If you feel that your book club could use some excitement, consider one of these book club ideas when it is your turn to choose the selection or host the event.
Biographies
Select a biography of a remarkable man or woman for the group to read. David G. McCullough and Jerry Oppenheimer are both known for the biographies they have written, but their styles are quite different. Pick someone that interests you and that you believe will interest the group. If you provide a snack for your group try and prepare something that might appeal to the person who you have read about.
Another option would be to pick a famous person and have everyone in your group select a different biography about that same person. An interesting discussion will ensue when the varying perspectives are discussed.
A third idea would be to ask everyone in your group to pick a person that they would like to read about. You can request that each book club member comes disguised as the person they read about or have the group ask each other questions in order to guess which biography everyone else has read.
Cookbooks
Another good book club idea is centered around food. Cookbooks can be very entertaining to read even if not everyone in the group enjoys cooking. Regional cookbooks often give lots of information, besides recipes, about a certain locale or time period, and many have gorgeous photography. Pick a cookbook and ask everyone in your group to try one recipe from the book before the meeting to recommend to the book club. Or pick a specific food, chocolate is always a favorite, or region and ask everyone to pick their own book about that subject and be ready to discuss it with the group. If you are hosting you may want to pick a recipe that you read about to offer your members. Or encourage everyone to bring copies of their favorite recipe, with the proper references of course, so that each person can leave the meeting with a book club cookbook.
Classics
The books we were forced to read, and may not have enjoyed, during school days may make a different impression today. Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne, Lost Horizon by James Hilton, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas or The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain would all lend themselves to lively discussion. Check out 100 Must-read Classic Novels for ideas.
Travel
Books on travel can also initiate lively discussion. Perhaps your group would enjoy a book of travel essays and then each write their own essay on a travel experience to share with the group at the meeting. Another excellent book club idea is to pick a particular area or mode of travel and have everyone pick their own book on that subject to have a large assortment of ideas to share with the group. The person hosting the meeting will definitely want to select a snack or dessert that is reflective of the area that has been chosen.
Favorites
Pick a genre and have everyone bring their favorite title in that genre. In those months that are so busy, like December and July, book club members won't have to read a new book, but can enjoy sharing one of their favorites with everyone else. It doesn't have to be a recently read book. It can be the favorite childhood book or favorite classic. Perhaps your members would enjoy reciting their favorite poem to the group. Be sure to have paper and pens handy so your members can make a list of recommended books that they will want to read in the future.
Don't let you book club become stagnant. Shake it up a bit with one of these book club ideas.
Laura Marie Moore - Laura Moore lives on an island in Puget Sound, in the state of Washington. She has a BA in anthropology from the University of Washington ...
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