About us
Join us for adventures in reading & real life! We are a community of readers who discuss books over paired outings. Like to explore? Like to read? You’ve found your people! Join us here in-person and for online discussions wherever you are on the socials! FB, Insta, TikTok, Website
Newsletter/FB group: Meetup isn’t great at sending out notifications, so to stay up to date with the latest book and activity pairings, sign up for the newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/fc5e0725650d/thenoveltourist and join the community on our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ I also post regularly on books and book pairings on Instagram via @thenoveltourist
What the Club Will Do for You
The purpose of all NTBC events is to give you the opportunity to socialize with likeminded readers who are life long learners and love to try new experiences. If your goal is read more books, do more stuff and meet more friends, being part of NTBC can be a life-changing experience!
What You Can Do for the Club
Bring your fun-loving, healthy attitude. Be committed to reading, showing up when promised, and being respectful of other members. We require that your profile includes a clear picture of yourself so others can identify you at our events.
Terms and Conditions
By joining the Novel Tourist Book Club or signing up for or attending any event offered by the Novel Tourist Book Club, you agree to the following terms and conditions:
- Readers please: NTBC is, first and foremost, a book club. We do a lot of amazing activities tied to the books. There are lots of Meetup groups that also do these fun activities. So, if you don’t like to read or don’t plan to read, we are sure there is another group out there that is more suited to your interests. Now, that said, it doesn’t mean you have to read the book or finish the book every time. Sometimes, you try and the book just doesn’t resonate with you. That’s okay! Come and tell us how much you didn’t like it! All we ask is that you try.
- No Guests: Sadness, we know! We are all about the more the merrier, but there must be a limit to the number of attendees at any one event. Events fill up really fast and so unless the event allows you to add a guest (which will be very rare) your guest must create a Meetup account and rsvp for themselves as a member. Yay new members!
- Liability Waiver: By signing up for an event, all members take full responsibility for their own actions and agree to adhere to the following terms and conditions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10ZE-yUJEcHUnXF_A8MUsfxWhEmrKxZEcojrHh8FjQzc/edit; and further agree to hold harmless the Novel Tourists Book Club organizers and members of this Meetup book club from any and all claims and liability in case of possible injuries as stated in Paragraph 6 of the Meetup Terms of Service Agreement ( https://help.meetup.com/hc/en-us/articles/360027447252-Terms-of-Service#h_9e385395-a405-4361-8afc-854a4f586c82 ). When attending an event, you acknowledge that you are doing this at your own risk.
- Event Payments:
- Name: If your name on your Meetup profile is different than your name on your payment profile (PayPal, Venmo), please provide your meetup name when you make your payment;
- Include Date or Event Title: Please include the date of the event or an indication of the event title (e.g. if we are going to a restaurant put the name of the restaurant not just “restaurant” or “book club.”)
- Be Open-minded, Kind and Courteous: We can’t imagine anyone who loves to read being anything but open-minded, kind and courteous. However, I also know we bibliophiles can have some pretty strong opinions about books! Whether you agree with someone or not, no doubt you came here for a welcoming environment. Healthy debates are natural, but kindness is required.
- No bullies: Personal attacks of any kind are not allowed. Period. I have zero tolerance for any bullying, degrading comments about another member’s race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender or identity. We are an open and inclusive community and to keep it that way a$$holes will be removed from the group.
- Photos/Videos: Joining the group and attending an event means you’re a-okay with being photographed/video recorded during events. We always takes pics: for the memories and for promotion of future events and NTBC.
- Communication settings: This is just helpful guidance. Events fill up really fast. Make sure your settings are set to maximize communication: Click on your profile pic in Meetup, click Settings, under General select Email Updates, scroll down and find The Novel Tourists Book Club under “Updates about your Group”, click Edit next to The Novel Tourists Book Club and then make your choices. I suggest checking “New Event Announcements,” “Changes to Event Time or Locations,” “My RSVP is confirmed,” and, most importantly: "Announcements to Members About the Group" and “Event updates from Organizer.” Also, you may want to download the Meetup app.
- Carpooling: It’s great for the planet! However, any arrangements are between you and the person driving. The Novel Tourists Book Club organizers and hosts do not provide, endorse, sponsor or take responsibility for any carpool arrangements pertaining to any event. Please use your good judgment when deciding whether or not to carpool with other participants of the book club event you are attending.
