Do you love a good book? Have you ever been part of a book club? If you haven’t but have always wanted to, you are in luck! Today, I am sharing 7 easy ways to host a book club.
I will also be sharing books I have read and loved and those that I am looking forward to reading this year!
For our first book, we will be reading The Maid by Nita Prose. I can’t wait!

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” – C.S. Lewis
A Newbie Book Club Host
I love to read.
From as far back as I can remember books were a part of my life. I’m still lucky enough to have some of those books that I had when I was young. I always loved a good mystery. A little secret, Trixie Belden was my favorite. If you’ve never heard of her, she is very similar to Nancy Drew.
Anyway….I still enjoy mysteries however, my library has definitely expanded.
I like to set goals, and one of my goals for this summer was to start a book club. So I am doing just that!
Below are the easy guidelines that I am using to start my very first book club!
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1.) Creating Your Book Club Circle
The first and most important thing is to make sure you ask people who you know will be committed, will read the book and participate.
I am blessed to have five girlfriends that I’ve known since grade school. If you know how old I am…that is a long time!
We have shared so many life events together.
We are family… Friends who are family.
That being said, life is busy and we just don’t see each other as much as we would like. So I suggested we do a book club together and everyone agreed.

2.) Decide When To Meet
It’s important to define how often you will meet.
Depending on who is in your club and how busy their schedules are, you may decide to meet monthly or every other month. It’s important to consider everyone when doing this.
My group is going to meet monthly and I believe that’s a really reasonable goal. Meeting the last week of the month is a great option and gives your group the whole month to read the current book selection.
Here’s a thought. Rather than meeting on the weekend, why not try meeting in the evening during the week? Weekends are usually so busy for most everyone.
3.) Divide & Conquer
I love to entertain but so do my gal pals!
So rather than having book club at one location all the time, we have mutually decided that we will rotate houses to meet. There are only six of us so each person only has to host twice a year. The perfect amount to change it up.
The person who hosts will also choose the book of the month.
Everyone gets to have their personal input on the month they host and I love that!
“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” – Walt Disney
4.) Make It Fun With A Theme
There are so many ways to add fun to your book club.
We have decided that the snacks, drinks, napkins etc., will represent the book we are reading, for the month. You’ll be able to do this with almost any book. Consider the location, the year, the food they eat and what they drink.
Has the book you’ve chosen also been made into a movie? If so, why not read the book then have a movie night. You can watch the movie together and then compare the book to the movie.

5.) Plan Discussion
Hopefully the books you chose will prompt discussion. It doesn’t have to be super formal but a good discussion about the book is part of the reason you read. Good questions:
Did you love it or hate it?
Did it keep you up thinking about it?
Can you relate to any of the characters?
If you are unsure how to start or what to ask, the author’s website will usually have questions for you to consider.
6.) Stay Connected
It’s always good to stay connected. I suggest a group text thread. That way if anyone has to cancel, has questions that come up, each member can communicate in the group thread.
A good thing to remember is everyone is busy and responds at different times. If you are looking for the whole group to acknowledge what you are writing or trying to communicate, make sure to be patient and give everyone time to answer.
7.) Have A Good Time!
Have a good time with your book pals! I know I put this as the last number, but in my opinion, it really should be the number one priority! Why do it if it isn’t fun?!
Well, that’s it! My version of 7 easy ways to host a book club.
If you aren’t in a book club, but would like to be, I hope I have inspired you to step out and create one yourself!
Last but not least, I will be adding a “Book of the Month” to my Mitten Moments the last weekend of each month. I’ll share what book the club read and my own thoughts on it. I’m always looking for something new to read and maybe you are too. Maybe my “Book of the Month” will give you your next fun read!
I hope my 7 easy ways to host a book club gave you the inspiration you need to start your own!
Happy reading, friends!

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We love our book club! We meet at a wine bar so nobody has to actually host, but I love the idea of doing themed snacks. Maybe we need to switch things up next year?! You’ve got some great book titles suggested and we actually have read several of them as part of our club. Also, Trixie was one of my favorites too when I was growing up. ♥️
Hooray! I’m not the only one who knows Trixie! A wine bar sounds like a wonderful place to host! I’ll have to keep that in mind.
I’m finishing the book “ The invisible life of Addie Larue“ literally as I text this, a Christmas gift from my future daughter-in-law! Great read! Looking forward to the inaugural book of our new book club “The Maid”!
Yes, I can’t wait! xo
I love your ideas for hosting a book club especially the snacks, drinks, and napkins to be theme to the book. My daughter is part of a book club and enjoys it. It is something that I would enjoy as well. I may need to read this suggested book too.
Thank you, friend! I’ll let you know how it is!
I’ve never participated in a book club, but you made it sound so fun! Thanks for all your tips, I will definitely consider starting one!
I’m glad you liked it! Let me know if you start one! Have a great day!
I love all these great tips on starting a book club Kim. Sounds like a lot of fun. I’m going to share this tomorrow on Saltwater Sounds.
Gosh! Thanks so much, Kim! I’m so glad you liked it. I appreciate you!
I am so excited for our book club! I love how you have put it all together and made it so easy for us! See you at the end of the month!
I’m looking so forward to it! xo
Great ideas for hosting a book club Kim!
Thank you, Kim!
Great “7 ways to host a book club”. Looking forward to it! Lots of good book ideas. So many different genres. Your book is full of good books I have read and some new ones for me to pick up.
I always love to turn all the noise off and curl up with a good book before bed. Although sometimes I can’t put it down…
I love to get lost in a book, too! Especially in a cozy spot in with a cozy blanket! Looking forward to our book club!
Great tips, Kim! I loved Nancy Drew as a child! Thanks for sharing all these wonderful tips on how to host a book club! I absolutely love to read!
My husband bought me the first 30 Nancy Drew books for Christmas, last year! I love to collect books and it was a welcomed surprise! Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you for inspiring me to read more, Kim. Books provide a little escape from the craziness of our day to day lives. I’m trying to remember the name of the book you were reading about finding the joy in everyday tasks such as laundry. Do you remember the name of that book? I also love the ring on your thumb, lol! I’m asking Emily to look for one as my birthday gift. xoxo