How to start a book club
A book club needs four things: people, a book, a time and place, and an easy way to keep everyone in the loop. Here's how to set one up in an afternoon.
1. Decide what kind of club it is
Friends, neighbors, a church group, coworkers or a library group. Six to twelve people is a comfortable size: enough for a good talk even when a few people miss a month.
2. Pick when and where
Once a month on the same weekday is easy to remember. Meet at members' homes in turn, a cafe, a library room, or on a video call.
3. Invite people
Send one invitation everyone can join from. With Occasionry, you type their email addresses, or add a whole list from a photo or a spreadsheet, and they join by pressing the link. Nobody downloads anything.
4. Choose the first book together
Let each person nominate a book and vote. For a first book, pick something under 400 pages that's easy to find at the library or in paperback. How book club voting works.
5. Plan the food
A simple sign-up for appetizers, mains, desserts and drinks keeps it fair and avoids doubles. See the snack sign-up.
6. Run a good first meeting
- Start with first impressions. Go around once: what did each person think, in a sentence?
- Bring three to five questions. That's plenty for an hour.
- Keep it to about 90 minutes. Leave people wanting more.
- Pick the next date before anyone leaves. And open the vote for the next book.
Good questions for any book
- What did you think of the ending?
- Which character would you most like to meet, and why?
- What surprised you?
- Did the book change your mind about anything?
- Who would you recommend it to?
7. Keep it going
Meet on the same day each month, take turns hosting, and keep a list of every book you've read. In Occasionry that list fills itself in, with covers, as each month's book is chosen.
Questions people ask
How many people should be in a book club?
Six to twelve people is a comfortable size. It's enough for a good conversation even when a few people miss a month.
How often should a book club meet?
Once a month works for most clubs. It gives everyone time to finish the book.
How do you choose the first book?
Let members nominate a few books and vote. A first book under 400 pages that's easy to find at the library or in paperback helps everyone finish it.
What do you do at a book club meeting?
Most clubs share a snack, go around for first impressions, talk through a few questions, and pick the next date before everyone leaves.
Do you need an app to run a book club?
No, but it helps. A free app like Occasionry keeps the invitations, book vote, food sign-up and chat in one place, so the organizer isn't chasing replies.
Free, no ads, nothing to download.
Start your club in a few minutes. You'll be walked through it one step at a time.
Start a book club