Sometimes I find myself longing for school days. Friendship seemed built into our day-to-day activities as children—play dates, after school sports, birthday parties, sleepovers—my social calendar was booked solid. But as adulthood creeps in and responsibilities loom, I’ve found that maintaining friendships requires much more effort. With a loneliness epidemic still lingering thanks to the pandemic, gathering with friends is needed now more than ever. And what better way to connect with loved ones than by learning how to start a book club?
A book club is more than just a shared reading experience—it’s an opportunity to gather, open your home, and connect on a deeper level with your friends. If you find yourself wishing you could join one, this could be a sign for you to start one yourself. Yes, you! I know firsthand that hosting anxiety is real, which is why I’ve put together this guide on how to start a book club. Whether you’re looking to spark insightful discussions, build community, or simply carve out more time to read, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to start (and sustain!) a thriving book club.
How To Start a Book Club in Three Steps
Hosting always starts with a little bit of prep work. For book club, that means sending invites, deciding on your first book, and setting the tone for what you’d like your book club to encompass.
Step One: Form Your Group
Put feelers out and ask your friends if they’d be interested in joining. This doesn’t have to be formal, just send a group text! It’s helpful to know if you have friends who are already readers, or perhaps friends who would like to read more (this could be a great incentive!). You can also decide how large or small you’d like your group to be. Anywhere from six to ten people is ideal for juicy convos, though I’d say you could also invite three to four friends for a more intimate gathering.
It’s also OK if not everyone knows one another at the start. This is a great opportunity to create new friendships and connections. Once you have a friend or two who’s interested in joining, ask them to invite anyone else they think might like to join.
Step Two: Organize and Structure the Club
As you send out invites and see who’s interested, let everyone know how often you’d like to meet and what the vibe is. Do you envision a casual wine night or are you looking for deep discussion over dinner? What sort of books are you interested in chatting about? Brainstorm a bit, then ask your friends what they’d be into as well.
Gauge interest in what genres people are interested in reading and have a few titles to choose from at the start. Having a leader of your book club is recommended (someone to host, lead conversation, and keep the club organized) and the leadership can be rotated as you get going. Don’t be afraid to lead the first one, especially if this is something that you’d really like to make happen.
Step Three: Pick a Book and a Date
The two essential things you need to start a book club are a book to read and a date for your first gathering. Once you’ve nailed down your guest list and a book that everyone is psyched to read, set the date. Give you and your book club members four to six weeks to read the book, then let the party planning commence!
Five Tips for Hosting the Coziest Book Club Ever
Now that you know how to start a book club, these five simple hosting tips will ensure your first meeting is a complete success.
Create a Cozy, Welcoming Atmosphere
Hosting is all about making your guests feel welcome and relaxed—the same goes for book clubs. Be sure there’s plenty of cozy seating, light some candles, and you could even add on-theme decor based on the book you’re chatting about. Cute!
Have a Playlist Going
Music will make your guests feel at ease. Have a playlist going as they arrive. Bonus points for making it on theme with your book.
A gathering wouldn’t be complete without food. Whether you’re making a one-pot meal like this coconut dal, or you have lots of snacks, make your menu simple so you can focus on the book and your friends. Greet your guests with a welcome cocktail or mocktail (Salty Dog, anyone?) and have snacks like tuna and avocado toast or chips and guac out on the table. If you’re serving a main dish like roasted vegetable pasta or spring potato pizza, let your guests know when it’s ready to dive in!
Structure Your Time
Since book club centers around a discussion, have a plan going in for how you’d like to structure your gathering. Let the first hour be about settling in and catching up. Book club doesn’t have to be all about the book the entire time, it’s also about connecting with your friends.
Once everyone has eaten and chatted, gather around to start discussing your book. A good ice breaker is to start with overall thoughts—how do you rate this book between one and ten? Then let the conversation flow.
As the host, have a few conversation starters at the ready as well. You may not need them, but they can come in handy if you want to dive deeper. A few general conversation starters include:
- What was your favorite part of the book and why?
- How much did you know about this book before reading? What surprised you?
- If this movie was turned into a movie, who would you cast as the main character?
- Did the book challenge or change your perspective on a topic?
Decide on the Next Book
Deciding what the next book is as a group is a fun way to cap your book club meeting! Have a few titles to choose from and vote as your discussion wraps up. You can also plan your books a few months at a time to make things easier. Don’t be afraid to swap genres, and if you’d like, swap hosts as well.
Book Club Ideas
If you’re not sure where to start—we have tons of recommendations from books that feel like vacay to cozy reads that will make you want to snuggle up. If you’re looking for themed book club gathering ideas though, I won’t leave you hanging! Here are three book club ideas that will take the guesswork out of a fun evening with friends.
Be Ready When The Luck Happens by Ina Garten
Ina’s memoir came out last fall and it was my favorite read of the whole year. It would make a fantastic book club read! Garten shares her story from early childhood to her days of working at the White House, to her adventures buying and growing the Barefoot Contessa—the specialty food store that grew into her empire.
Encourage guests to come in their favorite Ina-inspired button down, serve iconic Ina Garten dishes, and sip on crisp white wine or cosmopolitans. Have a playlist that consists of French dinner party music, reminiscent of her iconic Paris apartment. Here are a few discussion questions to get the convo going.
- How much did you know about Ina Garten before reading her memoir? What, if anything, surprised you about her life?
- What sections of her life interested you the most? The least?
- What do you think of Garten’s writing style?
The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
Mel Robbins’ most recent book is a fantastic book club pick, especially if your friends are into personal development. The theory is simple: If you “let them” do whatever they like, you release control and invite more peace into your life. Have an upbeat playlist full of motivational songs playing as your guests arrive and keep the menu simple. You truly can’t go wrong with a charcuterie board, an appetizer like this hummus toast, and a big, gorgeous citrus salad. Ask your friends these questions during the discussion:
- After reading, do you agree or disagree with the “let them” theory?
- Did you have an “aha” moments while reading? What were they?
- What area of your life do you think the “let them” theory would be most helpful? (career, personal life, family life etc.)
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Hot off the presses, the second Hunger Games prequel just released and it would make a really fun first book club meeting. Who says YA novels have to be strictly for young adults? The first Hunger Games novel came out in 2008, and for those of us who have read the books from the beginning, this would make for pretty juicy book club convos. To save you from spoilers, here are a few general book club questions that would work great!
- If you were faced with the same predicament as the protagonist, what would you have done?
- What was the most surprising part for you?
- What scene was most memorable to you? Why?
- What did you think of the ending? Would you change anything?
Now that you know how to start a book club, remember: It’s about more than just reading. It’s an occasion meant to foster connection, create community, and hold space for shared experiences. Whether you keep it intimate or expand it into a larger social gathering, the key is to make it enjoyable, engaging, and fun. So gather your group, pick your first book, and happy reading!