How To Host A Book Club With Friends (Book Recommendations Included)
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I love to read, and I’m blessed to have friends who enjoy reading as well.
Because of this, when I brought up the idea of doing a virtual book club in the midst of COVID-19 when we were all stuck inside our houses, they were totally on board.
It was a new experience for all of us, but it brought us so much closer. It created an opportunity to learn more about one another, talk regularly, and spend quality time together.
Through trial, error, and research, I’ve learned some tips on how you can host a book club with your friends that’s both fun and engaging!
3 Ways To Host A Book Club With Friends
1| Virtual Book Club
Hosting a virtual book club is a great format for those long-distance friendships or even the friends who don’t feel like leaving the comforts of their homes.
The easiest way to do this is through video chat (Zoom, Google Meet, FaceTime, etc.), so make sure everyone has reliable WIFI.
How-To:
Pick a date and time that works for the majority of the friend group (Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.).
Determine if your book club will have a single, consistent host or if hosting will rotate, with the person asking the questions changing at each meeting.
Each friend jot down key takeaways and potential questions for every chapter of the required reading.
When you come together at the set time, the host will lead by giving an overview of the chapters and creating a space for open-ended discussions.
2| In-Person Book Club
In this year’s Galentine’s Day post, we discussed how you can put together a book club-themed brunch or girls’ night for you and your friends.
Once you all pick the perfect date, get your discussion questions ready for a day filled with great conversation and togetherness.
How-To:
Transform your space with bookish-themed decor.
Order food and/or have light refreshments.
Create a specialty drink (Bonus points if it’s inspired by the current read).
Include a fun activity (Decorate a bookmark based on the book cover colors).
3| Reading Retreat
I’m excited about this new trend of getting away for a weekend with friends and diving into a good book!
This is an opportunity to read a book from start to finish and have book club over the span of the weekend, while weaving in exploring a new area together.
How-To:
Book an Airbnb or hotel in a city that none of you have ever visited.
Pick a book of course.
Plan NOTHING outside of reading (Aside from making reservations at restaurants you’re dying to try).
Agree to read up until a certain chapter each day and use those evenings to engage in book discussions.
During the day, feel free to take breaks, walk around the area, pop into shops, pick up souvenirs, take cute pictures, record bookish content for keepsakes, and enjoy the time together (Just make sure you all actually finish the book).
5 Book Club Rules
1| Come prepared
It seems silly to say, but read the required reading before the meeting!
If you didn’t get a chance to by the time your group plans to meet, communicate that. They may be okay with pushing the meeting back or it could be a time where you sit this one out.
That doesn’t mean you couldn’t add your commentary to the Book Club group chat later on once you’ve completed it (By the way, a Book Club group chat is a must!).
Also, don’t leave it to one person to come up with questions or topics.
As you read, write down your thoughts and questions that you think would be good to discuss with the group.
2| Don’t read ahead (but if you do…)
Listen, sometimes the book gets so good it’s hard to put it down and you might have accidentally read a bit more than you were supposed to.
Or maybe you did it on purpose (It’s kind of hard to tell grown adults what they can and cannot do because they will do it anyway 😅).
In either case, be careful not to share spoilers, that’s not fair for the rest of the readers.
Reading ahead can skew your contributions to book club discussions since your insights might be influenced by what you know is about to happen in the book.
Be mindful of whether or not your comments are based on the current reading.
3| Be respectful
Actively listen when each person is talking and try not to talk over one another.
This can be a little challenging for virtual book clubs because as good as technology is, WIFI can still lag and create issues.
One way to mitigate that is to use the mute feature and/or the digital hand-raising feature on your smart devices to ensure uninterrupted speaking turns.
For in person, it’s a matter of not cutting people off and truly giving one another your undivided attention.
4| Don’t be judgy!
Books can spark lively conversations and healthy debates because everyone shares their opinions, which are shaped by each person’s life experiences and perspectives.
The beauty of reading in a group is seeing the book through everyone’s eyes.
Be careful not to let the discussions around a story lead you to insulting your friends.
5| Engage and interact
The purpose of the book club is to talk about the book!
Come up with new and unique ways to make the discussions more engaging and get your friend group excited about the reading.
One thing we’ve recently incorporated in our Book Club group chat is putting pictures of celebrities we think different book characters would look like.
It’s brought so much laughter and allowed us to get a glimpse into how each person interpreted the character’s physical appearance.
10 General Book Club Questions
I always recommend creating your own questions based on the chapters your friend group is reading, but it doesn’t hurt to have a few general questions prepared as well.
Check out these 10 book club discussion questions to help you and your friends get started!
Share your favorite highlight/quote/passage of the book.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Who was your least favorite character and why?
Would you want to read another book by this author?
What emotion did this book make you feel the most?
At what point in the book did you realize you enjoyed the story or that you wanted to DNF it?
Did you relate to any of the characters?
Did you take away any gems from the book? (life lesson, advice, etc.)
If you had to re-write a part of the book, what would it have been?
If you could ask the author anything about the story, what would it be?
10 Book Recommendations
This curated list celebrates Black authors and their beautifully told stories, all of which I rated ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!
Expect a blend of spicy, heartwarming romance across genres like urban fiction, Black romance, contemporary and women's fiction.
Click the links for easy access and happy reading!
1| All I've Wanted All I've Needed: Rise & Fall Series, Book 1
Author: A.E. Valdez
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Series or Standalone: Series
2| The Neighbor Favor (The Greene Sisters)
Author: Kristina Forest
Spice Level: 🌶️
Series or Standalone: Series
7| The Art Of Hood Love: Savvy
Author: Antoinette Sherell
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Series or Standalone: Series
8| The Writer's Block (Love Unblocked Book 1)
Author: Mea Monique
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Series or Standalone: Standalone (at the moment)
9| Maybe for the Summer: A Standalone Novel
Author: Aubree Pynn
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Series or Standalone: Standalone
10| More Than My Mistakes
It would be silly not to include my upcoming debut novel (Spring 2025) as a book recommendation for you and your friends!
And no, not just because I wrote it 🤭, but because there are still heavy friendship themes within my book and I know it will create thoughtful, fun, and engaging book club discussions!
Author: Amanda Linette
Spice Level: no spice [But very much for the grown folks 😏]
Series or Standalone: Series [TBC]
Have you ever hosted a book club before? If so, share your tips and your favorite book recommendations in the comments!
