For our holiday book club gathering, we did something new — everyone brought a favorite book, wrapped with a “blind date” description of the book. A blind date description simply means you list a few key facts about the book, without giving away the title or author.
How to Do a Book Exchange
For the book exchange, here's how we did it. Everyone wrote their name on a slip of paper and added it to a bowl. Each attendee then picked a name out of the bowl and you got the book from the person whose name you drew. One at a time we then went around the table, read aloud the description of the book written on the tag or wrapping paper, and opened the book. People added their thoughts on the book, if they have read it, etc. It was so delightful. After all the books were opened, we set a 5 minute timer to roll dice. If you rolled doubles, you could swap your book with anyone (if you wanted to).
It was so fun and easy and everyone left with a GREAT book to enjoy over the holidays. I'm still smiling!
Book club or not, this was a fun party to host during the holidays or anytime.
Best Books for a Book Exchange
We had no rules for the book exchange except that it should be a book that you loved. The books could be used or new. Here are the favorite books that were given.
The Midnight Library
Nothing to See Here
Before We Were Yours
A Man Called Ove
Offshore
The Sweetness of Water
Rebecca
Killers of the Flower Moon
Dare to Lead
The Most Fun We Ever Had
The Great Believers
We All Want Impossible Things
The Hearts Invisible Furies
Hidden Pictures
Book Exchange Tips
My only tip is to have a couple extra books in case someone forgets a book or feels shy about giving a book. I had a few extra books and it made it more fun to have everyone be able to open a book. (My books were The Hearts Invisible Furies, The Most Fun We Ever Had and The Great Believers).
Our book club was established in 2015. Read more about it here.
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