Are your book club meetings starting to feel a bit like déjà vu, with the same old discussions circling plot twists and character arcs? Fear not! It’s time to sprinkle a little extra magic on your gatherings and transform them into unforgettable literary soirées.
So, grab your bookmarks, and let’s dive into this treasure trove of fun, engaging games specifically designed for book club meetings.
“Manuscript Mysteries: The Unfinished Quote Challenge”
Each member brings a favorite quote from any book they adore. It could be profound, funny, or downright bizarre – the quirkier, the better. The key is that it should be from a book that the group has read.
How to Play
- Everyone sits in a circle, sipping on their beverage of choice (extra points for tea in vintage cups!).
- The first player reads their quote aloud but omits a keyword or phrase, replacing it with a dramatic pause. For example, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our ________.” (That’s a quote from MLK by the way).
- Now, the fun part! The rest of the group takes turns guessing the missing piece. Each player gets one guess per round.
- If someone nails it, they earn a point. If no one gets it, the reader reveals the answer and takes a point for stumping the group.
- The game continues around the circle, with each player presenting their literary conundrum.
Bonus Round: Mix it up by having players invent a completely new quote fitting the author’s style. Others have to guess if it’s real or fake!
Winning
The player with the most points at the end is crowned the “Grand Librarian” and gets the honor of choosing the book for the next meet-up. Or, if you’re feeling generous, let them skip the next round of snack duties.
Literary Gestures: A Charades Journey Through Timeless Text
This may not be a new idea, but everyone understands the rules so you can get playing right away. This is great for whoever is hosting. Planning and organizing games for a gathering can be time-consuming. If you need some tips, check out this list of party games that require little to no prep.
How to Play
Classic charades, but with a literary twist. Write down a bunch of book titles on slips of paper and toss them into a hat. Players draw a title and act it out without speaking or making any sounds.
Tip: To spice it up, include titles from various genres. Imagine trying to mime “War and Peace” or “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”!
Winning
The team or player with the most correct guesses wins. Prize? A bookmark, perhaps, or the power to veto a book choice in the future.
Author Headbands
A very fun and interactive way to get people off the couch and mingling. You will need to construct your headbands ahead of time. They can be as simple as you want, even if you just use sticky notes.
How to Play
- Each player has a headband with the name of a famous author attached to it, but they can’t see their own author’s name.
- Through a series of yes or no questions to others (“Am I alive?”, “Have I written a fantasy novel?”), each player tries to guess the author on their headband.
- Put a time limit for each turn to keep the energy high and the guesses wild.
Winning
The players who figure out their famous author’s name first win. You can award first, second, and third prizes. You can also stick the last one to figure it out with doing the dishes or bringing drinks next time.
By the way, this also makes a great game for other parties as well. For example, you could change out authors for famous sports stars and play this at a bachelor party.
Literary Pictionary
Pictionary is not just artistic talent but also the ability to communicate effectively. It can offer members of your book club who are more visually creative and expressive to share their insights on a book in a fun competition.
How to Play
- You first need to gather a whiteboard or large paper and markers.
- Just like Pictionary, players must draw scenes, characters, or symbols from famous books. For example, drawing a small Mockingjay to represent “The Hunger Games”.
- Challenge Mode: Limit the drawing time to make it more frantic and fun.
Winning
The game can be structured in several ways to determine a winner. You can award points for each correct guess. You can have different levels of difficulties that are worth more points. You can of course play in large teams or just pairs. Racing against the clock to see which team can get as many correct answers in a given amount of time is my favorite way to play.
‘Whose Book Is It Anyway?’
Not everyone is looking for a serious competition. Instead, your group might need a dose of zany fun where the concern over scorekeeping and claiming victory is an afterthought. A book club version of “Whose Line Is It Anyway” offers just that.
How to Play
- Preparation: Gather memorable scenes from books your group has read and write them on slips of paper.
- Pairs or groups of players pick a slip and must act out the scene in the most dramatic, funny, or unusual manner they can muster.
- Added Twist: Award extra points for the best performance. Encourage accents, over-the-top drama, or comedic delivery!
Winning
If you are not familiar with the TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway”, points are awarded based on a player’s commitment and willingness to get into the scene as much as possible. A judge or panel will award points or vote on who should get points for their performance.
Book Bingo
A bingo-style game is another competition that everyone will be able to jump right into with little explanation. You will need to do some prep. Before the meet-up, create bingo cards with different book-related prompts in each square (e.g., “a character goes to a party,” “someone dies”). As you discuss the latest section of your book, you can try to fill out your bingo card.
How to Play
- During your normal discussions, players will be paying attention to the topics or references made.
- Players can mark off corresponding squares on their bingo card when that topic, phrase, word, or reference is heard.
