Rules for Book Club

The idea of a book club conjures visions of smiling friends, gathered together with contented smiles, relaxed shoulders, dog-eared novels, a few open bottles of wine, and perhaps a grazing board. Everyone has read the book, most have arrived with a few thought-through points and perspectives, and no one is out for blood. Sounds nice, right? We think so too. Experience has taught us, though, that this is seldom the way everything quite plays out. Perspectives that sometimes conflict, different ideas about what constitutes reading the book, unbalanced hosting responsibilities, and competing literary tastes can sometimes set the stage for an unexpectedly tense session. Stick to these ten rules to keep things pleasant, productive, and primed for ongoing book club success!  

Tip: Looking for some great book club selections? Check out all our faves on Page & Pairing. 

Rule #1: Level-set literary tastes. 

Nothing’s worse than a room full of folks who didn’t actually read the book because the book just didn’t appeal to them. Get everyone on the same page about book genres, length, and density. If everyone is into a particular genre, there’s no reason not to go that route most or all of the time. For those books that only appeal to a few in the group, keep the page count low to make it easy for them to dip a toe in. If you’ve got a lot of variety in terms of taste, keep track of all the above to make sure you’re circulating regularly through everyone’s faves. 

Rule #2: Make it accessible. 

Sure, your lit-loving friends might be chomping at the bit to read the latest new novel by the hottest author in town. Keep it real though — the splashiest new drop may not be available for library-goers, and book buyers may prefer the price of a paperback. Pay attention to what’s flying a little under the radar for your book club to make sure everyone’s budget and means are respected. 

Rule #3: Revisit the backlist.

Sure, it’s a ton of fun to keep up on the latest and greatest. But sometimes, there’s a moment in time that just begs for a particular book from years ago. Whether it’s a current event, an author who passes away, or the anniversary of a classic, don’t be afraid to dig deep into books from years (or decades!) prior. Even if a few folks have read it before, all the life that’s happened since will likely give readers a fresh perspective. 

Rule #4: Consider something short and sweet. 

Not every book club pick has to be a door stopper. Don’t look past a literary work just because it is a little bit on the short side. So many fabulous books keep it super succinct without sacrificing density or deep meaning! Who knows? You might even find more members than ever have done their homework when the lift is a little lighter!

Rule #5: Read. The. Book. 

If there’s one thing that keeps a book club discussion from getting to the good stuff it’s when not enough people in the room have actually read the book. Sure, you can fake it to a point. What this misses though is the joy of stumbling across that one line that crystallizes a book’s entire theme, or that one moment that inspires that exact type of nostalgia that lands so hard, or that one plot twist on which everything that happens after turns. There’s only one way to experience the glory of all of that — and the discussion that follows. And that’s to read the book.

Rule #6: Prepare prepare prepare.

Imagine this: You’ve found the perfect book, aligned on the date, sourced a very eager hostess. Everyone arrives, their books beautifully dog-eared and read cover to cover. You all tuck in — and no one knows how to start you off. Sure, many book clubs have at least one very thoughtful, very vocal member who will just jump right in. Rather than leave it to chance, source questions for discussion. You can typically find them by searching online or checking the publisher’s website. And, of course, Page & Pairing has got questions available for most of our picks.  

Rule #7: Share the responsibility.

Hosting your book club is no light lift. There’s food, seating, music, drinks, and more to consider. Keep things feeling fair by determining your gang’s approach early on. A rotating roster of hosts? Potluck, perhaps? Or is there a local spot where you can all meet out? Plan ahead and keep track to keep spirits up and stress down. Keep in mind: not all budgets are the same! Having frank communication about what feels like a reasonable spend for each meeting is almost as important as the meeting itself. 

Rule #8: Game-ify book club. 

For every pick, choose a member from a rotating roster to pick out teeny details from the book for a literary scavenger hunt. During book club, set up a sleuthing game wherein the game lead gives hints about these pre-discovered and documented details. The reader who gets the most correct gets a prize! (And to keep things from getting too heavy on the host, put the onus of prize duties on the game lead.)

Rule #9: Set conversational boundaries.

We’ve seen more than our share of book club discussions get a little … fiery. While inviting folks to get personal in their perspectives during conversation, sometimes there are elements that should be kept out of the conversation. Whether it be individual political opinions, ideas that alienate members, or judgment of another’s perspective, some directions should just be dead-ended right out of the gate. Define your no-no’s with your reading pals and remind the group what they are before kicking off a new book’s discussion. 

Rule #10. Keep a record.

Create a shared spreadsheet that all book club members have access to. Not only will this help you remember what you read, it can also be useful in keeping tabs on your rotating genres and who picked what. It also comes in handy when non-book club friends ask, “Read any good books lately?” Now you’ve got a whole treasure trove of titles to offer for consideration. Plus we get such a thrill when we can count how many books we’ve read in a year. Level it up by creating a tab for books people are hoping to nominate, too, to make everyone’s literary lives just a little more organized.  

Rule #11: No shame welcome here.

Didn’t read it? Feeling bad? Or perhaps you did and you wish everyone else did too? Lighten up and recognize that many book clubs are mostly about socializing. Yes, yes, yes, one should absolutely read the book (see rule #5) but if you didn’t — or if a fellow book club member didn’t — laugh it off and show up for the very worthwhile social side of book club.