How to Start a Book Club

Last updated November 4, 2026 · 7 minute read

Key points

Invite people you know, then widen the circle with a poster or a note at your library.
Aim for roughly 8 to 16 members, and expect some to miss each meeting.
Choose books by vote or rotation, two or three at a time, and make copies cheap or free.
Keep ground rules short, welcome every format, and ask members what would help.

To start a book club, invite people you know and ask each to bring one more, pick a regular time and place (or a video call), agree how you will choose books, and keep the first meeting simple. The American Library Association (2025) says 8 to 16 members works best and that monthly meetings suit most clubs. Share the choosing and the organizing, keep costs low, and welcome reading, listening or both.

What kind of book club should you start?

Start with what the club is for: company, good conversation, reading more, or all three. Some clubs are mostly social and some dig deep into the text; the American Library Association (ALA, 2025) suggests aiming somewhere between the two. The Reading Agency (2023), a UK reading charity, says reading groups can help people feel connected and enjoy reading more, and that there are no set rules.

Size matters too. ALA (2025) says 8 to 16 members is best, so a discussion still works when several people are away but the group stays manageable. The Reading Agency (2023) suggests 8 to 10, so everyone can still speak. Those ranges overlap at 8 to 10.

Then decide how you will meet. In person suits chat and refreshments. Online helps people who cannot travel; keep to a set time and a modest number so everyone can speak. Hybrid clubs mix both and need extra care (see access, below).

Where do you find members?

Start with people you know. The Reading Agency (2023) suggests inviting family, friends or colleagues and encouraging each to bring another person. To reach more people, ask neighbors or put a poster in a library, bookstore, coffee shop or community bulletin board. Ask whether your library will display one.

Keep the invitation short. A message like this is enough: New book club, first Tuesday of each month, 7 pm, at the town library. Audiobooks and library copies are fine. Reply to join, and say if you need anything to make it easier to come.

With new people, meet in a public place such as a library at first. For people you know only online, Victoria Police in Australia (2025) advises meeting in daylight in a busy spot, and sharing your location with friends.

How do you choose books fairly?

Agree on a method everyone can see. ALA (2025) describes two: vote, where everyone suggests titles and the group votes; or rotate, where members take turns choosing, or offering two or three titles for the group to pick from.

ALA (2025) advises choosing two or three books at a time, not a whole year, so people can read at their own pace and a missed meeting does not leave anyone behind.

Check that the book is easy to get, including as an audiobook. The Reading Agency (2023) says many libraries have reading group collections and that booksellers can order sets. Halifax Public Libraries in Canada (2026) lends free kits of 8 to 10 copies with discussion questions where available.

Mix in short reads, such as stories, poems, plays or graphic novels, so busy members can finish.

How often should you meet, and what happens at a meeting?

ALA (2025) says most clubs do best meeting monthly, and some meet every six weeks. Pick a day and time that fit members' jobs and childcare, then stick with it. ALA (2025) plans for meetings of 2 to 2.5 hours, with 60 to 90 minutes of discussion, and says the person who picked the book, or the host, can lead it.

If that is too long, here is a simple 90-minute evening:

15 minutes: arrive, chat and welcome anyone new.
10 minutes: a quick turn for each person, such as whether you finished and your first reaction.
50 minutes: discussion built on two or three open questions.
15 minutes: choose the next book, confirm the date and thank the host.

Which ground rules and questions keep talk kind and balanced?

Agree a few ground rules early. The Reading Agency (2023) says to remind everyone to watch their tone and listen to others, and to give everyone a chance to speak, while accepting that some people would rather listen. ALA (2025) says people who have not finished should still come, and that differing views are good when handled graciously.

If one person talks too much, ALA (2025) suggests inviting others in, passing an object so only the holder speaks, and, if that does not work, a friendly phone call. If a book deals with painful subjects such as grief, abuse or suicide, say so when you choose it, so members can prepare or skip.

Open questions help. ALA (2025) advises describing how the book felt rather than whether you liked it, and pointing to a passage that supports your view. Questions to try:

Which moment stayed with you after you finished, and why?
Which character did you understand best, and which one frustrated you?
Did anything surprise you or change your mind?
Where did you get stuck, and what kept you reading?
For nonfiction: what evidence was given, and did it convince you?

How do you make it easy for everyone to join?

Keep it free or low cost, say so in the invitation, and welcome any format; The Reading Agency (2023) notes paperbacks cost less. Ask your library about large print, audiobooks and e-books. In the United States, the Library of Congress's National Library Service lends braille and audio books free to eligible people who cannot read standard print.

The U.S. government site Section508.gov (2026) advises choosing a venue where everyone can move through the space, see anything shown and hear the speakers, and putting a way to ask for accommodations in every invitation. Say which language the club uses. Seattle Public Library (2026) lists a Spanish-language club and a hybrid group for blind and low-vision readers, so ask your own library.

For hybrid meetings, the web standards group W3C (2026) advises planning and testing microphones so everyone is heard clearly in the room and remotely, and letting a speaking queue, not the loudest voice, decide who talks. Section508.gov (2026) adds that any captions should be real-time ones and that speakers should say their names before they talk.

How do you keep it going when attendance drops?

Some no-shows are normal, so plan for them. The Reading Agency (2023) says 8 to 10 members leaves room for people who cannot make it. ALA (2025) suggests monthly reminders, postcards for anyone without email, and a club journal that helps newcomers catch up. Share contact details only with each member's permission.

When fewer people come, ask before you guess. Message each member: would a different day, shorter books, an audio option or a break help? Change one thing at a time. Keep meeting even if only a few people come, and send absent members a short note on what was said.

Share hosting and leading so the club does not depend on one person, and ask members to bring a friend. Mistakes to avoid:

Choosing books for the whole year.
Letting one person pick every book.
Picking a book that is costly or hard to find.
Making people feel bad for not finishing.
Letting the club fade without saying so.

When should you get more help, and what comes next?

Your public library is a good first stop. The Reading Agency (2023) suggests asking a librarian for a recommendation, and Seattle Public Library (2026) invites questions and offers book ideas for clubs. If tension does not ease after a friendly private word, ask a neutral person to lead a meeting; ALA (2025) notes some clubs invite an outside facilitator, such as a librarian.

A book club is for company, not treatment, and books can touch painful memories. If you are in the United States and you or someone in your group is in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988, or text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line, and call 911 if someone is in immediate danger. Outside the United States, contact local emergency services.

Next, set a date and place for a first meeting and invite more people than you need, since some will say no. Agree day, format and ground rules together, and choose the first book. In the Solution Oriented Society (SOS) app, the free Book Clubs screen lets you list a club with its current book and how often it meets, and lets other members join.

Sources

Starting a Book Discussion Group (American Library Association, Book Discussion Groups guide, 2025)
Hosting and Facilitating (American Library Association, Book Discussion Groups guide, 2025)
Selecting Books (American Library Association, Book Discussion Groups guide, 2025)
How to start a reading group (downloadable guide) (The Reading Agency, Book Club Hub, 2023)
Book Club Kits (Halifax Public Libraries, 2026)
Book Clubs (The Seattle Public Library, 2026)
Apply for NLS Services (National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress, 2026)
Accessible Meetings (Section508.gov, U.S. General Services Administration, 2026)
Hybrid Group Meetings (World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), 2026)
Safety tips when meeting someone from online (Victoria Police, Australia, 2025)

SOS is an educational tool. It is not a doctor, therapist, financial adviser, lawyer or crisis service. Use it to learn and to keep track of your own life, and check anything important with a qualified person.