Starting a book club is easy. Keeping one alive past the third meeting is the hard part. Reading groups remain popular in Canada, with about a third of readers attending a book club or reading group in 2025, according to BookNet Canada. The clubs that last tend to make a few unglamorous decisions early.

Set the size before the first book

A club of five to eight people is large enough that a few absences will not cancel a meeting, and small enough that everyone can speak. Below four, one missing person makes the room feel empty. Above ten, the conversation splinters and quieter members drop out. Decide the cap first, then invite.

Choose a cadence you can defend in February

Monthly is the most common rhythm because it gives readers roughly four weeks per book, which suits a typical novel. Pick a fixed slot — for example, the first Tuesday evening — so members can hold the date without a new negotiation each month. A predictable date survives winter far better than a "we'll find a time" approach.

Practical detail

Set the next two meeting dates at the end of every meeting, while everyone is in the room. Scheduling by group chat after the fact is where many clubs quietly stall.

Match the reading pace to the group

One long literary novel and a group of busy readers is a common mismatch. If members are arriving unfinished, shorten the books or lengthen the gap. Alternating a demanding title with a lighter one keeps people from falling behind and quitting. The aim is a pace most members can actually meet, not the most ambitious reading list.

Pick a place that lowers the effort

Rotating between members' homes spreads the hosting load but adds travel and tidying. A neutral venue removes both. In Canada, many public libraries offer free meeting or program rooms that can be booked in advance, and some branches run their own book clubs that anyone can join. A quiet corner of a café works too, provided it is calm enough to hear one another.

  • Library meeting room: free, neutral, no host burden.
  • Rotating homes: warmer, but uneven effort.
  • Café: easy, but watch the noise level.
  • Video call: useful for winter, travel, or members in other towns.

Share the small jobs

When one person picks every book, books the room, sends reminders, and leads every discussion, that person burns out and the club ends. Split the roles. One member can manage the schedule, another the book selection rotation, another the reminders. A club with shared ownership keeps going even when the founder steps back.

A starter checklist

  • Agree on size, cadence, and a fixed meeting slot.
  • Decide how books are chosen — rotation, vote, or a short list.
  • Book the venue or set up the recurring call.
  • Assign reminders and note-keeping.
  • Set the next two dates before leaving each meeting.
A book club is a scheduling problem wearing a literary disguise. Solve the scheduling and the reading takes care of itself.

Once the logistics are settled, the conversation itself becomes the focus. The next article covers discussion formats and how to plan a balanced reading list across a year.