Want to book club IRL? Feminist Book Club founder, Renee, gives her tips to be the hostess with the mostest
There's nothing worse than a well-intentioned book club that ends up being more 9th grade English class than a mind-opening, friendship forming evening. Find out what the key ingredients for a successful book club are from the woman who runs a national book club for a living.
📖 Establish What Kind Of Book Club This Will Be
Why are you starting this book club? Many people like the idea of a book club but don’t have the time or desire to read a book a month. So make sure you give some thought as to whether this is a literary-focused meet up or just a social event to give you and your friends an excuse to gather, catch up, and drink wine. There’s no shame in either kind of book club, but let your friends know what to expect.
💌 Contact The Author
Once you choose the book (head over to Feminist Book Club: The Podcast for some ideas!) get in contact with the author! Many of our most popular authors are active on social media so don’t hesitate to slide into their DMs. You’d be surprised how friendly and accommodating they are for book clubs. Let them know you’ve chosen their book and that you’re looking forward to discussing it with your friends. The author may even offer to Skype with your book club, but no matter what, they’ll be thrilled to hear from you.
📝 Gather A List Of Questions.
Before your meeting, have a short list of questions you can ask the group. You may even ask the author if they have any suggestions for discussion topics. Check the book publisher’s website for discussion questions or just type “discussion questions” + the book’s title into Google. If you can’t find anything specific to the book, BookRiot has a great list of generic questions that work for any book.
🧀 Snacks!
Arguably, the most important component of a great book club is great snacks. This is why we include a snack in every single Feminist Book Club box we send out. Reading can give you the munchies so don’t fight it! You can rotate who provides snacks each meeting or challenge everyone to bring a small dish related to the book. Alternatively, host your book club at a restaurant, cafe, or brewery if it makes sense for your group.
🙋🏽♀️ Give Everyone A Chance To Chime In
Book club isn’t school so it would be absurd to raise your hand to speak, but recognize that not everyone will be comfortable jumping into a book discussion. Good book club facilitation means having some structured moments where each member can be heard. This might mean you begin by asking everyone to contribute a question or topic they’d like to discuss. You could also end the discussion with everyone rating the book. You’ll get into a good rhythm after the first few meetings, just trust the process!
