Book Talk & Bubbly: Party Inspiration

Nowadays, a book club party doesn’t just need to be sitting around with friends, discussing the book, and having a few snacks. There are multiple ways to take it to the next level and host the perfect party, and here are a few of the best. 

Pick a Theme

The first thing you should do is pick a theme. This not only makes the party more fun and exciting, but it will also give you some direction when it comes to book choices, food, atmosphere, etc. 

The theme can also be almost anything, whether it be author or genre-focused, to a theme surrounding a singular book or the world a story exists in. Pour a glass of Berri cask wine and sit for a bit deciding on which theme would be the most fun and interesting for you and your guests. 

Invitations & Decorations

Next, send out invitations that match the theme you chose, or are book-themed. A very cute option is to send invites on library book cards, or create digital invites that have the option to add music or animations. 

When it comes to decorating, you don’t have to go overboard but choose thoughtful decorations that match the theme and feel of the party. 

Fancy Dress

While this won’t be for everyone, you can never go wrong with adding a fancy dress element to your party. This becomes even more fun if your book of choice or theme is something unusual, such as Victorian times or an alternate reality. 

If you have a large number of guests, you can turn the dress-up aspect of the party into a bit of a competition, with prizes for the best dressed, funniest outfit, most accurate, etc. 

Themed Food & Drinks

One trend that has taken over the literary, movie, and TV world is making food and drinks from the book, show, or movie. Whether it be Butterbeer from Harry Potter, or a take on “second breakfast” from The Lord of the Rings. 

This is not only a fun way to tie the food and drinks to your theme, but when done properly, it can also transport you into your favorite scene or story. 

Prepare Discussion Cues & Questions

If you are going to split your event into a book-focused section and a party section, take the time to prepare some discussion cues and questions. The last thing you want is to sit down and everyone sits quietly amongst themselves, 

Instead, have some questions and discussion points ready, or even better, find a few controversial parts of the book and talk through them. 

Book Swaps

Encourage your guests to bring along a few books they love that they don’t mind passing on to someone else. A book swap is not only a more affordable way to get new books, but it will also open you up to new authors and genres. 

You can also do a book Secret Santa of sorts, with one guest being paired with another, and then both of them share what they like and don’t like. From there, you go out and buy a book that fits their likes, and you surprise them with it. 

Party Games

No party will be complete without a few party games, and when it comes to books, there are plenty of options to choose from; here are three of the best. 

Trivia

First off, a simple but exciting game of trivia is always a crowd-pleaser. With the help of ChatGPT or an internet search, you can easily curate an endless list of trivia questions about an author, book series, and everything in between. 

Book Bracket

Similar to March Madness, but with your favorite books, a book bracket is a fun and relaxed way to see which book you and your guests think is the best. It is alsok easy to do, all you need is 10, 20, 30, or even 50 books. 

Pit each one against another, and discuss who the winner is. As you go on, you’ll get to the final where one book faces another, and the champion of champions is revealed. 

Charades

Finally, you can do charades with a twist. Instead of doing any book or any author, choose one book and have your guests act out a character, event, or even a famous inanimate object or animal from the story. It’s a game that stays on theme, 

Party Favors

Finally, don’t forget to create and hand out some book-themed party favors. These can come in all shapes and sizes, and it fully depends on what feel you want to leave your guests with, and how much money you want to spend. 

For instance, there are plenty of publishers who have created mini versions of the classics, such as Pride and Prejudice, or The Art of War. Considering how popular the light filters of the Twilight films were, there are companies that sell keychains with a piece of filtered plastic that allows you to see the whole world in the same way. 

If you want something with a homemade touch, some themed cupcakes with a crest from a book, a quote, or even an image are all brilliant ideas.