Grab Your Reading Bestie Because The Read With Jenna Book Club Is Meeting Up IRL
Like mother, like daughter! Jenna Bush Hager is following in her mother's footsteps with the first-ever Read With Jenna Book Festival. Barbara Bush brought readers together with the Texas Book Festival in 1995. Now, three decades later, her daughter is inviting book lovers from across the country to gather in Nashville for the next chapter in her own literary story.
Since its debut on the TODAY show in 2019, Read With Jenna has become a cultural fixture, championing a broad sweep of titles from
bubbly beach reads to absorbing thrillers and mysteries. Along the way, Bush Hager has built a sprawling community of bookworms across the country, all drawn together by Jenna sharing her favorite stories.
This May, that community is set to join forces in the heart of Music City. From May 30th to 31st, the W Nashville will play host to the Read With Jenna Book Festival. The weekend promises an eclectic literary lineup: author panels — which will likely inspire lively discussions of the best Read With Jenna book selections for summer 2025 – book signings, festival freebies, and a live recording of Bush Hager's "Open Book with Jenna" podcast. And in true Nashville style, music sets will bring a bit of Southern rhythm to the reading list.
The Read With Jenna Book Festival has a lot waiting for you in Nashville
This isn't your average book club meeting. The Read With Jenna Book Festival is curating a guest list any book lover would swoon over. Elin Hilderbrand, who wrote some of our favorite beach reads, will join Ann Patchett, world-renowned novelist and co-owner of Nashville's treasured Parnassus Books. Add to that Chris Whitaker, author of the highest-rated thriller of the Read With Jenna book club, "All the Colors of the Dark." The lineup doesn't stop there: Rumaan Alam, whose unsettling novel "Leave the World Behind" left readers reeling, Emma Straub of Brooklyn's beloved Books Are Magic, and Jean Kwok, whose "Searching for Sylvie Lee" captured hearts and headlines.
General admission starts at $399, offering access to Saturday's full slate of programming — author-led sessions, book club conversations, fresh meals and drinks, plus entry to the Shop TODAY Brand Bazaar, where guests can sample fan-favorite products and take home a curated bundle of goodies. For those craving something extra, VIP packages at $699 unlock a private Friday evening reception, exclusive meet-and-greets, and expedited check-in. Either way, it's a chance to swap the Instagram feed for real interactions — and maybe leave with a few signed editions.
Take it from Jenna herself: "It's going to be so much fun," she told TODAY. So, if your idea of a dream weekend getaway involves good books, best friends, and a little Southern Charm, Nashville might just be calling your name.