three reading retreats scheduled for the summer of 2026 and offers extracurriculars like a wood-fired sauna, an outdoor massage among the butterflies, and a sound bath in a timber-frame, century-old barn.
Many organizers say they were inspired to create getaways they themselves wanted but couldn’t find. It was “my deep desire to be in a quiet space, feel the breeze on my face, and read a book without a care in the world,” Blanford says. “I didn’t find anything offered like that in the Midwest so I thought I would create it myself.”
When Jenna Reilly spotted an Instagram video about an adult summer reading camp in France, she had a similar feeling. “I thought it was such a cool concept and hadn’t seen anything like that. It seemed like the kind of trip I would want to take,” she says of the inspiration behind Book a Break, which she co-founded with Kristen Waidalowski. The duo’s first reading retreat was earlier this year, coinciding with the release of Rebecca Yarros’ Onyx Storm. Aside from giving people time to read, Book a Break also offers programming and activities for the 10 to 20 guests who attend. For example, there might be a virtual Q-and-A with an author, themed-martinis inspired by a particular book, or craft sessions.
But even with all the extras, there’s no pressure to do anything—especially if you’re in deep with a book you just can’t put down. “It’s okay to break away from the group to do some reading. If you want to join us for every session or curl up with a book, your time is your own,” says Waidalowski.
This kind of laid-back flexibility is attractive to many attendees. The discussions at a reading retreat aren’t centered around a single book like in a book club. “You don’t need to read a book before you attend,” explains Blanford, although she notes that local bookstores have set up curated book fairs and lead book talks during her retreats. “You don’t need to discuss anything you don’t want to. You could read all weekend and not talk to anyone or you could socialize and hang out with new friends. You get to decide how you want your weekend to go. It’s truly a choose-your-own-adventure type weekend.”
In terms of who you might be talking to, most attendees are women, but their ages vary. “Books are the common denominator. They’re the glue that holds people together,” says Waidalowski. That said, Bad Bitch Book Club’s demographic tends to be women in their 30s—but that’s only based on who’s attended retreats so far.
A shared love for reading may be the springboard, but conversations and activities go beyond books. “A reading retreat invites you to immerse yourself fully in the joy of being a reader with like-minded women, with a touch of adventure along the way,” says Kayla Janachovsky, founder of Slow Travel Co., which will start hosting reading retreats for women in 2026. So far on the docket are retreats in Tamarindo, Costa Rica (January); Cotswold, England (May); Tuscany, Italy (July); and Aruba (December), with activities that have ranged from garden tours to snorkeling to wine tasting. The January 2026 reading retreat in Costa Rica is already sold out.
“They’re not looking for a structured book club or academic discussion,” Janachovsky says of the attendees. “They’re looking for a space to unwind and relax with a good book while discovering new places and cultures in a group setting.”
Similarly, Book a Break’s focus has expanded beyond books to embrace another focus: wellness. “We thought we were creating these fun book-lover weekends; it’s really became this restorative moment for people that we didn’t intend,” muses Reilly. “We’ve had guests say things like ‘I had no idea that I needed this’ or ‘My life changed after doing this trip’ and ‘How I approach travel and my time away … I was doing it with the wrong mindset.’”
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