Meet Nasya, a lovely girl from Azerbaijan and the founder of Budapest Book Club. She moved to Budapest three years ago with her now-husband and has no plans of leaving anytime soon! One look at her Instagram, and you'll see why – her feed is filled with her latest discoveries in the city – be it cosy cafés or picturesque parks – alongside book recommendations and book club picks. We had a chat with her over coffee – naturally – and asked her about her projects, life as an expat in Budapest, and favourite spots and bookshops.
Budapest Book Club
Budapest Book Club is a vibrant community of book lovers who meet up every month for coffee and laidback conversations about the monthly read. But really and truly, it's a woman-only meet-up, creating a safe space to connect and chat about anything and everything.
It's more than a simple book club for me. I aimed to create a community for girls to talk about books and everything else. Budapest Book Club is a place where people connect with each other, forge friendships, and even meet up outside our events. It's especially good for foreigners because usually, it's even harder for us to fit in and find a community of like-minded people. And creating that space was exactly my goal.
How did the Budapest Book Club start?
The idea of a book club has been on my mind for ages – I saw many book clubs on Instagram in other cities, and I wanted to start one here. But I was too shy. However, after the birth of my baby son, everything changed and I realised if I want something I don't have to wait for the perfect moment.
Shall we say the rest is history? Like in any modern fairy tale, Nasya posted an Instagram story about the book club, and people signed up. They had their first-ever gathering at Kelet Café, but they quickly outgrew that space. Now, the club has a waiting list, with over 70 members, both locals and foreigners.
But worry not – you can still sign up! While there's a dedicated website, it's best to DM Nasya on her Instagram, and she'll tell you everything you need to know. If you can't make it to the meet-ups, you can still be part of the community, get inspiration for your next novel and read along! The Book Club has already discussed gems like The Midnight Library, Lessons in Chemistry, The Seven Year Slip, Magpie, Tuesdays with Morrie, and Surrounded by Idiots – just to give you an idea. You can even grab a book journal to scribble down notes – Nasya just launched her own journals and bookmarks, which you can check out and purchase on her website.
And that's not all – they have other events during the month that book club members are welcome to join: think pottery class, jewellery making, vision board creation, and network dinners - because sometimes you need more time to chat about life. Locals and expats are both welcome to come along. As Nasya mentioned, there are already many Hungarians in the club, and she's thrilled to see them reading in English. It's a great chance for locals to practise their English and foreigners to meet locals.
Life in Budapest as an expat
When we ask her about her life in Budapest, she cracks a smile:
I love it. I love nature here, all the parks, and that you can walk everywhere. It's also a child-friendly place. I love the people, they are so kind – or at least, I've only met friendly people. The only thing weird is fruit soup, I don't get it.
Do you have favourite spots to read?
Madal – the one near Parliament – is a big favourite, especially in the summer, when you can sit outside and have an amazing view. I like Kelet Café in winter, becuase it's so cosy. And visit Kaffa – next to the Opera House – all year around, because I'm obsessed with their desserts.
Where do you buy books?
My favourites are Libro shop and Bestseller Bookshop near the Basilica – with the latter being the first shop I found when looking for English books, even before book club. I just like the atmosphere at these stores, going to either of them is therapy for me. I always drop by on weekends for the vibes, and even if I don't buy a book, I just stick around. And I like Libertine too - though the English selection is not huge, I love how cute it is.
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Budapest Book Club
(Cover photo: Budapest Book Club)
