10 fun and unique book club ideas

As an avid reader, running a book club can be a great place to meet with other book lovers to share ideas and favourite reads. As fun as book clubs can be, though, if you’ve found this blog, we can only assume you must be looking for fresh ideas for your group.

Well, look no further. We've compiled a list below of ten book club ideas, from group trips to get you out and about to book-themed activities that can be done at home or in your usual meeting spot. And if you're just looking for a way to add more variety to your reading list, we've got ideas for that, too.

 

10 fun and unique book club ideas

 

 

Take a group trip

A great way to mix up your book club meetings is to organise a group trip. All of the ideas below are book-related, with activities you can do both close to home and with a bit of further travel involved.

 

Head to the cinema

We all know the book is usually better, but why not head to the cinema and watch a film based on a book you've been reading? You can also keep an eye out for upcoming films, have everyone read the book as usual, and head out to watch the film together before you meet to discuss your thoughts. 

Book-to-film adaptations are released all the time, so you can pick and choose which ones you think your book club attendees would be interested in. If your group would rather have a cosy night in, there are plenty of options for film releases heading straight to streaming platforms too.

 

Visit a famous literary location

If you think your group would enjoy a trip to one of many literary locations across the UK, there are loads to choose from. There's no better way to discuss your latest read than to visit the author's home or the place that inspired the novel.

For example, you could visit Whitby to explore the setting that inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula, go to Haworth to see the home of the Brontë sisters, or head to Stratford-upon-Avon for a tour of Shakespeare's birthplace and The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, to name just a few.

 

Attend an author event

Attending an author event is a great way to take your book club discussions further. An author event may include an introduction from the author, an interview-style discussion, a book signing, or all of the above. 

You could even get your group together beforehand to discuss what questions you would like to ask the author. You may also find more discussion points by listening to other fans of the same book.

 

Go to a book festival

If your group is looking for some reading inspiration, a book fair or festival is a great place to search and have a fun day out at the same time.

You could attend a local book fair to support independent booksellers in your area or head to a book festival to hear from up-and-coming authors on their latest publications.

 

 

Plan a book-themed evening

Has your book club got a novel the whole group loves and can't stop discussing? Hold a book-themed evening!

You could pick a particular genre or a singular book or let everyone choose their own. We've listed a few ideas below on bringing your themes to life, but it's up to you what your group does!

 

Test your knowledge with a quiz night

After reading so many books, you could test your group’s knowledge on a quiz night. You can put the quiz together on a particular book you all enjoy or include questions about some of the books you've read recently as a group. 

 

Relax with food and drinks

You may have seen some suggestions for book-themed cocktails on TikTok from the recent trend, so the app has loads of ideas if you’re stuck for inspiration. 

You don't need to stop at cocktails, either. If you're feeling fancy, you could create book-themed snacks or even a three-course meal.

 

Get competitive with a board game night

If your group love board games, you could also host a book-themed games night. There are board games available online for fans of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Sherlock Holmes to name just a few.

This list from Book Riot also has loads of suggestions for book-themed board games that you may not have yet heard of.

 

 

Change what you read

If you're looking for ways to change up what you read as a group, there are some methods you can try to ensure you're reading something entirely new and different each week.

 

Pick a different genre or theme every week

This is a great way to ensure your group doesn't consistently end up reading the same genre, and you may even find a new favourite book along the way. You can pick different genres or themes out of a hat or assign a different genre each week as you go. 

Changing up the genre of books you're reading will also encourage your group to step out of their comfort zone and try a genre they haven't tried before or have avoided until now.

 

Read your way around the world

Picking a different country or location each week is another great way to change what you're reading and come across authors you may have yet to hear of. 

You could pick a different country or type of location each week for the book’s setting (such as the seaside, a city, the countryside, or the mountains).

 

Hold a book exchange

If you've ever found yourself consistently recommending a book to a friend but they've never got around to reading it, a book exchange is ideal. This involves everyone bringing in a book they want someone in the group to read, and swapping. 

You could also run this activity as a secret Santa, so no one in the group knows who has picked them or put all the books in a bag and get everyone to pick one out randomly.

 

 

 

Specialist community insurance through Ripe

As your book club grows and begins running its own events, you may want to consider protecting yourself with insurance.

If you run an organisation in the sports, leisure, or community sectors, you'll face several risks daily, especially when running public events. However, sporting club, leisure, and community insurance through Ripe is designed to safeguard against these risks.

Insuring your book club through Ripe provides many cover options, including Public Liability, product liability, and Legal Costs for pursuing or defending a claim.

Click here to learn more about sporting clubs, leisure and community insurance coming soon to Ripe.