[officemonkey]

One alternate way to do a book club:

1. Meet every 3 to 6 months.

2. Everyone bring books to swap.

3. Everyone bring a list of books they really loved.

4. Each person takes turn talking about the books they loved while sitting around a dining room table with snacks and drinks.

5. It's fun if other people have read the same books. It's even more fun if they disagree.

6. Last time I did this I added 10 books to my "To Read Pile" and traded books with friends.

7. Everyone wanted to do it again.

[twic]

Something i do:

1. Find 10-20 friends

2. Go on holiday for a week in a cottage in the middle of nowhere with terrible internet speed

3. Bring a dozen books each and put them in a huge pile in the middle of one room

4. Eat a lovely big meal together in the evening

5. Mercilessly shame anyone who is doing anything other than reading a book, cooking, or performing essential biological functions before dinner time

You don't all read the same book, but there will be plenty of overlap, and it usually works out that there are a few books that many people have read.

[officemonkey]

I WANT TO GO TO THERE

[captn3m0]

A friend who's been running a book club swears by (4). He goes around and asks the same question every week: "What did you read, and how did it make you feel?".

It gets people talking about the _why of the books_, particularly why they found it interesting, or what ticked for them. This makes for a more engaging discussion.

[alextheparrot]

I’ve had a similar experience to this with “Six pack and a paperback” style parties — everyone brings some beer and a book to share.

After a couple of them with similar people, there’s inherently a dialogue about which books you previously had taken or brought, why you chose to bring a particular book this time. The general context is very literary focused by framing.