Have you ever joined a book club? Or maybe you are a part of one now? If so, you know how rewarding it is to have people with the same love of reading around to talk about all things books. You’ll also find there are many fun things to do at each book club meeting, there’s always something new coming up next.
Being in a book club is not only a great place to connect with others, it also helps you expand your reading preferences. Through my two years of being in book clubs I’ve read quite a few books that I wouldn’t have picked up otherwise.
Whether you want to mix up your book club meetings, or are planning on starting your own book club, today’s post is for you. I’ll be sharing over 15 things you can do at your next book club. From activities, food, and ways to pick your next book, I’m sharing ideas for a little of everything.
Activities To Do At Your Book Club
To kick things off we are starting with the main event. What do you do at a book club meeting? Of course there is going to be discussion about the books you read that month, but you have the opportunity to make it even more exciting. These activities are a great way to mix things up if you are unsure what to do for your next book club.
Bookish Hear Me Out Cake
This is a silly trend on TikTok, mostly with movie or cartoon characters. You could do that, or you could make it book themed. Maybe you each pick a book character that people love to hate, or you could do unpopular books that you ended up loving.
Book Bedazzling
I was introduced to book bedazzling in an online book club and instantly became obsessed. You could all bedazzle the monthly book, or each bring a different book to work on. You may not finish your creations at the meeting, but it’s a fun way to get started.
Author Q&A
This activity may be a little difficult to do, but you could try and get the author of your monthly book club to chat with you all at the meeting. You’ll have better luck with local authors and/or indie authors most likely. Don’t count out other authors though. A simple email to the publisher or PR company could open doors. You’ll never know unless you try. Worst case scenario you just plan something else for your meeting.
Craft Night
This is the idea that inspired the post you are reading right now. I love the idea of getting together with your book club and making bookish crafts. You can each bring your own, my book club has done this, or all work on the same bookish craft.
Game Night (But Make it Bookish)
Book Bingo, Bookish Jeopardy, and book themed card games (like this Fourth Wing one), are all a fun way to let loose and have some fun on book club night. Get creative and make your own game or pick a board game.
Barnes & Noble Challenge for The Next Book Club Meeting
I’ve found some fun Barnes and Noble games on TikTok from time to time. From picking books of an assigned color or a random prompt, there are a few ways to go about it. Then once you all have your books you see the ratings on Goodreads and the one with the highest rating wins. You could also do a scavenger hunt there. Just remember to be respectful and mindful of other book shoppers and the employees.
Blind Dates With A Book Exchange
You’ve probably seen blind dates with a book either online or maybe at an event. They are books that are wrapped up to where you can’t tell what it is. Usually there are hints (like genre, tropes, star rating, etc.) and sometimes it’s paired with little gifts like stickers and pens. These are also fun to exchange with book club friends. My book club does this once a year during Christmas and it’s so fun to see what book everyone ends up getting.
Reading Retreat
If you want a more vacation vibe your book club could make the meeting a weekend thing and rent a house somewhere to host a reading retreat. You can go with the flow or create a whole itinerary. Whatever fits your group best. This is sure to create some great memories.
Adaptation Movie/TV Show Night
With so many books getting movie or series adaptations I think this is a great book club meeting idea. You choose a book that has an adaptation out, then at the meeting you watch it. Afterwards you can discuss the similarities and differences.
Food To Have At Your Next Book Club Meeting
No get together is complete without something to munch on. Whether you go simple or more creative, your book club members will appreciate the food while you all are discussing books.
Themed Nights
I think food can bring a themed meeting fully together. Some themes I’ve seen that look so fun are board nights (everyone brings a different type of food board like these), foods related to the monthly pick, and a popcorn or nacho bar would be fun if you are watching a movie or show. My club does a Christmas cookie exchange each year in December and it’s one of my favorite meetings of the year.
Anniversary Celebrations
Celebrating your book club’s anniversary is a great reason to have some fun food at the meeting. Think typical birthday party food, pizza, chips and dip, and don’t forget a cake.
Potluck
This is what my book club does and it works really well. We each sign up for the meeting ahead of time so that we know how many people are coming and then each person picks something to bring. My book club leaders have a great system going with this.
How to Pick The Next Book for Your Book Club Meeting
Picking your next book for book club can be tricky. You want to pick something that hopefully everyone will like, and you want to be fair about what gets chosen. Skip the awkward conversations about who should go next and make the selection fun by doing one of these activities.
Take a Vote
This is what all of the book clubs I’m in do in some form or another. It’s a great way to ensure majority rules when it comes to the decision.
Use a Prompt Generator
Prompts are a great way to have a generalized theme while also letting each reader decide what book they want to read. All you have to do is gather some prompts (like the cover being a certain color or the setting being in a certain place for example). Then put them all in a jar or input them into a Random Choice Generator and let fate decide your pick.
Process Of Elimination
If you want to build up anticipation, this is a fun way to do it. Basically all you do is each person picks a book and you play a game, like spin the bottle or draw it out of a jar, to eliminate all the choices until you are left with one book.
Member Choice at the Next Book Club Meeting
If you don’t want to limit anyone’s reading choices, and ensure everyone reads something they enjoy, this is a great way to do that. Just simply have everyone bring their favorite book from the month and you each share what you liked about it.
Stick To A Theme
You know I had to end it talking about themes right? This could be seasonal picks (think romance in February and thriller in October) or maybe something different like pairing a book with your favorite drink. Feel free to get creative here.
Final Thoughts on Your Next Book Club Meeting
Now you have all you need to plan your next book club meeting. By picking something from each of the categories above you and your attendees are sure to have a great time. Remember it’s about the books and how they connect you with others, have fun!
About the Author
Kelly graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations and a minor in Journalism. Even though it took her a little while to find her career path, she was always meant to be in Communications. She remembers writing poems and songs when she was a little girl and pitching to my parents the reasons why I should have a cell phone when I was a teenager. She currently has a blog (budding-joy.com) where she talks about her weight-loss journey, mental health and personal development. Her hope is to encourage and inspire readers and let them know they are not alone. Reading blog posts like that are what helped her in tough times and she wants to pay it forward. She loves dance fitness, listening to music, and creating layouts in her bullet journal. She's a big fan of planning, especially when cute notebooks and pens are involved. Her dream job has changed so much over the years; right now she'd love to co-own a dance studio.
Website: budding-joy.com