When Covid hit, four college friends and I started a book club that’s still going strong five years later. In that time, we’ve read 50 books, had countless conversations, and learned a few lessons that might help your own book club stick around for the long haul. If you missed my last post, you can see our full list of 50 books here.

Stay organized and connected with an app

We use the Book Club app by Book Movement to keep track of our book club selections and scheduling and submit books to be considered for upcoming picks. In the app, we can vote on others’ submissions – making it easier to winnow down the list of choices for the next book to read. My favorite part of the app is scrolling through all the covers from our past book club picks and seeing how much we’ve read together.

Mix things up with a variety of books

Each member of the book club is drawn to different types of books, so we end up with quite a diverse pool of books to pick from when we submit books for upcoming selections. As a result, I’ve gotten to read a lot of books I wouldn’t have otherwise chosen and discovered new authors and subgenres. Reading a variety of books also helps with the vibe of our meetings. Alternating heavier, more ambitious reads with faster or lighter books keeps our discussions fresh and fun.

One book can lead to another

Sometimes we pair books to enhance the reading experience, like reading Percival Everett’s James along with Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Other times we can’t resist bringing the conversation back to an entirely different book. Somehow, we’ve found that many characters in our novels could benefit from spending time with Glennon Doyle’s Untamed. The point is to let the reading experience expand beyond the page when it feels right.

You don’t really have to talk about the book the whole time

Sometimes we go deep into themes and characters and have respectful disagreement and debate. Sometimes we go off on long tangents that aren’t really related to the book but somehow make sense in the moment. Sometimes we only talk about the book for 20 minutes before catching up on life. The point is connection – the book is our excuse to show up for each other.

Flexibility keeps it going

We aim for monthly meetings, but we’ve learned to move the date if too many people can’t make it, skip a month if life gets hectic, and not shame anyone for not finishing. Book club should be a joy, not a chore.

Little traditions make it special

One of our book club members loves cocktails and mixology, so every month she creates cocktails inspired by the book we’re discussing and shares the recipe with us – the cocktail becomes part of the discussion. Other book clubs might enjoy watching a movie adaptation of a book together, eating dishes inspired by the book, or going on a field trip related to the setting. My blog post 7 Ways to Immerse Yourself in Your Favorite Books might give you some other ideas. 

Are you in a book club? I’d love to hear the ways you keep yours interesting and engaging. Let me know in the comments!