As Beijing grows into a truly cosmopolitan city, Todd Balazovic learns how a mixed group of book fans are binding together with their shared passion.

Tied between the lines of any great novel are thousands of meanings, open to interpretation and leaving different impressions on each reader. For the Beijing Book Smugglers, the city's newest gathering for book junkies, getting together and reading between the lines is a way for members to share their love of books while getting feedback on their own interpretations.

"This is a chance to get together with people that like to read and be social while talking about what we've read," said Lauren Johnson from the US, founder of the group and a freelance writer living in Beijing.

While there are several book clubs in the capital, Johnson, who has lived in Beijing for two months, said she created Beijing Book Smugglers as a laid-back option for those who aren't literary experts. And that's what keeps the members coming back.

"(Beijing) Book Smugglers is surprisingly relaxed. It takes a more instinctive approach and we discuss what we like or don't like about the book," said Vivian Tan, a Singaporean member.

Tan said while she's always been a "closet reader", this is the first time she has ever taken part in a book club.

"I'd imagined book clubs to be academic, high-brow, snooty gatherings of people wearing turtleneck sweaters and tortoiseshell glasses, dissecting books along Freudian, feminist, post-modern lines," she said.

Beijing Book Smugglers is refreshingly normal. Meeting on the first Monday of each month at The Smugglers, a small bar crammed down a side alley near Sanlitun Village, the group of around 12 sits, drinks and discusses what they have read in the previous month.

Johnson said she chose the venue because, as well as being a relaxed club, she wanted Beijing Book Smugglers to be light on the wallet.

"I didn't want anyone not to come because they couldn't afford it," she said.

Ensuring that all the members in the club are appeased, Johnson said she tries to compose a list of books that don't cost too much and then holds a vote each month to decide which text to read for the next meeting.

One of the biggest draws and differences of having the book club is that Beijing can provide a truly international crew of members, hailing from all over Europe, Southeast Asia, China and the US, said member Melanie Whipple.

"This is my favorite part, because there are so many perspectives to share," said Whipple, from the US.

The group, which recently finished Trespassing by Uzma Aslam Khan, a story about living in Pakistan, draws on the international experiences of their members to gain a collective cultural understanding of complicated world events.

"The exchange of culture and experiences is always interesting," Tan said.

"For example, there was some confusion over parts of the Pakistan book because the writer didn't explain the background very well. Having lived in Pakistan for a few years, I tried to shed some light on the culture, colors and smells of the country."