Chapter Four: How to Start a Book Club

Tips for creating a meaningful community that lasts beyond the first meeting

Jun 18, 2024

If you had told me a few years ago that I would be hosting a book club in New York City with a bunch of people I met online, I would’ve laughed in your face. But now I’m the proud host of the NYC Food + Travel Book Club, which meets every other month to discuss books set outside of the United States, in restaurants that correspond to the books’ settings. Through books and food, we’ve traveled to 9 countries around the world so far, including Lebanon, France, Nigeria, Australia, and, most recently, Syria. Starting this book club was one of my proudest accomplishments in 2023, and I leave every meeting so fulfilled by the conversation, friendship, and incredible food.

But as a self-proclaimed introvert with social anxiety, I also know how hard it can be to put yourself out there and try something new, so I wanted to share some tips that I used while creating and cultivating my own book club. I’d love to hear if this post inspires any future book clubs or if you have any of your own suggestions for creating a bookish community!

1. If you can’t find it, create it.

Before starting my own book club, I’d wanted to join one for years! I searched for book clubs at work, experimented with some online book clubs, and asked around with friends, but so many book clubs seem to fizzle out before they actually get going. After some of my close friends left New York City, I was also searching for more in-person connections, and large Zoom book club meetings often felt hard to break into and even harder to form lasting connections. I finally realized that if I wanted the specific book club I was searching for, it would be easier to just start it myself. Even though I didn’t have any experience running a book club, I figured I had to start somewhere! Often, we’re all so scared to start something new, and everyone is always so appreciative if someone else takes the initiative to get it going.

2. Pick a theme or focus that has demonstrated interest.

When I envisioned my perfect book club, I was inspired by a similar club set up in Denver, where they read books set around the world and then discuss them in different restaurants. After I casually posted about the idea to my Bookstagram, I received really enthusiastic responses from some online friends in the New York area, and it gave me the confidence to start it, knowing that there were other people out there who also loved food, travel, and books!

I’ve found that it’s easier to create a book club when you focus your book picks around a specific theme or idea (for example, books set in New York City or only romances). That way, you’re more likely to attract members who are also super passionate about the books you’re discussing. If they’re excited about the concept before the book club even begins, there’s a better chance of it lasting beyond the first meeting!

I was lucky enough to have a dedicated online book community that I could poll before starting the book club, but I’ve also had success encouraging people to bring friends and opening up the book club to people in all areas of my life (work, mutual friends, etc.).

3. Get the ball rolling by making the first book selection.

One of the founders of the Denver food and travel book club gave me this tip when I was first starting the club: Just pick the first book yourself! Rather than asking every single person what book they wanted to read, I made the executive decision to start with The Arsonists’ City by Hala Alyan, a book set in Lebanon that had been on my shelf for a while. Because the book was published in 2020, I also knew it would likely be more accessible from the library, so people wouldn’t have to buy a copy if they didn’t want to. The bottom line is to make it as easy as possible for people to say yes to joining your book club! Take away any unnecessary barriers or extra decisions.

4. Find the best way to communicate.

I first started gathering interest for the book club via Instagram stories, but I quickly learned that Instagram group chat aren’t very user-friendly, and people don’t really want to add another group chat to their phones. I was first introduced to the Bookclubs app by the hosts of a virtual book club, and now I use it for all communication and notifications about our book club. I love that it organizes all the information for your book club in one place! In the app, I can create polls for us to vote on meeting times and book selections, and there’s a tab for members to recommend future books and send messages. It also sends automatic email reminders to all your book club members to keep meetings and deadlines running smoothly.

5. Decide on a meeting cadence that makes sense for you.

I know that a lot of book clubs meet every month, but since my book club meets at different restaurants, I wanted to be mindful of the financial obligation to join. The Denver book club that inspired me meets every other month, and I decided to follow the same schedule. I’ve found that it’s a great rhythm to meet regularly without it feeling like too heavy of a time commitment. So this is your reminder that you don’t need to meet every month to be a successful book club!

6. Recognize that someone will always need to put in a little extra time.

The hard truth about starting a book club is recognizing that it won’t run on its own. It requires extra time and coordination to keep things running smoothly, and you’ll need to decide who’s taking on that coordination role. I know some book clubs are hosted by different members for each meeting, which spreads the work out, but it’s a little different hosting a book club at different restaurants in a city.

Admittedly, I can be a bit of a control freak when it comes to making dinner reservations and organizing groups of people, so I decided that I would be responsible for the logistics of the club, and so far, this system has worked well for us! Using recommendations from other members, I create polls for us to vote on each meeting’s book pick and the date that we meet—we always go with the options that win the most votes so everyone gets a say.

Though I put in a little bit of extra coordination work on the backend, the payoff is so rewarding! But just remember that someone (or multiple people) will need to keep the book club running as it reaches a more regular cadence, so be prepared for that extra level of effort!

7. Just go for it, even if everything’s not perfect yet!

To be totally honest, I was terrified to enter the restaurant for my first book club meeting and was so close to turning around. Since I was meeting with online friends (some for the first time in person), I had no idea what to expect and was so scared that it would be an uncomfortable dinner. While there’s inevitably going to be some awkwardness when groups of people come together for the first time, the benefits of putting yourself out there and sharing a meal with like-minded readers will always outweigh the initial discomfort of social anxiety.

If I was terrified to attend that first meeting, I have no doubt that everyone else was also a little scared, but the best thing you can do for your book club is cultivate an open, welcoming atmosphere, even if everything doesn’t feel perfectly figured out yet! People will remember how you made them feel, not the logistics or issues, and you want people to know that they’re always welcome to join.

Starting my book club was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done, but it’s also been the most rewarding, so if you’ve been thinking about starting one (or trying something new), I encourage you to take the leap of faith and just go for it!

Inspiration for Your Next Book Club Meeting

My book club has shared some incredible meals in New York City, with food that’s taken us around the world. I found most of these restaurants through Google searches, and they’ve all been accommodating for larger groups!