- An example would be someone saying the phrase “in my opinion” in their conversation. If you have a square on your bingo card with “someone says ‘in my opinion’’, you would mark that square.
- Everyone will have different bingo cards as they will be randomly chosen. Just as with traditional bingo.
Winning
Bingo!: The first to get five in a row wins. You can also do the classic “four corners” or “blackout” games. Maybe their prize could be a new book or a fancy bookmark!
Book Swap Roulette
Everyone brings a wrapped book (preferably one they love or find interesting). Then they write down five interesting words that describe the book. Let’s look at an example. For the classic novel Shogun by James Clavell, your five words could be Japan, Feudal, Ships, Danger, and Saumari.
How to Play
- Place all the books in the center. Everyone sits in a circle around them.
- Each person picks a book at random.
- Select one person to start. Then the first of the five words that describe the book they picked is revealed.
- They then need to decide if they want to keep or steal a book.
- If they keep it, then the next player is up. If they choose to steal then they swap with another player. Then the next player is up and their first word is revealed.
- The game continues with keeping or swapping until all the words that describe the book are revealed. A word is revealed each time that book is in the hands of someone whose turn it is. Meaning, if a player swaps with someone on their immediate left, when it is that player’s turn the next word would be revealed.
Winning
When all the words are revealed and the final keep or swaps have occurred the players unwrap the book they are left with to reveal the title. No one necessarily wins or loses, it is just an exciting way to select the next book they read.
Story Continuation Circle
Many passionate bookworms yearn to create an epic tale themselves. In this game, you can work together as a group to craft an exhilarating story that is influenced by everyone’s input.
How to Play
- Start with a famous first line from a book or create an original opening sentence.
- Each member adds a sentence to the story, building on what the previous person said.
- Keep it Rolling: Encourage creativity and absurdity. The story can twist and turn into hilarious or unexpected directions. Record the story for a memorable keepsake!
Winning
Everyone who gets to hear and enjoy your group’s creation wins!
Genre Balderdash
One part creativity, one part bluffing, and a lot of fun. In our literary version of Balderdash, you will try to stump your reading mates by inventing believable but completely fake plots for real book titles.
How to Play
- Prepare cards with real book titles. They should be less common books that your group is not likely to be familiar with. Weirder titles will work best.
- Players take turns drawing a card and invent a plot summary based on the title. Others must guess if it’s the real plot or a fake one.
- All players submit their answers before it is revealed whether it is a fake or real plot.
Winning
Players receive a point for each plot they correctly determine to be true or false. You can play as many rounds as you want, just be sure to make plenty of cards.
Literary Scavenger Hunt
Instead of searching for physical items in an area, this game is a quest to find specific events, phrases, or literary devices within the prose of the current book your group is enjoying.
How to Play
- Create a list of book-related items, literary devices, concepts, etc. (e.g., situational irony, an example describing the setting, a metaphor about life, etc.).
- The Hunt: Members search through the book to find items that match the list.
- Time Challenge: Add a time limit to make it more exciting.
Winning
The first to complete the list, or the one with the most items found when time runs out, wins.
Book Cover Redesign
Ever had a great book with no cover art? Or a great book with bad cover art? Take a shot at designing a cover for the book of your choice.
How to Play
- You can use any artistic medium that you choose. Draw a picture, sketch, paint, abstract, glitter, anything.
- Everyone designs a cover for either the book you are currently reading as a group or just a favorite book that lacks a proper cover scene.
- Give everyone an allotted amount of time to complete this project, then have a presentation of all the creations.
Winning
Participants can vote on who’s cover they think is best overall. You can also have different categories: funniest, most accurate, best seller, etc.
“Who Wrote It?” Challenge
The ultimate challenge is to prove who is the most well-read member of the group. A simple contest of “Who Wrote It?” is about being able to recognize and identify famous and perhaps not-so-famous works of literature.
How to Play
- The game organizer or group leader will need to do some work ahead of time although with the internet and AI, this might not be too hard. Find and compile a list of dozens of quotes or excerpts from different books.
- The selections should be from several different authors.
- Choose a range of selections that are from authors your group is familiar with as well as ones that would be more challenging to identify.
- Game Time: Read the excerpts aloud and have everyone guess the author or book. Players can write down their answers and submit them before the answer is revealed. Then correct players are awarded a point.
Winning
The victor is simply the player who correctly identifies the most authors of the various excerpts or quotes.
Conclusion
Depending on the personalities and interests of your group members, some of these games may be more appealing than others. For more info, be sure to read this article that will help you select the perfect game for your group.
Whether you’re looking to break the ice, challenge your literary prowess, or simply add a splash of fun to your meetings, these games are sure to turn your next book club into an eagerly awaited event. So, dust off your favorite novels, gather your fellow readers, and prepare for an unforgettable journey into the playful side of literature. Happy gaming, and happy reading!