- Refund Policy:
- Events with a fee of less than $5: No refunds, even if someone takes your spot. The events fill fast and the only way to really try to make sure that those who are truly interested and able to come get a seat, is a nominal fee. This fee is offered to the event host to pay for their entrance/meal/etc as a way of saying thank you for your time and for putting this together for us.
- Events with a fee greater than $5: The general policy is if the Organizer/Host can get their money back, you’ll get your money back - if you timely cancelled. Once an event location has been paid, however, many times they won’t issue a refund. If they don’t refund us, we can’t refund you regardless of how far in advance you cancelled. That said, sometimes a refund can be issued IF you cancel at least a week in advance AND someone takes your spot. If you want to request a refund, message Audrey via Meetup to discuss. Please note, if you cancel the day before or the day of an event, there are refunds - regardless of the reason and regardless if someone takes your spot.
- If you do not agree to the above terms and conditions, do not sign up for the club. There is probably a different club out there that will better meet your needs.
Happy reading and adventuring!
- Audrey
Upcoming events
6
- $49.00
Bada$$ Women History 👣 Walking Tour and Discuss 📕My Name is Ona Judge
Independence Visitor Center, 599 Market St., Philadelphia, PA, USWalk in the footsteps of the women who shaped Philadelphia’s soul. 🥾📚✨ Join Brenda for a powerful afternoon where history, activism, and storytelling collide on a Badass Women’s History Tour through Philadelphia. From hidden heroines to groundbreaking rule-breakers, this walking tour uncovers the women who built, challenged, healed, and transformed the city we call home.
SIGN UP FOR LUNCH HERE (please rsvp yes or no so we know): https://forms.gle/ELW2xj7J3x8aRKBw9
Over lunch (12:00) we’ll discuss _My Name is Ona Judge,_who is one of the women we’ll hear about on our tour (2pm)
FEE: $49 (that’s $10 off the normal price!) - covers tour. Lunch is pay on your own.
HOW TO PAY: Use Friends and Family! Do not use the business option because it charges a service fee. Please note the event name or date on your payment. If your payment name is different than your Meetup name please make sure you note your Meetup name.
Venmo - @audrey-Heller1 (phone ends in 4478)
PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/AudreyBug
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SIGN UP FOR LUNCH HERE (please rsvp yes or no so we know): https://forms.gle/ELW2xj7J3x8aRKBw9
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🥗 12:00pm LUNCH: Lascala's Fire, offers free parking 🚗 all day Saturday! Simply ask the hostess for a pass.
The parking garage is located between 6th and 7th on Ranstead. If you're coming south on 6th, it is first right turn after market Street. Drive slowly or you will miss it. If driving north on 7th St, right turn past
Chestnut onto lot.📚 NOVEL: My Name Is Ona Judge
Genre: Historical FictionA hidden journal links two women across centuries. In 1796, Ona Judge—enslaved by George and Martha Washington despite being their “favored” maid—records the harrowing truth of her escape and the price of her freedom.
In the present day, Tessa Scott discovers Ona’s tattered journal while surveying an old Virginia property, and as she becomes immersed in Ona’s story of betrayal, courage, and defiance, she’s forced to confront her own life and the controlling relationship she’s trapped in. As Ona fights for freedom in the past, Tessa must decide if she has the strength to claim her own in the present.
👣 2:00pm - WALKING TOUR: BADASS WOMEN HISTORY WALKING TOUR
Start: 6th and Market (599 Market Street) at the Visitor Center
End: 13th and Locust
Distance: ~1.5 milesWe’ll journey through Old City, Society Hill, the Gayborhood, and beyond to meet:
- 👑 Hannah Callowhill Penn — the forgotten founder whose leadership saved the colony.
- 🏃♀️ Ona Judge — whose courageous escape from George Washington changed American history.
- 🏥 The First Women Doctors in the WORLD — and the infamous 1869 Jeering Episode at Pennsylvania Hospital.
- 🎨 The Women of The Plastic Club — artists like the Red Rose Girls and Meta Warrick Fuller who shaped Philly’s creative identity.
