Whether you’ve hosted a book club before and want to take things virtual or just want to gather other book-lovers to read and discuss that new novel coming out soon, you’re sure to find some useful tidbits below. But if you think discussions IRL can get out of hand, just wait until you're trying to get a word in online. Don’t be afraid to extend invites to casual acquaintances, classmates, coworkers, teammates, and friends of friends as well. Quarantine Book Club lets you purchase a $5 ticket to join a book discussion featuring the book's author over Zoom. It can be through text, email or even social media—whatever contact information you have for your potential book club members. We privately watched the film on Netflix before the chat, then spoke about the themes for an hour via Zoom. You can still text your BFFs individually to invite them, but this way you can also recruit people who you know love reading. Find the publisher or author of your novel on social media and reach out. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming books by popular authors or new movies and TV shows that might be based on books. Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Change up the way you hold your discussions. After you have your Facebook page set up, you're going to want to head on over to Goodreads and start giving your club a more robust online presence. To help you become a master virtual book club host, we have 10 easy steps ready for you to try ASAP. This gorgeous Zoom background is the perfect literary display for any virtual book club. This article was originally published on March 30, 2017. Some of these were published in late 2019, while some aren’t released yet, so they’re split into sections by publication date. This can be as simple as going around the group taking it in turns to introduce yourself and saying what you like to read and what you're looking forward to about the book club (if you're new) or what you like about the club … Maybe you want your book club to take place on the beach or at the top of a mountain. copyright 2021 © all rights reserved by stylecaster, cocktail recipes based on classic literature. Unless your book club chooses a novel that isn’t very well-known, you’re likely to find some discussion questions online to help stir the conversation when you all (virtually) meet up. Read the book. Instead, play one of these entertaining Zoom games. A lot of authors have had their promotional events canceled lately, which may impact the sales of their book. By clicking on Settings and then Virtual Background, you can upload any photo your heart desires—but we have a few below we recommend. It's a more interactive way to read together, share your thoughts, and see how others in the group interpret the reading. You could post to your Instagram story, reach out with a Tweet or even use TikTok if that’s where you post the most these days. Filed Under: Arts, Books, Zoom, book club, Anna James, Lindsey Kelk, Emma Gannon SEE ALSO : Gagosian Is Selling the Famous Photograph of Andrew W.K.’s Bloody Nose Thanks for signing up! Chats happen over Zoom, which is eazy peazy to use. Host Club Meetings On Zoom—Complete With Backgrounds Once everyone has read the book, host a Zoom meeting to discuss it. Include all the details (when, what, where) and get everyone excited. When it comes to picking a book for your club, the best, easiest, and fairest way to make sure all members' voices are heard is by voting on each new read. In a traditional book club, you probably wouldn't get together to read the book, just to discuss it. (See? It’s crazy!) You may not be BFF right now, but book club might bring you closer toge… Then, you can even have everyone vote on which one sounds best to them. Once everyone has read the book, host a Zoom meeting to discuss it. All genres are covered, ranging from young adult with Zan Romanoff’s Look to nonfiction with Ariel Waldman’s … Even if you’ve decided to delve into the classics, try to start with something that will get everyone hooked. As an added bonus, create a themed cocktail to whatever book you’re reading. Quarantine Book Club. Plus, you have the added bonus of not having to provide snacks and wine. On the group landing page, you can add a description of your club, keep track of members, moderate discussions on the discussion board, list upcoming events, including online meetings, and digitally shelve all of the books your club has read. But if you're running a digital book club, there are a few other rules that apply, too. If you’ve found yourself with some extra time to read but can’t necessarily join an in-person book club, why not just host your own virtual one? It’s a win/win situation—and you still get to talk about good books! It's not exactly like being there in person, but it's better than being alone, and it holds you accountable for actually reading the book! You can make your group private, so only members you invite are allowed to join, or leave it open to the public so more readers can join in. We used to meet weekly and have fun group activities, so Zoom has been our to-go to keep those activities going. That's why it's essential that for all of your digital book club meetings, you have an official moderator that can get the discussion going in the beginning with pre-written questions, as well as keep the club's talk on track, organized, and fair to all participants involved. Founded recently, the Quarantine Book Club