Book Club Sun City AZ: Reading and Writers Groups

A book club in Sun City AZ is easy to find: Sun City Library hosts two monthly book clubs, the RCSC-chartered Fairway Readers meet monthly, and Sun City West has a writers group at R.H. Johnson Library. Sun City Grand lists no book club of its own, so its residents usually lean on nearby county libraries.

Why reading groups are worth checking before you buy

Many of my clients arrive in the West Valley with boxes of paperbacks and a habit of a monthly discussion night back home. The good news is that Sun City, Sun City West and Sun City Grand each have a way to keep reading with other people. The catch is that each community runs on its own system. A library book club, a chartered recreation club and a resident writers group all have different rules about who can walk in the door.

That matters when you are choosing a house. A Sun City recreation card does not work in Sun City West, and Sun City Grand has its own association. If a particular group is part of the reason you are moving, check its rules first, then we can look at homes in the community that runs it.

Sun City Library book clubs

Sun City Library is a Maricopa County Library District branch at 16828 N 99th Ave. Its events calendar lists two recurring book clubs, both in the program room. For more on the branch itself, see my Sun City AZ library guide.

Murder and Mayhem Book Club. This group reads and discusses mysteries. The library lists it on the first Thursday of the month from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., and its next listed session is December 3, 2026. The listing says you are welcome to come and listen even if you have not finished the book.

Fiction and More Book Club. This adult group discusses both fiction and nonfiction titles. It is listed on the fourth Thursday of the month from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., and the event listing says registration is needed. Like Murder and Mayhem, it welcomes people who just want to listen in.

Because these are library programs, they run under library event rules rather than a recreation center membership. Check the live event page on events.mcldaz.org for the current title and to register, since picks and dates change month to month.

Fairway Readers, an RCSC book club

Fairway Readers is a book club chartered by the Recreation Centers of Sun City. The Sun City Independent reported in October 2024 that the group meets on the second Friday of every month and that members pick and approve the year's books at the November meeting. The same report said the club is open to Sun City residents with a current RCSC card.

That newspaper report is the most recent source I could open, so confirm the current meeting time, room and how to sign up with RCSC or the club before you plan around it. My Sun City clubs and activities post covers how RCSC chartered clubs work in general.

Sun City West: the SCW Writers Group and R.H. Johnson Library

Sun City West residents who want to write, not just read, have the SCW Writers Group. According to the group's own site, it meets from 2 to 4 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at R.H. Johnson Library, 13801 W Meeker Blvd. Meetings include contest and festival news, short talks on writing, editing and publishing, and readings of assigned prompts with feedback from other members.

Who can attend: the group's site says it is for Sun City West residents who are Recreation Center members in good standing. The R.H. Johnson Library discussion group page adds that valid Sun City West rec card holders can attend, as can guests of a card holder who have a daily pass wristband, and that no sign-up is required. To get in touch, the group points to the contact page and Facebook group on its site.

Sun City Grand

Sun City Grand in Surprise keeps its own association and club structure. When I checked the official Clubs and Groups page on livegrandaz.com, it listed dozens of chartered clubs, golf clubs and interest groups, but none for books, reading or writing. The closest options are the Language Club and the Paper Arts and Memories Club, neither of which is described as literary.

Grand Learning, the community's class program, does offer occasional writing topics. For example, the March 2025 issue of Grand Lifestyles listed a one-time fiction writing class. Groups at Grand change over time, and the page notes that new interest groups need a minimum number of members, so ask the Grand activities office whether a reading group is forming. Grand residents who live in Maricopa County can also get a free county library card and join the Sun City Library clubs above.

How newcomers usually join

1. Decide what you want: an open discussion club, a genre club such as mysteries, or a writers group with feedback on your work.
2. Find the group on the official page: the county library events calendar, the RCSC club listings, Sun City West club and library pages, or the Sun City Grand clubs directory.
3. Check the entry rule. Library clubs follow library event rules and may ask you to register. Recreation center clubs expect a current card for that community.
4. Get a free county library card if you are a Maricopa County resident. Bring a photo ID showing your current address.
5. Keep any club dues separate from your home budget questions. I do not quote those amounts.

If you want more than book talk, my posts on the genealogy club in Sun City AZ and lifelong learning classes for seniors in Phoenix cover two other popular pastimes. For a wider view of age-restricted communities, start with the Arizona 55+ living hub.

Buying tips if a club is on your must-have list

• Name the club or library program you want first. That tells us which community and which recreation card system to focus on.
• Visit during a week when your group meets, not only during a quiet afternoon tour.
• Treat Sun City, Sun City West and Sun City Grand as separate systems. A card from one does not carry over to another.
• Sun City, Sun City West and Sun City Grand are age-restricted communities, and the rules are in each community's CC&Rs. Read them along with the recreation center rules before you write an offer.

Book club Sun City AZ: questions people ask

Where do I find book clubs at Sun City Library?

On the Maricopa County Library District events calendar, filtered to Sun City Library. It lists Murder and Mayhem on the first Thursday and Fiction and More on the fourth Thursday of the month, both at 1:30 p.m.

Is there an RCSC book club in Sun City?

Yes. Fairway Readers is chartered by RCSC and, per a 2024 Sun City Independent report, meets the second Friday of each month for Sun City residents with a current RCSC card. Confirm current details with the club.

Is there a writers group in Sun City West?

Yes. The SCW Writers Group meets the second Thursday of each month from 2 to 4 p.m. at R.H. Johnson Library for Sun City West residents who are Recreation Center members in good standing.

Does Sun City Grand have a book club?

Its official clubs and groups list did not show one when I checked. Grand Learning offers classes, and Maricopa County residents can join the county library book clubs in Sun City.