Want to make friends as an adult? Join a book club.

“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.” - Mark Twain

I have been thinking a lot about friendships lately as it was my birthday the other day and I was feeling nostalgic. I am 35 years old, I work full time, and I live in London, so making new friends can be a tricky business.

I am not talking about surface-level friendships. I am talking about the type of friends you can call in tears about something cringy or painful and feel comfortable being vulnerable. I am also not talking about “friends” who try to sell you something or are constantly taking from you.

A friendship is a two-way street. If you are always the one making the phone call or organising everything to suit the other person, drop them like a bad habit. I am talking about the friends you can be your authentic self with and not fear judgement.

I managed to make the type of friend that you can talk about everything with at a book club. This makes a lot of sense because I have always been obsessed with books but often the obvious is overlooked. Starting off any relationship based on a common passion is a great start. I cannot recommend joining a book club enough.

My favourite book club is The Candid Book Club. It was created by five wonderful women who share a passion for books. What I love the most about them is that they read a very wide range of books and have amazing free events with the authors.

So if you want to make new long-lasting friendships, pick a book about a deep topic to discuss with a booklover and you will start a beautiful blossoming friendship.