How to Start a Book Club

A few years ago, a friend of mine decided a group of us women enjoyed talking about books and the things we liked to read. Why not everyone read the same book and we could talk and eat snacks at the same time? We weren’t quite sure how to start a book club, but we did it and we’ve been going strong ever since.

Here are some tips that we’ve learned over the years to have a successful book club.

Book Club Prez – When there are too many cooks in the kitchen, things get confusing. If you have one person who coordinates, things run smoothly. Our book club president isn’t in charge of anything, she’s our communication hub.

Plan the year ahead – In December, we have a planning meeting. We get together and plan the books we’ll be reading over the next year and who is in charge of leading the discussion. That person is also in charge of treats for the night. You MUST have good food. Right? Right.

Communication – We use several methods of communication for our book club. We have a private facebook group as well as an email list and group text. Our Prez makes sure that everyone is notified of a change. She (or someone she appoints) will post a reminder or update on the FB page. She’ll send out a text or email if needs be.

Location – For us, it works to have the book club at the same person’s house every month. The person who is in charge of the book for the month leads the discussion and brings the treats, but we still meet at the designated person’s home. Occasionally we’ll need to change the location, but that’s why we have great channels of communication. Some groups meet at the home of the person in charge of the book. Either way has worked great for us.

Time and Date – We meet the same night at the same time every month. Our date is the first Wednesday of the month at 7:30. We’ve also tried the 3rd Thursday. When planning the books for the year, it’s helpful to attach the date to the book.

Book Discussion – As I mentioned before, the person in charge of choosing that month’s book is in charge of leading the discussion. He/she can use the questions in the back (if there are some) or come with questions and observations of his/her own. This is not an oration. Trust me, the members of your book club will also have plenty to say! Consider emailing the author and asking them some questions about the book or about how they came up with the idea, etc. That would be fun to bring to the group!

Remember it’s for fun – We all do our best to read the book and come with questions and thoughts. If a book club member didn’t get a chance to finish the book, they still come and enjoy intelligent conversation, good company and yummy food.

Do you have good tips for running a successful book club?