An academic book club would be more focused on aspects of the book such as meaning, plot, and character. A social book club would talk about the story and feelings about the story, but it wouldn’t be a problem if the conversation got carried away from the book.
If you plan to have your book club at a physical location, recruit people who live close to you. You can invite anyone to a virtual book club, as long as the people who want to join have reliable internet access.
You can also ask a local café if they would be willing to let you have your book club at their place.
Read online reviews about the book. Make sure that the book has mostly positive reviews.
You could go around the room and have everyone name 3 books that they love the most. You can partner people up and have them ask questions about their literary preferences.
You can also ask everyone to bring one snack or refreshment. Be mindful of members on vegan, vegetarian, or other restricted diets as well as members watching their weight. Consider asking before hand if anyone has dieting restrictions.
It’s also an option to designate a discussion leader for each meeting.
