The internet has a fascinating relationship with reading. Thanks to the phenomenon that is BookTok, the act of reading has been rendered an aesthetic for some; on the other hand, the app's community has launched careers and book awards, and has pushed literary sales to revitalized heights.
This is all to say: reading has become a social media-adjacent activity as much as it has always been an individual one. Somewhat mimicking in-person book clubs, the intersection of social networking and reading already exists, with the reigning — but sometimes controversial — Goodreads functioning as an answer to both. The platform functions like a book log, shared with both friends and the public. Then there are the other long-existing integrated communities, like Book Twitter and the once-popular Bookstagram. But digital communities and book clubs are still less readily available, and conversations about reading online are often saturated when they appear on platforms that serve wider purposes.
That is what prompted the creation of Fable, a social community app for readers featuring an array of book clubs and a FYP with a Twitter-like stream of thoughts only to do with reading. Founded by Padmasree Warrior, former CTO at Cisco, Fable is like one big digital book club, with niche pockets for all kinds of readers, free and shoppable e-Books, and tons of personalized reading suggestions.
Finding power in "shared reading"
The idea of "shared reading" sits at the crux of Fable, Warrior explains to Mashable. She cites the work of professor and literary scholar Josie Billington, who pioneered the concept of shared and social reading as an antidote to declining mental health. Warrior says reading for just 30 minutes a day can improve mental wellness — and "sharing that with others can foster a sense of community and belonging."
"I started Fable so that all of us can fill the micro-moments in our hectic lives with stories. Our mission is to deliver the world’s best social experience with exceptional stories, in service of mental wellness," she says, adding that she has always felt reading has been "powerful tool" for creativity, wellbeing, and growth. "I grew up in a small town in India, and books were a fuel for my creativity and imagination. The magic of words moves me."
Fable's book clubs are surprisingly wide-ranging and niche, offering communities to "hopeless romantics", horror lovers, compulsive book buyers, nostalgic readers, and literary fiction lovers. Some popular ones include The Reading Black Girls' Book of the Month, the Difficult Women Book Club, the Feel Good Reading Club; others are dedicated to specific writers like Agatha Christie and Stephen King. There's even a burgeoning club dedicated to books connected to the lyrics of boygenius and a fair few Taylor Swift clubs. A range of filters help readers find exactly what they're seeking, including an option for in-person clubs and clubs only reading free e-books.
Anyone can start one of these free book clubs, which feature discussion rooms and are organized by chapter-by-chapter reading deadlines. Book club moderators can help steer conversations, set reading milestones, and ask discussion prompts. Readers can share highlights, comments, quotes, and reactions as they read. There are already 15,000 book clubs on the platform, says Warrior, and can range from two members to over 30,000.
Filling the gap in social reading
With every new app, the basic questions arise: will it truly act as a replacement for what has already been known and used? In this case, the likes of Goodreads and BookTok come to mind. But Fable can be seen as either complementary to those, or a way to fill an existing gap for readers. Warrior believes Fable can be a "go-to-space to discuss stories" that's truly social in nature.
"Despite the reach of major social platforms, passionate readers have been missing a dedicated space to deepen the dialogue around stories," says Warrior. "Add that to growing concerns around privacy, mental health, censorship, bullying, divisive toxicity, and it’s clear that existing social media platforms are not meeting people’s needs."
"It’s no wonder that people are increasingly organizing in smaller communities where they can connect more deeply with like-minded people," she says.
New users will be able to attest to this: Fable appears inherently passionate about reading and wants to offer that to its community. On a more simple level, the app is wonderfully user-friendly and even appealing to browse through. The recent addition of its AI-powered feed is probably a large part of this. The discovery feed offers lists, reviews, recommendations, and conversations much like other social media apps do. Warrior says the company is offering a "a safe and rich social experience on top of book recommendations and list-management tools."
"It’s thrilling," she says, "to take something so essentially human and primal — the desire to share stories — and add cutting-edge technology to bring the right story to the right reader at the right time."
Topics Books
