How to Plan a Reading Retreat: A Guide for Book Clubs

A reading retreat is dedicated time set aside for reading: away from your normal routine, without the usual list of things pulling your attention elsewhere. No fitting reading into a commute or the twenty minutes before bed. No cutting a good discussion short because the meeting has to end. Blissful time to read and to talk about what you read.

In this post we share how to find an existing retreat to join and meet other readers, or how to organize one yourself!  

Why Plan a Reading Retreat

Reading is usually solitary, but book clubs exist because books are better together! A retreat gives you more of both: real blocks of quiet reading time, plus more room to discuss than a typical meeting allows.

• Protected reading time. A retreat gives everyone dedicated time to devote to reading, whether that's finishing a long book or just getting further than usual without interruption.
• Deeper discussion. An hour is enough to cover the basics. A weekend is enough to get into the details like structure, side characters, or the ending nobody agreed on.
• A reason to read the book everyone's been avoiding. The long one, the dense one, the one that's been sitting on the list for two years.
• Stronger relationships. Shared meals and unstructured time turn a club into more of a friend group, not just a monthly commitment.

Option 1: Organize Your Own

If you already have a book club, this is the more natural route — you already have a group, a rhythm, and a sense of who'll actually show up. It also works for a smaller group of reading friends who aren't a formal club; you'll just want to set expectations upfront on the book, how much reading is expected before arrival, and how costs get split.

The rest of this guide walks through organizing one step by step.

Option 2: Find One to Join

If you don't have a group and want to meet other readers, there's a growing number of retreats you can simply book a spot at. A host handles the venue, book selection, and schedule, and you show up alongside other readers — most of whom you won't know beforehand.

A few ways to find one:

• Dedicated retreat search sites, like BookRetreats.com, which list reading and literary retreats you can book directly.
• Book retreat or book camp organizations, like Book Huddle, Bad Bitch Book Club, Bookish Retreats or Pages & Pines Retreat
• Bookclubs.com’s Join A Book Club page, searching for experiences (as of August 2026, there are several upcoming retreats)
• Local bookstores and libraries, which sometimes host or promote retreats and reading getaways, even if they don't run them directly.
• Word of mouth, through your existing book club or reading friends. Someone's often already been to one.

If you go this route, look for a description of the schedule (how much is structured group time vs. free reading time) and the book format (assigned reading vs. bring-your-own) before booking, since retreats vary a lot on both.

Step 1: Nail Down the Basics

Before venues or book picks, settle the logistics everything else depends on.

Group size. A retreat works differently for 6 people than for 20. Smaller groups have more flexibility on venue and can often split a house rental. Larger groups may need a retreat center, inn, or space with multiple rooms.

Budget. Decide early whether this is a budget cabin weekend or a bigger splurge. Be upfront about cost per person — lodging, food, activities — so nobody's surprised later.

Timing and length. A long weekend (Friday evening to Sunday afternoon) works for most groups — enough time to settle in without requiring a full week off. If your group has members with young kids or demanding jobs, a shorter one-night version is a reasonable place to start.

Distance. This doesn't require a flight. A lot of good reading retreats are within a two- or three-hour drive — a lakeside cabin, a small inn, a state park cabin. Less travel time means more actual reading time.

Step 2: Pick a Destination

The right setting depends on what your group wants — quiet and low-key, or a mix of reading and activities.

• Cabin or lakeside rental: Good for groups who want to read by the fire and talk late.
• A location tied to the book: An author's hometown, or a setting from the novel itself, if that's realistic.
• Retreat center: Some come with hiking trails, yoga, and meals included — worth looking into if your group wants reading time paired with actual rest. This is also the format most dedicated reading retreats (including women's retreat weekends) are built around.
• Small inn or B&B: Less setup work than a self-catered rental, good for smaller groups.
• Staycation: For those with limited time or resources, a retreat doesn’t have to mean a big trip.  A book club member can host in your own hometown!

Whatever you pick, make sure there's a shared space — a living room, porch, common area — for the group to gather for discussion, not just separate bedrooms.

Step 3: Choose the Book (or Books)

This is where a retreat differs most from a normal meeting.

• One long book. Use the extra time for the book everyone's been putting off.
• A few shorter books around a theme. Discuss one per day.
• One author, multiple books. Talk about how their writing changed across the works.
• Everyone brings their own current read. Looser format, works well for groups that don't want a fixed structure.
• Planning meeting for your year in books.  Many book clubs use a retreat as the chance to choose all the books they’ll read during the coming year. 

Send the book out early enough that slower readers can finish, and prep a short set of discussion questions ahead of time so the conversation has direction.

Step 4: Keep the Schedule Loose

The most common planning mistake is over-scheduling. The point of a retreat is unstructured time, so don't fill every hour.

A simple structure that works:

• Morning: Reading time, or an optional activity
• Midday: Shared meal
• Afternoon: Main discussion session
• Evening: Cooking, games, or a lighter, optional book talk

Leave real downtime. Some people will want to nap, some will want to finish the last chapter, some will just want to sit outside. That's fine — it's part of why the retreat works.

Step 5: Split the Work

Retreats run smoother when the planning isn't on one person.

• Booking lead: Venue research, contract, deposit
• Food coordinator: Meal or potluck plan, dietary restrictions
• Discussion lead: Preps questions, keeps the main session on track
• Activities planner: Optional excursions or local spots

A shared spreadsheet or planning doc (or Bookclubs) keeps everyone aligned on who's bringing what and what the schedule looks like.

Step 6: Handle the Money Upfront

Money is the fastest way to create friction on an otherwise good trip.

• Decide whether costs are split evenly or itemized, since some people may skip an activity or meal
• Collect payment or deposits ahead of time instead of settling up on-site
• Keep a running total so nobody's surprised by the final number

If your club already collects dues or handles payments through Bookclubs, that same setup makes retreat cost-splitting a lot less awkward than a group chat full of Venmo requests.

A Few Extras Worth Considering

• A themed dinner based on the book's setting
• A book swap night, where members trade a favorite title
• A guest author Q&A, virtual or in person, if it fits the budget
• A simple keepsake — a group photo or printed discussion notes

Reading Retreat FAQs

What is a reading retreat? A trip built around dedicated reading time, away from home and daily distractions. You can organize one yourself, for your book club or a group of friends, or join an existing retreat to meet other readers. A book club retreat is the first kind — a reading retreat organized around your club's own book and discussion time.

How do you plan a reading retreat? Start by deciding whether you're organizing your own or joining an existing one. If you're organizing it, settle the basics (group size, budget, dates, destination), pick the book(s), build a loose schedule, and split the planning tasks so it's not all on one person. The steps above cover each part in more detail.

Final Thoughts

A reading retreat is really just about protecting time that a normal month doesn't give you. Keep the planning simple and leave room for things to go off-schedule — that's usually where the best parts of the trip happen anyway.

If you're ready to start planning, Bookclubs makes it easy to coordinate scheduling, share discussion questions, and keep your group organized before, during, and after the trip.