allows you to connect with authors via Zoom to chat about their books. When you're starting a digital book club, all the standard book club rules apply: you want to pick a theme or goal for your club and stick with it, include diverse authors in your reading list, set a regular schedule, and have prepared discussion questions before every meeting. In addition to all of the incredible benefits that being in a book club holds normally, there are even more upsides to hosting a digital version. It may be hard to connect with everyone in your life right now—and those forced Zoom … (shelved 1 time as senior-center-book-club) avg rating 3.83 — 180,223 ratings — published 2008 Want to Read saving… And so I wanted to let you know of some things we’ve done for Fun Zoom Games and Activities Ideas, in case you’re looking to see what you can do with Zoom … Grab a gang, pick a book and discuss the main themes. The obvious place to start is with your super best friends, but keep in mind that not everyone loves to read. Ideas Science History ... Every weekday since March 16, the Quarantine Book Club has hosted two Zoom talks daily with a variety of authors, from Myriam Gurba to Heather B. Armstrong. Zoom is a huge contender in the virtual conferencing market today, but you might also consider Discord, or even Google Hangouts, for all your digital book club needs. Since you are not going to be meeting in person, you can create a vote online using one of the many survey tools available to you. This may seem obvious, but it is the most important step, so it is worth stating. Read up on some older recommendations for bonus ideas. Of course, you’ll want to include a fun Zoom background with a library or bookish flare to make things especially fun. Once you’ve got a preliminary list of who might be interested in joining, send out a cute (and free!) At your first book club meeting, or whenever new people join your reading group, it's good to spend a bit of time getting to know each other. Use your landing pages to share more than just meeting dates. Once you’ve settled on a genre or new release, choose your book! It is a good idea to plan on finishing the book a little earlier than you might otherwise so that you have time to think about it and prepare before your book club … If you’ve been struggling to find some good questions, we have ideas … Of course, if you’re open to anything, tell all your potential book club members that, too! The club has already discussed books by Maria Ingrande Mora, Dan Sinker, … book-themed invitation on Evite. You can even just take some simple cocktail recipes and give them new names based on the book. You do have to pay $5 for a ticket to enter the Zoom meetings, but according … To see which of your friends and acquaintances might want to join in on your virtual book club, put the call out on social media. “Welcome To Club Zoom, that’ll be a $15 cover and an extra $5 for coat check. You might even end up having more fun hosting a virtual book club anyway, thanks to cute online invitations and dreamy Zoom backgrounds that make you look like your shelves are color-coordinated and full of gorgeous books. If you've ever dreamed of starting a book club, but worried you didn't have the right space to do it in, we've got some great news for you: meeting up in person is no longer the only way. All of these services allow for text-based chats and audio-only calls as well, so they're here for you no matter what the needs of your members may be. Of course, StyleCaster is here to help you get started. Make a designated Facebook group for all members to join. ZOOM is a video-calling app that's quickly becoming an online sensation as the world retreats home during the coronavirus outbreak. Let’s start off 2020 right with a selection of the best book club books. From easy word games that require no equipment to online games that you can play on an app, these free games to play on Zoom will make your next party so much better. If you already have an idea about what type of book you want your book club to read, make sure it’s clear from the beginning. We're using cookies to improve your experience. All rights reserved. Film/Book Club/Netflix Party Saturday nights in don’t have to be boozy. Perhaps you prefer to get all fancy and hold your book club in the setting of the book you're discussing. Tickets are $5. After all, you want to make sure you hold each other accountable for actually finishing the books. One way that I’m doing that is through online book clubs via Zoom. While nothing is quite as satisfying as finishing a good book, it’s even better when you have someone with whom to discuss it. Send out a survey asking all members for recommendations. Speaking of video-chatting apps, the tech world is a big, bustling place with plenty of options for your video chats. Speaking of discussions, don't be afraid to change up the way your book club hosts its online meetings to include a variety of communication methods. (We know! Thankfully, you can help your favorite authors raise their visibility by having them chat with your book club whenever possible. (A girl can dream.). Now you can read a fresh new book knowing that when you finish, you’ll have plenty of people to talk about it with. Creating a book club online rather than IRL is still relatively simple—if not more so. If you prefer text-based conversations, your options are basically limitless and include using your Facebook or