If curling up in a favorite chair with a stack of novels and your favorite snack sounds better than a night out onthe town, then you must be an avid reader. Face it—you’re a bookworm and proud of it. If you’ve been wishing for a way to “find your tribe” or hang out with friends who love to read as much as you do, you might want to consider hosting a book club.
If you learn a few things ahead of time about hosting a book club, you’ll increase your chances of success. Who knows? You might even start a tradition that lasts for years. By keeping several helpful tips in mind (that we’re about to share with you) you can create a welcoming gathering space that delights your group and keeps them coming back for more.
When hosting a book club, choose a central theme
There are several ways to choose a theme when hosting a book club. You might want to focus on a specific genre or author. Perhaps your group members want to stick with bestsellers. There are no rules, which is part of the fun. You can customize your book club to suit your own group’s preferences.
You might want to stick with a particular theme for several books. Then again, if you want to change themes every time you begin a new novel, that’s fine, too. It’s up to you. However, your overall experience will be more successful if you plan ahead and agree on a theme.
Avoid making the group too big
Smaller is better when it comes to hosting a book club. Having too big a group is not conducive to personal conversations and close-knit discussions. In a large group, every member might not have an opportunity to share ideas or participate in question-and-answer sessions. A good average number for book club membership is eight to 10 people.
Create a schedule for snacks and drinks
Just because you’re hosting a book club doesn’t mean you must bear full responsibility for providing beverages and food. Especially if you’ll be meeting for a month or more per book, being the only person to purchase supplies for snacks and drinks might get expensive. Instead, create a weekly schedule for beverages and food items to ensure that every member is taking a turn. To make it easy, the host can take the first week as a kickoff event. For the weeks that follow, members can consult the schedule.
Set a time limit
It’s best to limit book club gatherings to two to three hours. Your group members can discuss and decide whether you’ll meet on a weeknight or weekend, as well as what the exact time frame will be. Will it stay the same each week or vary?
Get creative
Hosting a book club takes time and effort but can be a lot of fun. In fact, if your group has a creative flare, you might even decorate, dress or serve food and drinks that align with the era or setting in the book you’re reading. For example, if you’re reading historical fiction that takes place in the Victorian age, you might want to dress in costume on the last day for added fun and to celebrate completion of the novel. If you’ve hosted a book club, we want to hear from you! What tips would you add to our list for success?
