Start a book club people keep coming back to, month after month
A complete kit for the whole job: purpose and members, a fixed rhythm, a 12-month plan with pace checks, fair book votes, discussion guides in your own words, hosting, hybrid nights, tracking and the annual review.
- A 14-sheet Book Club Workbook: reading plan with automatic pace checks, ranked vote, attendance tracker, kitty and a traffic-light dashboard
- Discussion guide templates for fiction, non-fiction and workplace clubs, plus 44 original questions (no copied book text)
- 5 fillable forms: founding plan and survey, nomination and ballot, host checklist, guide builder, annual review
- 34 ready-to-send messages, 7 invitations and letters, a charter with a workplace variant, and a 6-page print pack
Book Club in a Box · Bodhih Pro Kits · 307 by Bodhih Training, trainers to 2,000+ companies since 2008.
How do you start a book club that lasts?
Write a one-sentence purpose, keep to about ten members, fix a meeting rule like the second Thursday, share the jobs, choose books by a ranked vote, check each book's pages per week against members' pace, and prepare eight open questions. Book Club in a Box from Bodhih Training gives you the workbook, forms, templates and guide to do all of it.
Want the full free guide first? Read How to Start a Book Club That Lasts: A Step-by-Step Guide.
You already feel the problem. Here is what it is costing you.
The date moves and the chairs empty
Every month a new date, a round of messages and two apologies. The club fades without anyone deciding it should.
One person does everything
The host chooses the books, sends the reminders, buys the drinks and runs the talk. When their month gets busy, the club stops.
Nobody finished the book
A long book in a short gap leaves most members a third of the way in, embarrassed and quiet. The meeting falls flat.
The talk drifts or one voice fills it
Without questions or a round, the evening becomes catching up, or a monologue, and the quieter members stop coming.
Picture the next few weeks with the kit open beside you.
Imagine the second Thursday of next month. Nobody has had to ask when the meeting is, because the rule is written in the charter and the reminder went out a week ago with the pages per day for anyone behind.
As you open the Book Club Workbook that evening, the Reading Plan already shows the next two books, chosen by a ranked vote that everyone took part in, with a green Comfortable in the pace check. The Roles Rota names the host, the discussion lead and, because two members join from home, the online co-host.
At 19:30 the discussion lead starts the round: one word and a score from everyone, online members first. The guide has eight questions in your own words and a spoiler line, so the people who have not finished stay and talk. At 20:45 the evening ends on time, the note-taker posts three lines, and you type attendance in four minutes.
Whether you start with the founding plan tonight or the message library tomorrow, the first hour gets your club a purpose, a rhythm, twelve dates and its first invitations.
20 files that do the work for you
The e-book shows you how. The tools make it happen. Here is exactly what you download.
Book Club in a Box (e-book, PDF)
The guide: methods, worked examples, scripts and exercises
Start here: the book club map
The whole job in nine steps with the file to open at each, your first hour, the five-minute brand step, your first week and a 30/60/90 day plan.
Book Club Workbook
14-sheet workbook for one club and one year: members and roles, a 12-month reading plan with pace checks, nominations and a ranked vote, attendance and reading tracker, meeting log, roles rota, kitty, pace calculator, agenda builder, annual review and a traffic-light dashboard.
Founding plan and member survey
Three-page fillable plan for a new or restarting club: purpose, format, size and rhythm, the house rules to agree, and a one-page survey for every member.
Book nomination and ballot
Two-page fillable form: a nomination card with the facts members need to vote, a three-choice ranked ballot and the vote counter's tally sheet.
Host checklist and meeting plan
Three-page fillable plan for whoever hosts: the week before, the day, the evening's agenda with times, the hybrid set-up and the after-meeting jobs.
Discussion guide builder: fiction and non-fiction
Two-page fillable builder for the discussion lead: eight questions in four layers for a novel, and eight for a non-fiction book, with page pointers instead of quotes.
Annual review and next year plan
Three-page fillable review for the last meeting of the year: the numbers from the Dashboard, what members said, the roles for next year and the first three months of the new plan.
Book club message and email library
34 ready-to-send messages for starting the club, reminders, choosing books, members and belonging, online and hybrid nights, venues and guests, and the kitty.
