Anonymous wrote:My book club has 6 members. We meet monthly for brunch at a restaurant. Each month, one member picks the book and the restaurant. It's worked well for almost four years.

Oh wow that is perfect. Need a 7th????

The last one I was in crumbled to wine and gossip. I was disappointed as I really wanted to read and discuss books.

I would love to join a book club but don't know how to find one!

The only other rule or guideline I've heard about is whether the group wants to set parameters on the types of books. For example, only literature that might be on the NYT bestseller list, or are fun rom-coms or deep nonfiction ok?

I've been in two groups. The one I've been in for several years has a paid facilitator. Twelve members. We vote on books in June for the coming year and meet September - June on a standing date - think second Tuesday of the month. We read mostly contemporary fiction with the occasional memoir or classic tossed in. We meet at a time when no food is expected, just coffee/tea and maybe a snack. Having someone host a meal or do a potluck just devolves into a dinner party where most of the guests just happen to have read the same book.

So many ways to do it!

In my opinion, 20 people would be too big. 10 would be good. Assume that every month, a couple of people won't be able to come.

Fix the date -- don't worry about trying to accommodate everyone, every time.

Two ways that my book clubs have picked books, and both worked fine:

1.) Everyone took a turn choosing and hosting. You'd announce your pick at the end of one meeting. Then you'd host the following meeting.

2.) Everyone nominates a book or two, then the "leader" goes through the recommendations and makes a calendar for the year. This is nice because it lets you read ahead if you have a lot of time, plan for vacation reading, get books from the library, etc.

My book club has 6 members. We meet monthly for brunch at a restaurant. Each month, one member picks the book and the restaurant. It's worked well for almost four years.

My book club has about 12, but it is rare that all 12 show up. We meet monthly and take the summer months off. We choose 4-5 books at a time.

In my opinion, 20 is way too big, and 10 is too big also. My book club sweet spot has always been 6-7, max of 8. It's big enough that you still have a good group even if 1-2 can't make it and there are enough people to have a couple of different conversations going on at various points through the night w/o anyone being left out.

Take turns hosting, and keep it to apps/drinks. Host picks the book.

What had worked well for my group:
Rotate hosts. Host does everything that month - snacks and drinks, picks the book. Everyone else just shows up. It is really easy.

I was in one book club where we voted on everything - the date, the book. And it was a potluck each month. It was exhausting. My current one, we have enough people that it’s a standing night of the month. Whoever makes it makes it. We pick books 3 months ahead so people can get from the library etc.

Advice on how to run one outside of the obvious? I was part of one years ago, the woman who ran it had so many rules; It was a turn off.

Recommendation of books? How many people to have is ideal? 10? 20 too big?