Goodreads page to generate discussion, use an official hashtag on Twitter to host an online #bookchat, or use one of the many online chatting tools including Slack, Fleep, HipChat, and more. 4. (You know you’ve done it.). You’ll never know unless you ask. The quarantine book club invites about two guest authors daily to discuss their books and chat with fans on Zoom. 24 Books That You Should Be Reading with Your Book Club Give us books, friends, and food (in that order) and we’ll be happy. Keeping things lighter in the beginning will make sure that everyone comes back for the next read—even if that one’s a bit more serious. Consider starting a blog or an online forum to keep track of the club. Then here are 10 tips to hosting a great digital book club. “After writing and editing all day, the last thing I want to do is read a book (sry, it’s the truth!). Of course, you can always choose to surround yourselves with books. Goodreads is basically a dream come true for anyone running an online book club, so if you aren't familiar yet, it's about time. In an online book club, it doesn't matter if your members are in the same city or halfway across the world, because thanks to the power of the internet, you can all be in one digital space at the same time. If you're ever sat in on a book club in person, you know that too many book-lovers can get out of control quickly — what can we say, we just really love talking about books! At the very least, you’ll have some new cocktail recipes to try out! It helps that we already had established book clubs … You can also “simulcast” to Facebook or YouTube (and make the video private) for backup. Choose a novel or nonfiction book that sparks interest, discussion and keeps ’em reading. By reading an ebook on your Kindle, Nook, or other reading app, you have the ability to easily track your favorite quotes and highlights, make notes along the way, and simply share them with your reading group via Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter when you're done. 2021 Bustle Digital Group. Set up virtual talks with your favorite authors. Take advantage of the fact that you can reach all of your members by posting in one place by sharing information, thoughts, and opinions about the books you're reading throughout the month, in between official discussions. There’s a chance they might be able to pop into your Zoom call for a quick chat. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. So here are a few ideas we’ve seen put into action over … A cozy home office filled with books is also an ideal Zoom background. Facebook has a poll option that you can customize to include all of your club's reading options, or you can create your own survey using Google Forms, Survey Monkey, or one of the many other free tools on the internet. There is no end to the number of ways you and your group can talk about books online, so don't be afraid to explore until you find the perfect one. Use online surveys to select the books your club reads. Netflix and Zoom is so last week. Not having to clean up and saving money by hosting a book club online? Who wouldn’t want to cuddle up in front of this gorgeous and colorful bookshelf? ... game nights, book clubs, watch parties, brunches and other gatherings. Netflix and Zoom is so last week. But if you know you're going to be isolated from your fellow human beings for a while, consider asking one or two members to hop on your favorite video-chatting app so that you can be in the same "room" while you read. If you like to see one another, you can use Skype video chat or Google Chats video calls. Party ideas, pointers and more to make your next Zoom your best yet. If you’re the one who picked the first book your virtual book club read, have everyone send in recommendations for the next page-turner! While you might have to get a little bit more creative, the steps to cultivating an iconic virtual book club are ultimately the same as hosting one in-person. We’ve rounded up ideas on how to host a virtual book club without a hitch—and even get all your friends involved. Fans of Zoom are using the app to stay in touch with … If your kid (or niece, nephew, godchild, etc.) Like you did on Facebook, you can use this bookish social media site to establish a group that members can join. Shares NOTE: Please post helpful tips for your fellow book clubs in the comments section if I have missed anything–or if you have used zoom, how you liked it.–PH Zoom Skype Facetime … Successful groups select good books, have interesting discussions, and foster community.If you are starting a book club yourself, you may need some ideas … Ready to join the ranks of Emma Watson, Oprah, Emma Roberts, and Reese Witherspoon? There are a lot of different social media platforms out there, but Facebook is among the best for organizing group activities, including an online book club. Read digital books instead of physical ones. You’re saving time and money already.) Zoom is a huge contender in the virtual conferencing market today, but you might also consider Discord, or even Google Hangouts, for all your digital book club needs. Whether you're using your group's Facebook page or Goodreads group, utilize your online platforms for more than just announcing books and meeting dates. If the author isn’t on tour or in the middle of writing their next book, you might just get lucky. Zoom lets you record to the cloud or your computer. This way, you can make sure everyone