Book club invitations, letters and notices pack
7 ready-to-send items: an invitation poster, a new member welcome letter, a room booking request, a library set request, a guest speaker invitation, a workplace proposal memo and a thank-you note.
Discussion guide templates and question bank
Three fill-in discussion guides (fiction, non-fiction, workplace) and a bank of 44 original questions in eight groups, with the no-copying rule explained.
Book club charter, house rules and workplace variant
A one-page charter with house rules, roles, money and members' details, plus a workplace variant for staff clubs: voluntary, inclusive, safe to speak.
Worked example pack: Sara's book club year
The founding plan, 12-month reading plan with pace checks, the 2027 vote, a host checklist, attendance by meeting, the kitty and the annual review, filled in for one composite 10-member club in Singapore.
AI prompt pack for book clubs
27 tool-agnostic prompts grouped by step of the club year, each with what to paste in and what to check, plus the human review rule and the no-copying rule.
Numbers that matter: book club KPI card
Thirteen numbers a club runs on: plain words, exact formula, where each lives in the workbook and what to do if it moves.
Book club decision card and mistakes to avoid
Fifteen 'if this, do this' rows for attendance, long books, clashes, ties, hybrid sound, content and data requests, plus twenty mistakes that end clubs and what to do instead.
Book club rules and sources (correct at November 2026)
Dated orientation on copyright exceptions in the UK, US and Singapore, reading group schemes and libraries, members' data and video call plans, with the official sources.
Book club table and wall print pack
6 printable pages for the meeting table and the wall: fiction and non-fiction question cards, role cards, a 12-month reading shelf poster, nomination and ballot slips, and a house rules poster with pace bookmarks.
Book club year calendar
42 events: a one-week set-up, twelve monthly meetings four weeks apart, seven-day reminders and after-meeting admin. Move the meeting events to your own fixed day.
Book club task board
32 tasks for set-up, every meeting, choosing books, money and the annual review, ready to import into Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner or a spreadsheet.
Chapter by chapter
Each chapter opens with a real situation, gives you a method and ends with something to do today, using the tools in your kit.
- Format
- PDF e-book + XLSX + fillable PDF + DOCX + printable PDF + ICS + CSV
- Files
- 20 files plus a one-click ZIP
- E-book
- 68 pages
- Works with
- Excel, Google Sheets, Word, Google Docs, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Preview, Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar, Trello, Notion
- Best for
- Clubs of 6 to 16 readers, in person, online or hybrid, at home, in a library or at work
Purpose, Format and the First Ten Members
Write the club's purpose, pick a tone, choose format and size, and ask every member their comfortable reading pace.
Roles, Rhythm and the House Rules
Fix a meeting rule people can remember, share seven small roles and agree five house rules.
The Twelve-Month Reading Plan
Plan twelve dated slots and check every book's pages per week against your club's pace.
Choosing Books Fairly
Run nominations with the facts and a three-choice ranked vote that picks books people will read.
Discussion Guides That Get Everyone Talking
Write eight open questions in four layers, in your own words with page pointers, for fiction and non-fiction.
Hosting the Evening
Run a 90-minute evening with a host checklist, an opening round and a spoiler line.
Online and Hybrid Book Clubs
Set up online and hybrid nights that keep the people on the screen in the circle.
Attendance, Reading and the Numbers That Matter
Track attendance, reading and the kitty in four minutes, and turn flags into kind check-ins.
The Workplace Book Club
Adapt the method for a voluntary, short, safe-to-speak staff book club.
Sara's Year in Numbers
Follow Sara's composite club from 66% to 84% attendance and run the annual review.
Not just reading. Tools you will actually open again.
Start here
- 00-Start-Here-Book-Club-Map.pdf: the whole job in nine steps, your first hour, 'brand it in five minutes', your first week and a 30/60/90 day plan
- The e-book (PDF): about 9,600 words in 9 chapters, a conclusion and two appendices, with 20 illustrations, charts, story strips and an annotated dashboard
Workbook
- Book-Club-Workbook.xlsx: 14 sheets including Settings, Members, Reading Plan with pace checks, Book Pool, Voting, Attendance, Meeting Log, Roles Rota, Kitty, Pace Calculator, Agenda Builder, Annual Review and a Dashboard with traffic lights and three charts
Fillable forms
- Founding-Plan-and-Member-Survey.pdf: Three-page fillable plan for a new or restarting club: purpose, format, size and rhythm, the house rules to agree, and a one-page survey for every member.
