How to Start a Book Club You’ll Love

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Olay. The opinions and text are all mine.

You how I know I’m getting older? Aside from the random grey hairs and affinity for watching Dateline on Friday nights, a few friends and I recently started a book club! Which has resulted in my staying up a little too late several evenings reading when I should be catching up on my beauty sleep. Which means I wake up with puffy eyes and dark circles. Booo. 

So when Olay asked if I wanted to partner to try their brand new Brightening Eye Cream, I was all over it! Between having 3 kids, drinking too much coffee and not enough water, and not getting enough sleep, whether I’m up late reading, working, or just enjoying the silence, dark circles were making me look a little like a raccoon. Not exactly the look I’m aiming for ;). 

Olay’s Brightening Eye Cream is super lightweight but also very moisturizing; not cakey or heavy at all. It contains Vitamin C & Optic Brighteners, basically a light-reflecting combo that hydrates and illuminates dewy skin. Because the formula is so light, it blends easily with any skin tone so great for anyone who needs a little undereye TLC! 

You can grab Olay Brightening Eye Cream @ CVS! 

Pro Tip: always apply eye cream with your ring finger instead of your pointer finger – your pointer finger is too strong for the delicate skin under your eyes! 

I keep my Olay Brightening Eye Cream on my nightstand so it’s always easy to apply!

dark undereye circles secret weapon! 

Even though it sometimes results in lost sleep, I really do love my book club for a few reasons: 

1. It’s a PERFECT way to meet new people – or spend time with people you already know & love. Think friends, sisters, aunts, moms, co-workers, fellow preschool or school moms, neighbors, the sky’s the limit!
2. I love to read and book club has introduced me to books I wouldn’t otherwise have read
3. As a stay-at-home/work-at-home-mom, it’s so great to actually have a DISCUSSION about something that isn’t my about kids with someone other than my husband! I really do miss the daily interaction with tons of smart, dynamic women that I got while working in an office, so book club has been a great way to fill that void. Disclaimer: I’ve met lots of smart, dynamic stay-at-home-moms as well, I just don’t see them all day every day like I did in an office 😉

is there anything better than reading in bed?

Want to start your own book club? I’ve got some tips & tricks on how to start a book club for you! 

Pick a Type of Book Club

• Do you want the group to be super serious and strict or more laid-back?
• A group of people who already know each other or total strangers? 
• Will it be themed? Book club themes could be best-sellers, classics, fiction, non-fiction? Or just whatever the host that month chooses? We go by whatever the hostess of the month picks 🙂 

Pick your group size 

You can go BIG or small when it comes to the size of a book club. Our book club has 8 members, including myself. I’ve read that the ideal number of members is between 8 and 16 people. Ours definitely doesn’t feel too small; it’s kind of nice to have a smaller group so that side conversations aren’t forming and you really get to know every person.

But there are pluses and minuses to each; downside to a small group is that you may sometimes struggle for attendance, but the downside to a large group is that some peoples’ voices may not be as loud (literally or figuratively). It’s easier to find space for a smaller book club to meet, but you get a larger variety of opinions with a larger group. So, size it totally up to you! 

Pick a spot 

You can either host meetings at someone’s house or in a public place, like a coffee shop, restaurant or library. Our book club meets at someone’s house each time for a couple reasons…

1. we like to see each other’s homes! nosy much?! ha! 
2. it’s nice for everyone to bring a bottle of wine or a snack 
3. it just feels cozy and like a group of friends getting together 

Pick Your Book Club Meeting Frequency 

I think the standard is meeting once a month, but we meet about every 6 weeks because we are all busy moms with young kids. Just choose a timeframe so members know what to expect when they join! 

Pick Your Communication Style 

If you’re doing a book club that meets in-person, start an email thread, group text or even a Facebook group to share details about upcoming meetings, book choices, who’s bringing food and wine, etc. 

If your book club is online, I’d go with a Facebook group because it’s easy and free :). 

Invite your members 

Our book club started really organically (aka at a bar!) but if you want to start a book club, invite a few friends and ask them to invite 3 friends each. Then you’re left with a similar but different group of members with at least something in common but not all from the same circle. Send an invite email or text breaking down the ‘rules’ and expectations. 

Pick a Book

This is the fun part! But it can feel like a lot of pressure because you want to choose something everyone will enjoy and read. We’ve read this, this, this and this.

A few of my book club book suggestions! 

Additional tips about starting a book club:

• if you’re in a book club that doesn’t feel like a great fit for whatever reason, don’t be afraid to politely bow out! everyone has busy lives and you should never feel obligated to do something you don’t enjoy doing! 
• the host and chooser of the book is also responsible for grabbing the questions about the book pre-meeting. it’s really easy to google “name of book” + “book club discussion” for ideas and inspiration. we definitely don’t ask/answer/discuss every suggested question but you can if you want! 

photos by Liz Olson Photography 

Are you in a book club? If so, I’d love to know some of your favorite reads!