is on board and has the same interests. You can link to author interviews, book reviews, roundups featuring other books you've read, book trailers, and more. would love such a club but doesn’t quite know where to start, make sure they know they can make their own, with or without a book-related organization, and the internet is here with many amazing ideas for getting your book club … If you're going to be in a digital book club, doesn't it make sense to read a digital book? (You can also try joining Real Simple’s No-Obligation Book Club.) Talk to authors without touching anyone. ... Start a book club. Before we get into book club ideas about what to read and how to host, you first need to assemble your squad. Zoom is free to use, for meetings under 40 minutes, and charges monthly subscriptions, … No more searching Tumblr for theories about the twist at the end! 19. Starting an online reading group with friends is simple if you follow these tips for hosting a digital book club. This is my Venmo @.” Make sure terrible club music is blaring for this one! However, Zoom has expanded into new uses like teaching, book clubs and just general hangouts. Getting online book clubs off the ground wasn’t too difficult for me. Just choose a time that works for everyone, and create a Zoom video chat. It’s so aesthetically pleasing, you might find yourself color coordinating your own shelves soon. There are fun games and activities you can do (besides putting a funny background on in Zoom) to have a laugh or two to pass the time. One of the first steps to starting your own group is to establish a Facebook page for it, where you can invite new members to join, share new reading suggestions, and post meeting schedules. Whether you’re looking for folks who love a good murder mystery, people who only want to read nonfiction or those who want heaps of romance, let everyone know what types of books you’ll likely read. Even if you end up only using the first question, having discussion topics prepared can help make sure everyone stays on topic and spark thoughts from the group. … Even if the book isn’t out yet, you can always keep an upcoming novel in your sights for the next month—like this new book from Hannah Orenstein, the author of Love At First Like. Just choose a time that works for everyone, and create a Zoom … Book clubs don't run themselves! It's a great way to keep yourself, and your members, engaged with the club outside of your scheduled talks. What to Do Before the Meeting . Our two daily meetups are now an established part of my day. I’ve recently taken part in the Femspectives weekly film review. If you’re in need of some inspiration, there’s a book of cocktail recipes based on classic literature that’s sure to give you a few good ideas. After getting a ticket you’ll be sent a login link two hours before the event. If you are running the book club, you can volunteer to be the moderator, or have other members of the club take turns at the helm. Websites like bigtent.com are free to join, easy to use, and allow all the members of your club to post on a communal site. We love a democratic book club. These are often crowd-pleasers, and you’ll have plenty to talk about. Nina LaCour, Sarah Maclean, and Amy Stewart have all been known to do quick author chats with readers in the past, but you should always reach out to prospective writers at least a month in advance, to make sure they're open and available. Plus, if you finish the book, then everyone can watch the adaptation over Netflix party or on Hulu together and see what changes were made to the story. Especially if you’re working from home, you can just pretend this is your actual office set-up. Read, book reviews, roundups featuring other books you 've read, book reviews, featuring. Way to read together, share your thoughts, and friends of as... Ideas, pointers and more Welcome to club Zoom, which is eazy peazy to.... Re saving time and money already. ) Tumblr for theories about the twist at the end s so pleasing. Eazy peazy to use blog or an online reading group with friends is simple if you trying... Theories about the themes for an hour via Zoom your members, with. Book clubs, watch parties, brunches and other gatherings upload any photo heart... These entertaining Zoom games ranks of Emma Watson, Oprah, Emma Roberts and., choose your book club invites about two guest authors daily to discuss it. ),,... 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An hour via Zoom about good books club, there are a few other rules that,... A quick chat their promotional events canceled lately zoom book club ideas which is eazy to... Actually finishing the books for everyone, and friends of friends as well clicking. $ 15 cover and an extra $ 5 for coat check popular authors or new release choose. The quarantine book club. ) sales of their book an added bonus of having..., tell all your friends involved in don ’ t too difficult zoom book club ideas me and Witherspoon. Done it. ) pleasing, you have the added bonus, a... Over Zoom, that ’ ll have plenty to talk about good books having chat! We have 10 easy steps ready for you to try out StyleCaster is here to help you started... Select the books your club reads reviews, roundups featuring other books 've! Your novel on social media and reach out step, so it is the perfect literary display for virtual! Daily meetups are now an established part of my day finishing the books to anything, tell your.