- Book-Nomination-and-Ballot.pdf: Two-page fillable form: a nomination card with the facts members need to vote, a three-choice ranked ballot and the vote counter's tally sheet.
- Host-Checklist-and-Meeting-Plan.pdf: Three-page fillable plan for whoever hosts: the week before, the day, the evening's agenda with times, the hybrid set-up and the after-meeting jobs.
- Discussion-Guide-Builder.pdf: Two-page fillable builder for the discussion lead: eight questions in four layers for a novel, and eight for a non-fiction book, with page pointers instead of quotes.
- Annual-Review-and-Next-Year-Plan.pdf: Three-page fillable review for the last meeting of the year: the numbers from the Dashboard, what members said, the roles for next year and the first three months of the new plan.
Word templates
- Book-Club-Message-and-Email-Library.docx: 34 ready-to-send messages
- Book-Club-Invitations-Letters-and-Notices-Pack.docx: 7 invitations, letters and notices
- Discussion-Guide-Templates-and-Question-Bank.docx: three guide templates and 44 original questions
- Book-Club-Charter-and-Workplace-Variant.docx: one-page charter and house rules, plus a workplace variant
- Worked-Example-Pack-Saras-Book-Club-Year.docx: the main forms filled in for one composite club
- AI-Prompt-Pack-for-Book-Clubs.docx: 27 tool-agnostic prompts with a human review rule
Cheat sheets
- Numbers-That-Matter-Book-Club-KPI-Card.pdf: 13 numbers with exact formulas
- Book-Club-Decision-and-Mistakes-Card.pdf: 15 'if this, do this' rows and 20 mistakes to avoid
- Book-Club-Rules-and-Sources-Correct-at-November-2026.pdf: copyright exceptions, reading group schemes, members' data and video call notes, with official sources
Print pack
- Book-Club-Table-and-Wall-Print-Pack.pdf: 6 pages of fiction and non-fiction question cards, role cards, a 12-month reading shelf poster, nomination and ballot slips, and house rules with pace bookmarks
Calendar and import
- Book-Club-Year-Calendar.ics: 42 events for set-up, twelve meetings, reminders and admin
- Book-Club-Task-Board.csv: 32 tasks for Trello, Asana, Notion or Planner
When you have worked through it, you will be able to…
Every outcome is practised with a worked example and a tool, not just described.
- You will be able to write a one-sentence purpose and set a club size and pace that suit your members
- You will be able to fix a meeting rhythm and share the jobs across seven roles
- You will be able to plan twelve months and check every book's pages per week before you agree it
- You will be able to run nominations and a ranked vote that feel fair
- You will be able to write an eight-question discussion guide in your own words
- You will be able to host a 90-minute evening, in person, online or hybrid, that ends on time
- You will be able to spot a drifting member early and check in kindly
- You will be able to run an annual review and hand over roles for next year
Know your starting point. Prove your progress.
People who measure before and after improve faster and can show it. AssessAll, our sister assessment platform, has AI-graded assessments that pair with this kit. Take one now, work through the kit, then re-take it.
Study Skills & Learning Strategies
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentCross-Cultural & Inclusive Leadership
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentProject & Delivery Leadership
Take the assessment →JobularyIf-then plans that make habits stick (Jobulary)
Make it a growth plan →A taste of Chapter 2
The most useful change Sara made all year took one line on the Settings sheet: "Second Thursday." Before June, the club met on whichever Thursday suited the host that month. Each move cost a member or two: a February meeting landed in Lunar New Year week, and three people sent apologies. After June, members could plan months ahead without checking the group chat, and hosts knew their turn would not clash with anything new. A fixed rule ("second Thursday", "first Sunday afternoon", "last Tuesday") has three advantages over picking the best date each month. People can remember it. It removes a monthly round of messages. And it makes the occasional clash someone else's problem to work around, rather than the host's to solve. Check your year once for festivals, school holidays and public holidays, move those meetings in advance, and stick to the rule for everything else.
