A proper home for your book club's reading list and reviews.

What a book club website needs

People look for a book club when they want company and a reason to read, so the questions are whether it is friendly, how often it meets and whether they have to finish the book. Many clubs live in a group chat that newcomers cannot see, which is exactly why a simple public page helps.

What to publish

• The current book and the next three, with the meeting date and who is hosting.
• A reading history of past titles, which doubles as a taster of your taste in books.
• Where you meet, such as a library, pub back room or members' homes, and how many you usually are.
• A plain statement of expectations: do people have to finish the book, and is it fine to just turn up?
• How a new reader joins, including any waiting list if you meet in homes.
• Discussion notes or a short post per book for members who missed the evening.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Hiding the current book inside a messaging app, so nobody outside the group can see what you read.
• Giving a home address publicly; say "contact us for the venue" instead.
• Not saying what genres you read, so the wrong people join and drift away.

Frequently asked questions