- 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ Trailblazers — including Barbara Gittings, Gloria Casarez, and Charlene Arcila, whose protests and activism reshaped civil rights.
🎉**Stay connected **to other adventurous readers! Join the Novel Tourist online community:
📸Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thenoveltourist/
🌟Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNovelTourist
➡️RULES:
Here are the Club’s Basic Rules and Liability Release. You should read them because by signing up for an event you agree to them.Happy reading!
Audrey--------
❓Event Review Guidance:
Meetup reviews are now public. ***Did you love the event? ***Tell the world with a 5-star rating AND a comment!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I love 💓putting together fun literary adventures and your comments feed my soul. But, if you didn't like something, please don’t submit a negative review — instead, message me (Audrey) directly with your suggestions so we can improve the club together!------
You can ignore all this part. It’s just for the Meetup algorithm. 🙄 The Novel Tourist Book Club is a fantastic book club where people social can get to know each other meet new friends have fun, exploring their passions and book hobbies dining out at restaurants. We read books. Make new friends. Lots of fun with Book Club. Socializing. Social event. and passions! Urban exploration, bookstores, and lots of hobbies dining out is great fun. We read a lot of fun books. we visit libraries and eat food at restaurants. love to explore and meet new people to try out hobby. socializing is great and we love to read books and explore our hobbies we meet new friends and socialize together.32 attendees - $25.00
EVENT IS FULL 🎭STAGE and 📕STORY: “Tiny Beautiful Things”
Old Academy Players Theatre, 3540-3544 Indian Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA, USTHIS EVENT IS FULL
Join Audrey at Old Academy Players in East Falls to watch the live production of Tiny Beautiful Things, based on the bestselling book by Cheryl Strayed. After the play, we'll meet for an early dinner to discuss and compare the play and the book of the same name.Tickets are $25. Limit 25. First pay, first go. (Pay Audrey, details below)
I’ll buy the tickets under one reservation. They’ve reserved a section of seats just for us.
🎟️ Tickets: Only $25!
💵 HOW TO PAY: Use Friends and Family! Do not use the business option because it charges a fee. Please note the event name or date on your payment.
Venmo - @audrey-Heller1 (phone ends in 4478)
PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/AudreyBug🎭 THE STAGE: Tiny Beautiful Things
Theater: Old Academy Players (East Falls, Philadelphia)
Show Time: 2:00pmBased on the bestselling book by Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things personifies the questions and answers that “Sugar” was publishing online from 2010–2012. When the struggling writer was asked to take over the unpaid, anonymous position of advice columnist, Strayed used empathy and her personal experiences to help those seeking guidance for obstacles both large and small.
🌮 Early Dinner: Taqueria Cresta
Menu: Mexican
3743 Midvale Ave, Phila, 19129
267-297-7382📕THE STORY: Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed,
Genre: FictionFor more than a decade, thousands of people have sought advice from Dear Sugar—the pseudonym of bestselling author Cheryl Strayed—first through her online column at The Rumpus, later through her hit podcast, Dear Sugars, and now through her popular Substack newsletter. Tiny Beautiful Things collects the best of Dear Sugar in one volume, bringing her wisdom to many more readers. This tenth-anniversary edition features six new columns and a new preface by Strayed. Rich with humor, insight, compassion—and absolute honesty—this book is a balm for everything life throws our way.
📸 Photos & Video Notice:
This event may be photographed or recorded for The Novel Tourist.com website and social media, including YouTube. By registering and attending, you consent to being photographed or filmed. If you prefer not to appear on camera, just let me (Audrey) know—I’m happy to accommodate you.Let’s be social!:
🎉Follow for more bookish adventures:
📸Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thenoveltourist/
🌟Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNovelTourist❓Event Review Guidance:
Meetup reviews are now public. Did you love the event? Tell the world with a 5-star rating AND a comment!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟📝Rules:
Here are the Club’s Basic Rules and Liability Release. You should read them because by signing up for an event you agree to them.
