the best things to bring to book club.

You’ve gotten the email and text notifications telling you your book club meeting is approaching. You’ve spent the last day (and maybe morning) furiously reading the book. You’ve googled directions to figure out how to get to book club this month. Or maybe you’ve been cleaning like a fiend so that everyone is not repulsed by your messy house. And then suddenly, you wonder, what should I bring or put out for everyone? Whether you are hosting a book club or not, here are some of the best things to have on hand to ensure you have a great book club meeting.

Wine
Honestly, it doesn’t matter what kind or type of wine you bring, as long as you bring wine. Personally, I prefer a sweeter wine, so something along the lines of a Reisling or Moscato is perfect for me. You also can’t go wrong with anything bubbly which is why I also like Processco. I feel like when you are sipping something bubbly it makes book club feel all the more fancier! There are even these little single-serving processco bottles that are so cute and easy to stick in your bag which makes them perfect for get-togethers.

The book
You don’t have to bring the book your book club is reading but I’ve found it comes in handy if someone has a question about the plot or what a character name is, then you can look it up right away. Also, at least this way everyone knows what the book looks like if they haven’t read it. But, if you are not going to talk about the book then maybe there is no reason to bring it along.

Pets
I love dogs and what would make a book club better than a dog? Especially if it is a little lap dog that can just curl up on your lap while you chat with friends. Cats are good too if no one is allergic and your cat is friendly enough to want to spend time with your friends.

Finger foods
I’ve found that my book club tends to congregate in the living room or patio area; places where you would be sitting with food on your lap. There’s not always a table to place your plate on so having little food that you can eat with your hands is preferable. You don’t want to be that person cutting a steak with a fork and knife while sitting on a couch. Any finger type food or appetizers or small dishes are best.

Cheese
In my opinion, the best kind of finger food is cheese. It goes with so many things. You can eat cheese with crackers, bread, fruit, olives, veggies, nuts, by itself. It goes great with wine. Cheese goes with about everything and since there is such a large selection of different cheeses out there, you really can’t go wrong.

Your journal
Everyone knows that a big part of book club is gossip. And if you have to bring your journal to make sure you’ve relayed all the pertinent chitchat, so be it.

Your cell phone
I know some people say you should leave your cell phone at home or place all the phones in a basket so no one is distracted by them but I’ve found they can actually be helpful. Whether you want to look up discussion questions for the book or figure out the name of a book you can’t remember, cell phones are such an easy way to do this. You can also quickly add the next book club date into your calendar so that you don’t miss out. Plus, at my book club, everyone is so invested in what everyone is talking about that there is no worry that people are just sitting there scrolling on their phones.

Dessert
After you’ve eaten your finger foods and had some cheese and wine, who wouldn’t want to have a little dessert? You can’t go wrong with little brownies or cookies. If you are adventurous you can make little personal pies or cakes even!

An idea for the next book to read
Some book clubs schedule out all the books they are going to read for the year. Some clubs do a round-robin where someone new picks the book every time. Other clubs pick a few titles and vote on which book to read next. However your book club handles things, it’s always good to have an idea for a future book just in case the opportunity to contribute comes up.

I hope you have a great book club meeting!