Are you new to the book club scene or is your book club reconvening after a long break? If so, we’ve got some great ideas for you to restart book club with a bang. Check out these fun book club activities and get reading!
Attend an author event
Check the events calendar of your local bookstore or library and choose an author event to attend together. Look to see if one of your favorite authors is coming to town, or just pick a book or author from upcoming events that looks most interesting to your club.
Discussing the book reaches a whole new level when you get to hear the author’s first-hand perspective, and maybe even ask them a question of your own.
Virtual book club? No problem - many authors now do virtual events. Join the Bookclubs Author Chats club to access online author chats hosted on Zoom or Instagram Live.
Watch a movie together
There’s no shortage of movie adaptations of our favorite books. Pair your reading with a trip to the cinema, or skip the book altogether and just watch and discuss! You can plan ahead for Oscar season using our literary guides for the 2022 and 2024 Academy Awards.
Perform a table read
A table read (also known as a read-through) is an organized reading of a script in which the speaking parts, stage directions, and scene headings are read out loud. Table reads are a great way to combine your love for reading and cinema while bonding with your club members. Pro-Tip: Bookclubs team member, Carrie, organized a table read of the 1950 classic film, All About Eve (aka the bitchiest film ever made!) with her book club and it was the perfect script for a club with 10-15 members.
Plan a themed meal or drinks around your book
Explore your book through food and drink. Reading is one of the best ways to explore another culture. Take your exploration to the next level by pairing your book discussion with dishes related to your reading.
Meet somewhere new
If your book club feels like it’s been stuck in a rut, sometimes the easiest change to make is to switch up where you meet. Try a new bar, cafe, or bookstore, or even a park!
Change up what you read
If you really want to shake it up, try mixing up what you read with your club. Switch genres, read some poetry, dive deep into an article, or explore prize-winning literature.
Pick a month for a book wild card
Every summer, Anna’s book club reads the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, whatever it is. It can be fun to take the element of choice out of the equation and try a book that pushes your boundaries.
Have a book free-for-all
Instead of an assigned book that everyone reads together, try a meeting where members share whatever they’re currently reading on their own. It’s a great opportunity to get reading recommendations and grow your TBR list.
Take a book club field trip
We’ve known book clubs to go on several day retreats together, but you can start with a day trip. You can make it a purely social outing (spa visit? Tarot card reading?) or tie it thematically to your reading (Reading historical fiction? Visit an art or history museum to learn about the time period. Reading sci-fi? Visit a science museum or planetarium)
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