Who to ask, and how many
Start with the people you’d like to see once a month anyway: friends, coworkers, neighbors, parents from school. Ask each of them to bring one person, and the club reaches a good size quickly.
Six to twelve members suits a club of friends meeting at home. The American Library Association suggests 8 to 16, so there’s still a discussion when a few people can’t make it.
Decide what kind of club it is
A sentence about this in the invitation saves a lot of awkward meetings later.
Fiction, nonfiction or both
Most clubs read novels. A mix keeps people who don't read much fiction coming.
One genre
Mysteries, classics, sci-fi or memoirs. Easier to choose books, and easier to find members.
Social or serious
Some clubs spend an hour on the book, some ten minutes. Say which when you invite people.
A silent book club
No assigned book. Everyone brings whatever they're reading, reads quietly for an hour, then talks.
How often to meet
Once a month is what most clubs settle on: enough time to read the book, and often enough that people don’t drift off. Some clubs meet every six weeks.
Choose a day of the month and keep it, like the second Tuesday. Two hours is about right: half an hour to catch up, an hour on the book, and the rest for whatever comes up.
Settle the day and the book
In a group chat, picking a book and a date can take a week of messages. Kitokoto is a free poll for the meeting day or the next book. Free, no account.
Start a book poll
Where to meet
Most clubs meet in members’ homes, in turn, but any of these works.
Members' homes, in turn
The host makes snacks and drinks. Free, and the easiest place to talk.
A café or a bar
Nobody hosts, but it's louder. Go at a quiet hour, or ask for a corner table.
The public library
Many libraries lend a meeting room for free, and some keep sets of book club copies.
Online
A video call works for friends in different cities. Keep it to an hour.
How to choose the books
Agree how the books get chosen at the first meeting, and keep to it.
The founder picks the first
Starting with a vote slows everything down. Choose a book you're confident people will finish.
Take turns
Each member picks one book in turn. Everyone reads something they wouldn't have chosen.
Vote from a shortlist
Each member suggests one book, and the club votes. It works well once a club is settled.
Mind the length
Under 400 pages for most months. Save the long ones for a two-month break.
Check it's easy to get
In paperback, at the library, or on Libby. A book only in hardcover puts people off.
The first book club meeting
The first meeting sets the habits. Keep it relaxed, and get through these before people leave.
- 1
Introductions
Who everyone is, and what they've loved reading lately.
- 2
Agree the basics
The day, how often, where, and how the books get chosen.
- 3
Talk about the first book
Or a short story read ahead, if there wasn't time for a whole book.
- 4
Choose the next book
Before anyone leaves. A book chosen on the night gets read.
- 5
Set the next date
The same day next month, if you can. A fixed day is easier for everyone to keep free.
Running the discussion
Someone should keep the conversation going, usually the host or whoever picked the book. Start with a simple question, let the quieter members speak first, and have a few questions ready for when the talk runs out.
Questions for any book
- What did you think of the ending?
- Which character would you most like to meet, or least?
- Was there a passage that stayed with you?
- Did the book change your mind about anything?
- What would you ask the author?
- How does the title fit the book?
- What surprised you?
- Would you recommend it, and to whom?
Keeping a book club going
These habits help a club keep meeting.
Keep the same day
The second Tuesday of every month is easier to remember than a new date each time.
Come even if you haven't finished
Spoilers are part of it. Better to come and listen than to skip.
Plan a few months ahead
A list of the next three books gives slow readers a head start.
Welcome new members
People move away or drift off. A new member every few months keeps the club the right size.
Take a break
Many clubs skip a summer month or December.
Questions
- How many members should a book club have?
- Six to twelve suits a club of friends meeting at home. The American Library Association suggests 8 to 16, so there's still a discussion when a few people can't make it.
- What to do at a first book club meeting?
- Introductions, agree the day, the place and how books get chosen, talk about the first book, then pick the next one and set the date.
- How often should a book club meet?
- Once a month, on the same day each month. Some clubs meet every six weeks for longer books. Find a day for your book club.
- How do you choose a book for book club?
- The founder picks the first one. After that, take turns or have each member suggest a book and vote.
- How to host a good book club?
- Have drinks and snacks ready, and keep the catching up to the first half hour. Bring a few questions for when the talk runs out.
- What are good book club rules?
- Come even if you haven't finished, spoilers are allowed, let everyone speak, and pick the next book before you leave.
- Can you start a book club online?
- Yes. Meet on a video call, keep it to an hour, and pick books that are easy to get as ebooks.
- What is a silent book club?
- A club with no assigned book. Members bring whatever they're reading, read quietly together for an hour, then talk.
- What is the 5 finger rule for books?
- A reading-level check for children. They read a page and count the words they don't know; five or more means the book is too hard for now.
- Can you make money from starting a book club?
- A book club among friends doesn't, and it costs only the books. Some online clubs earn from paid memberships, but that's a business.