Give the gathering a gentle shape
A silent reading session can be as small as two people at a kitchen table. Agree on how long you want to read and whether there will be time to talk afterwards. Everyone can bring a different book. There is no reading assignment to catch up on before arriving.
The starting plan has five minutes to settle in, forty-five to read, and ten for optional conversation. Treat it as a host’s outline. A lunch break might need twenty minutes of reading; a library event might allow an hour. Change the stages before starting them.
Let one screen do the timing
Keep the timer where the host can see it without making everyone watch the seconds. This page is silent: it does not play a bell, music, or a spoken announcement. At the end of reading, the host can give a quiet verbal cue.
There is no connection between readers’ devices. If you meet on a video call, one host can share this page or announce the start and finish. Opening the link on several computers creates separate clocks, not a synchronised room.
Make the conversation optional
Some people enjoy recommending what they read; others came for the uninterrupted time. Offer an easy question such as “Would you keep reading this?” and leave room to pass. Someone may want to read through the conversation stage, and that can be part of the arrangement.
This is an independent timer for a reading activity, not an official Silent Book Club product. If you want to find an established local gathering, the community’s own directory is linked below. For solo reading, you can choose the Read stage straight away.