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You can ignore all this part. It’s just for the Meetup algorithm. To make sure our Book Club events get seen. The Novel Tourist Book Club is a fantastic book club where people social can get to know each other meet new friends have fun, exploring hobbies and plays and theater dining out at restaurants. We read books. Make new friends. Lots of fun with Book Club. Socializing. Social event. Rodeos and westerns Lots of hobbies dining out is great fun. We read a lot of fun books. we visit libraries and eat food at restaurants. love to explore and meet new people to try out hobby. socializing is great and we love to read books and explore our hobbies we meet new friends and socialize and we love theater!35 attendees - $15.00
SOUP SWAP* and discuss the short story "Pozole" by Andrew Porter
Wayne, PA 19087, Wayne, PA, US***NEW DATE: 3/29/2026 - This winter dug in too deep!!
The depths of winter seems like the perfect time to gather at my home for a tasting-meal of homemade soups and a soup swap! We'll discuss the short story Pozole from Andrew Porter’s collection The Disappeared while we sample -- and then exchange containers of -- each other’s soups! At the end you'll have a full belly and a bag full of several varieties of soup from the kitchens of your fellow Novel Tourists. Yay, no cooking for days 🙃The Book:
I've provided a Youtube link if you would like to listen to the author recite the short story (6 minutes long). If you would like to experience the short story within its collection, the book link is also included.Note: Because it is taking place at a private home, this event is only for members who have attended at least one prior Novel Tourists event. If you haven’t, we encourage you to sign up for a different event so we can be great soup friends next time!
EVENT: Soup Swap!
*A soup swap is much like a cookie -- or a book -- swap, but with soup instead. Everyone brings some homemade soup, you taste and trade at the party, and then get to take some soup home!
Bring 6 pints of homemade soup packed in 6 separate new, leakproof containers (like these, for example). At least 2 of the pints should be unfrozen.
Recipe: Either the one you used or if you make up your own, please write it down. I’ll ask you to share it a few days in advance of the party.
FEE: $15.00. The fee covers the party supplies like napkins, bowls, etc and helps support the group! BYOB - Bring your own wine/beer. Non-alcoholic beverages will be provided, as will appetizers, soup-tasting sides, and dessert.
HOW TO PAY (Joanne Miller): Use Friends and Family! Do not use the business option because it charges a fee. Please note the event name or date on your payment. (No refunds)
Venmo - @jmcenteemiller (phone ends in 4655)
*****
**
Let’s be social!:**
🎉Follow for more bookish adventures:
📸Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thenoveltourist/
🌟Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNovelTourist❓Event Review Guidance:
Meetup reviews are now public. Did you love the event? Tell the world with a 5-star rating AND a comment!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I love putting together fun literary adventures and your comments feed my soul. But, if you didn't like something, please don’t submit a negative review — instead, message me (Audrey) directly with your suggestions so we can improve the club together!Rules:
Here are the Club’s Basic Rules and Liability Release. You should read them because by signing up for an event you agree to them.12 attendees 
The Bookbinder’s Secret - March Member Choice Winner! Online 📚Book Discussion
·OnlineOnlineWe have a winner! The Bookbinder’s Secret by A.D. Bell won the popular vote for March’s Member Choice Book!
Online discussion as always on the last Monday of the month at 7pm.
‼️Stay tuned for the paired in-person adventure! It's definitely going to be bookish!
Zoom link will be posted on the day of the event.
🎉Want more ideas for bookish fun? Join the Novel Tourist online community:
📸Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thenoveltourist/
🌟Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNovelTourist📚**NOVEL: _The Bookbinder’s Secret _by A.D. Bell
Genre: Historical FictionEvery book tells a story. This one tells a secret.
A young bookbinder begins a hunt for the truth when a confession hidden beneath the binding of a burned book reveals a story of forbidden love, lost fortune, and murder. Read more
❓Event Review Guidance:
Meetup reviews are now public. Did you love the event? Tell the world with a 5-star rating AND a comment!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟--------------------------------------------------------
-------------------The below is silly babble just for the algorithm - no need for book club members to read this!-------------------------------
Reading books everywhere including in Philadelphia and New Jersey and thecworkd’s neighborhoods is such a fun way to make new friends and be social with book loving book club members who like to read and explore urban areas and try new activities such as hiking, reading, craft, hobbies, museums and more! It's especially fun for a book club to go on outdoor and indoor adventures with all the book club friends who like to explore and try new hobbies and discuss books and be always14 attendees
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