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10 Book Club Fun Ideas to Keep Every Meeting Fresh

September 02, 2025

Freshen up your meetings with 7 book club fun ideas—using inspiration from vintage authors and titles at Reading Vintage.

A Fresh Approach to Book Clubs

Book clubs are about more than finishing chapters. They’re about laughter, connection, and stories that stick. If your club is feeling a little routine, try one of these10 book club fun ideas—each inspired by titles and authors from Reading Vintage.

1. Add Food to the Story

Pair your discussion with a dish from the book. Reading Smoky Mountain Magic: A Superb View of Treasured Recipes? Cook straight from its pages. Tackling Helen Keller’s Let Us Have Faith? A simple tea service matches its reflective tone. Food brings the story off the page.

2. Change the Setting

Take your meeting outdoors or somewhere unexpected. Reading Jack McCormick’s The Life of the Forest? Meet in a local park. Reading Life of Kit Carson? A history museum or even around a campfire sets the mood.

3. Author Nights

Instead of one book, have everyone bring a different work by the same author. With John Galsworthy, you could cover The Forsyte Saga, A Modern Comedy, and End of the Chapter. Seeing patterns across his novels will spark lively debate.

4. Vintage Swap

Ask members to bring a favorite book they’re ready to part with. A copy of The Amateur Taxidermist or a well-loved Farm Journal’s Complete Pie Cookbook comes with both a story and a new home.

5. Add Creative Extras

Props, photos, or even family recipes can connect members to a book’s themes. Reading a travel memoir? Bring vacation snapshots. Reading a cookbook? Share a favorite recipe. These small touches make discussions more personal.

6. The Hot Take Game

Polite nodding is fine—but bold opinions are better. Try prompts like: Is Gatsby overrated compared to Galsworthy’s Forsytes? or Do Christie’s mysteries still surprise modern readers? A little controversy keeps things fun.

7. Pair Books with Pop Culture

Watch a clip from a movie or show connected to the book. A Christie mystery compared to a Poirot adaptation, or Freud’s essays matched with his portrayals in film, can spark surprising comparisons.

8. Rotate the Rules

Give each member a turn setting the theme—cookbooks, outdoor guides, or inspirational works. One month might be Jerome Belanger’s The Family Poultry Flock, the next Helen Keller, the next a taxidermy guide. Rotating keeps the club fresh and fair.

9. Host a Silent Reading Party

Not everyone keeps up with assigned chapters. Make it easy—host a silent reading session where everyone brings their current book. Spend 45 minutes reading together in cozy silence, then chat casually after. It removes the pressure while keeping the joy of reading front and center.

10. Make Space for Fun Traditions

The best clubs create their own rituals. Maybe it’s always ending with dessert, always sharing a favorite quote, or always taking a group photo with the book of the month. Small traditions help turn meetings into lasting memories.

Keep It Simple, Keep It Fun

The best book clubs balance good stories with good company. These book club fun ideas, inspired by vintage books, prove that meetings don’t have to be predictable. Add one new twist to your next gathering and watch the energy shift.

Keep Your Book Club Meetings Fresh

Looking for new ways to make your book club more engaging?
Download the What to Do in a Book Club Meeting Activity Checklist — a printable PDF packed with creative ideas, discussion prompts, and community-building activities.
It’s your go-to guide for planning meetings your members will actually look forward to.
👉 Get your checklist here.

Author Bio: Pam of Reading Vintage

Pam is a vintage book enthusiast who turned her passion into Reading Vintage, a cozy online bookstore. She finds old classics, fun collectibles, and hidden literary gems throughout Michigan.

When she’s not exploring estate sales for her next treasure, Pam enjoys walking in the woods with her dog, teaching water aerobics, and curling up with a good read.