Tips for Running a Book Club

February 5, 2022 February 5, 2022 by diane in 62 Comments

Anyone thinking of setting up a book club should know that it is far easier than it sounds. The first steps are to decide upon the number of members that you want. Keep in mind that the more people you invite to join, the more difficult it will be to structure the meetings. Between 10 and 12 people is a good number.

Group Structure

How will you choose your books? You could put together a detailed list of books to choose from as you go through the year, or even pick out 12 books at the start of the year and stick to that list. Alternatively, each member could choose a book every month. Perhaps you could stick with classics or choose a genre such as crime fiction to focus on. Or you could go with a theme, so as an example, at Halloween, you could opt for a horror read.

You should also decide who leads the meetings. As the organiser, you might want to guide each of the sessions, or you may wish to let whoever chose the book lead the discussion. It is easier if you can take it in turns, and it will help to make each of the meetings unique.

Dress for the Occasion

For most book clubs, ordinary dress is perfectly fine. Some book groups try to do things a little differently. You could make one of your meetings a cocktail party so that you all get to dress up in evening wear and enjoy a few drinks while discussing the book. For ideas on what to wear in the evening NA-KD is an excellent place to start with a wide range of dresses, shoes and other items that will help you to add a touch of glamour to the evening. NA-KD might also be able to give you a few ideas if you decide to do costume themes connected to the books that you read. NA-KD’s site carries a range of all types of clothing and accessories. This could be something that you do on a special occasion, such as Christmas or New Year.

A Few Tips

Not everyone has to enjoy the books that you mainly read. Differences of opinion can help to make the book club more interesting. Why not have a few questions to start the discussion off and then see where it goes? If the debate runs out of steam, you can simply add another question to get the talk moving again.

If you are meeting in each other’s homes, put on a few drinks and nibbles for each meeting. This helps everyone to feel a little more relaxed and will allow them to get to know each other. The entire session does not have to be about the book. Remember that book clubs are good places to make new friends.