9 Ways To Start An Actually Fun Book Club

When you become an adult, your social interactions tend to shift from house parties on the weekend to drinks after work with your coworkers, from frat parties to networking events, and from mixers to book clubs — but how can you make your book club actually fun? Sure, any time you get together with fun, bright, like minded people, it isn't going to be an absolute bore-fest, but if you are now or have ever been in a book club before then you know the routine can get... well, repetitive to say the least. So how can you make your book club a little more exciting?

As you might already know, a good book club is made up of two crucial things: the people in it and the books you read. If your group is made up of fun, diverse, and interesting people, then you're guaranteed to have lively discussions and meaningful debates over plot points, literary devices, and character motives. That is, of course, assuming you chose a book worthy of discussion, which is the other half of maintaining a solid book club. If you have these two things then your group is on track to being pretty kick ass.

Here are nine other ways to make your book club more fun, because sometimes even good people and good books aren't always enough.

If You Feed Them, They Will Read

Whether it's a family reunion, a work meeting, or, in this case, a book club, food makes everything better. Don't just settle for cheese and crackers, though. Instead, try and get creative with themed snacks. If your book club is reading Jane Austen for example, try having a traditional Box Hill-style picnic. The discussion between bites will be that much better with full bellies.

Make It A Boozy Book Club

Much like food, alcohol can make any gathering more fun. Whether it's simple mimosas, a few bottles of wine, or an elaborate themed cocktail, adding some booze to the mix will certainly spice up your book club and liven up the discussion.

Watch The Movie

Is the book your club just read being made into a movie or a television show? Take your group to see it after the discussion about it. You'll be able to relax and enjoy some (hopefully) quality entertainment, and afterwards, you'll have more fodder for discussion.

Take It Outside

While it's easy and convenient to meet at a member of the group's home, taking the book club outside the apartment makes it a lot more fun. You want to go somewhere that you can still sit near each other and discuss the month's reading selection, but your options are nearly limitless. Try going out for brunch, having a picnic at the park, meeting up at a library or bookstore, or just simply going to the bar.

Play A Game

Who doesn't love playing games, and I'm not just talking about Cards Against Humanity (though that is perfectly acceptable to work into your book club meeting). When your book club gets together, try and create a trivia game or a Jeopardy-style game based of of that month's reading selection. The questions can range from plot points to "name that character" quotes, and you don't need more than a few pencils and some note cards to play. If you aren't the creative type, try incorporating games like Scrabble or Scattegories into your meeting. Trust me, your word-loving crew will love it.

Include Some Giveaways

While book clubs are about reading for fun and not for rewards, adding in some prizes might encourage your whole group to show up. Stock up on cute bookmarks or cheap paperback novels and use them as giveaways during the discussion. It will help stimulate the conversation and make members happy to participate.

Make It A Book Swap

Since everyone in your book club is (obviously) a big reader — in other words, has way too many books — make time for a book swap at your meeting. You can trade books with other members, getting rid of books you've already read and picking up new ones to add to your ever growing TBR pile. Everyone will go home happy and with new reading material.

Find Local Author Events

Book clubs are, after all, about books and their authors, so if you want to make your book club more fun, try and find book and author events your whole group can go to. Whether it be a book festival or an author talk, interacting with the person who inspired your reading is interesting, interactive, and totally entertaining.

Make It A Spa Day

Reading and relaxing go hand in hand, so turn your book club meetings into a day of pampering. Buy face masks, stock up on nail polish, and be sure to have plenty of scented candles lit. Read, relax, discuss, and leave feeling refreshed. Sounds kind of perfect, doesn't it?

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