Between holiday preparations, family gatherings, travel, and everything else that comes with the end of the year, finding time to read an entire
book can feel like one more thing on an already overflowing to-do list. But just because your book club hasn’t had time to finish a new selection doesn’t mean you have to skip getting together!
In fact, the end of the year is a perfect opportunity to shake things up a little. Instead of your usual book discussion, why not try something different? Whether your group is looking for a little friendly competition, some laughs, or a chance to discover new favorites, here are five fun ways to celebrate another year of good books and great conversations—no assigned reading required!
1. Host a Favorite Reads Book Swap
Who doesn’t love leaving book club with a new book to read?
Ask everyone to bring a wrapped copy of their favorite book they read this year. It can be a new copy or one from their own shelves that they’re ready to pass along. The only rule? Keep the title a secret!
When everyone arrives, place the wrapped books together and have each member choose one at random. Once all the books have been unwrapped, go around the room and let everyone reveal which book they brought and why they loved it.
It’s a fun way to share personal favorites, discover books you might not have picked up otherwise, and send everyone home with something new for their TBR pile.
2. Crown Your Book Club’s Book of the Year
Which book deserves the title of your club’s favorite read of the year? There’s only one way to find out: a good old-fashioned tournament!
Gather a list of all the books your club read together over the past year and arrange them in a bracket, just like March Madness. Pair books against each other, then have members vote on which title should advance to the next round.
Keep going until you’ve narrowed the field to two finalists, then hold one last vote to crown your Book Club Book of the Year!
For extra fun, give everyone a chance to make their case before each matchup. You might be surprised which books inspire the most passionate defenses—or how quickly a friendly discussion turns into a spirited debate.
Tip: If your club read an odd number of books, give one title a first-round bye, or include a wildcard favorite from a previous year.
3. Put Your Book Club Knowledge to the Test
Think you remember everything about the books your club read this year? Time to find out!
Turn your next meeting into a book-themed trivia night. Ask each member to submit two or three questions ahead of time about books you’ve read together. Questions can cover characters, settings, memorable plot twists, or even little details that only the most attentive readers would remember.
Divide into teams, take turns answering questions, and see who comes out on top.
You can also mix in a few questions about your club itself. Who suggested that book everyone ended up loving? Which selection sparked the longest discussion? What was the book nobody could agree on?
A little friendly competition—and a few forgotten plot details—are sure to make for plenty of laughs.
4. Hand Out Your Own Book Club Awards
Forget the Oscars! It’s time for your book club’s very own awards ceremony.
Come up with a handful of categories and let members nominate and vote on winners from the books you’ve read throughout the year.
Some possibilities:
- Best Plot Twist
- Most Unforgettable Character
- Book That Sparked the Biggest Debate
- Most Surprising Favorite
- Best Setting
- Character We’d Most Like to Have Dinner With
- Book We Loved to Hate
You can collect nominations ahead of time or simply let everyone throw out suggestions during the meeting.
And if your group really wants to get into the spirit, make a few homemade certificates or tiny trophies for the winning books. The sillier, the better!
5. Have a Book Club Show & Tell
We all have those books we can’t stop recommending to anyone who will listen. Why not give everyone a chance to share theirs?
Ask each member to bring a book they loved this year that wasn’t one of your club’s selections. It could be a recent bestseller, a hidden gem, an old favorite they finally got around to reading, or something completely outside the group’s usual genres.
Give everyone two or three minutes to introduce their book and explain why they think it’s worth reading. No formal presentations necessary—just a little enthusiasm and a good recommendation!
Encourage members to jot down titles that catch their interest. By the end of the evening, everyone will have a fresh batch of books to add to their reading lists.
And who knows? You might even discover a few contenders for next year’s book club selections.
Remember, It’s About More Than the Books
Of course, reading and discussing books is what brings a book club together in the first place. But the friendships, conversations, and connections that grow out of those gatherings are what make them special.
So if your group is feeling a little overwhelmed as the year winds down, give yourselves permission to skip the assigned reading for a month and just enjoy being together.
Whether you’re swapping books, debating your favorite reads, or laughing over characters you’ve long since forgotten, you’re still celebrating the thing that brought you together in the first place: a shared love of reading.