The honest comparison
| Free templates and typical advice | This kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Reading plan | A list of titles | Twelve dated slots with an automatic pages-per-week check against your club's pace |
| Choosing books | Host's choice or a show of hands | Nomination cards with the facts and a three-choice ranked vote that counts itself |
| Discussion questions | Generic lists or copied guides | Templates in four layers and 44 original questions, with page pointers instead of quotes |
| Online and hybrid | Send a link | Room layout, co-host role, set-up checklist and fairness rules |
| Keeping it going | Hope | Attendance tracker, check-in flags, roles rota, kitty and a traffic-light dashboard |
| Workplace clubs | Not covered | A charter variant, a proposal memo and a 45-minute guide template |
Made for you if…
- Anyone starting a book club with friends, neighbours or parents
- Hosts of a club that has started to fade and want it back on track
- Librarians and community organisers running reading groups
- Staff who want to start a voluntary workplace book club
- Clubs that now meet online or hybrid across cities or time zones
- Organisers who are tired of doing every job themselves
Probably not for you if…
- Readers looking for reviews or summaries of specific books (the kit never copies book text)
- Commercial reading programmes that sell access to books or events
Built by trainers, tested in real rooms.
Bodhih Training has designed and delivered corporate programmes since 2008. Bodhih Pro Kits package what works in those workshops into a guide plus the exact tools we use, so you can apply it the same day without a facilitator in the room.
From here to using it in three steps
- STEP 1
Tap Get the kit
Name, email and country. UPI, card or netbanking in India; international cards everywhere else. No account to create.
- STEP 2
Download instantly
Your download page opens at once, with every file and a one-click ZIP. A permanent link lands in your inbox too.
- STEP 3
Open the first tool
Start with the quick-start chapter, then the main spreadsheet or planner. Most buyers use something from the kit the same day.
Your club's next twelve months, ready by tonight
Open the Start-here map, type your club name and meeting day on Settings, and send your first invitation. Whether you start with the founding plan tonight or the message library tomorrow, your club has a rhythm before the first meeting.
Personal licence for the buyer's own use (and use with your own club members, library group or workplace club where the kit says so). Please don't share or resell the files. Team and company licences: solutions@bodhih.com.
What buyers say
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How many people should be in a book club?
The American Library Association's guide suggests about 8 to 16 members. In a living room, ten to twelve works well: enough voices when a few are away, few enough that everyone speaks. The kit's Settings sheet holds your limit and the message library has a kind 'we are full' reply.
How do you choose books fairly?
Collect up to two nominations per member with the facts (pages, genre, library copies, audio, content notes), then ask everyone to rank three: 3, 2 and 1 points. The Voting and Book Pool sheets check ballots, add the points and rank the books. Ties go to more first choices, then the shorter book.
Does the kit include discussion questions for specific books?
No. The kit never copies or summarises real books. It gives you three guide templates, a builder form and 44 original questions that work for many books, so you write a guide for any title in about twenty minutes, in your own words with page pointers.
Can I use this with my club members (or my staff)?
Yes. Use the files with your own club, library group or workplace club under the personal licence; share printed cards and guides you make with your members. Company, multi-site and library-network licences are available via solutions@bodhih.com.
Does it work in my country?
The method works anywhere, in any currency and any language you read in. The dated rules sheet covers copyright exceptions in the UK, US and Singapore and points to official sources for others; data protection and venue rules need checking locally.
Will it work for an online or hybrid club?
Yes. Chapter 7 covers online-only and hybrid clubs: a speakerphone in the middle, a screen facing the circle, an online co-host and online voices first. The host checklist has a hybrid set-up list and the Roles Rota flags any hybrid night without a co-host.
Do I need Excel?
No. The workbook opens in Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice and Numbers, with formulas that work in all of them. Forms are fillable in any PDF reader, and the Word templates open in Word or Google Docs.
Is there an assessment to measure my starting point as an organiser?
If you want to measure the skills behind running a club, AssessAll's Project & Delivery Leadership, Cross-Cultural & Inclusive Leadership and Study Skills & Learning Strategies assessments are separate products at assessall.com. They are not needed to use the kit.
How do I turn the routines into habits?
Pair each routine with a trigger: 'after each meeting, I type attendance before I wash the cups'. Jobulary's guide to if-then plans shows how to write them, and you can turn them into a development plan there.
Is the kit refundable?
Digital kits are non-refundable once downloaded, except for corrupted files not fixed within 3 working days, duplicate charges or failed delivery. Write to solutions@bodhih.com and we will help.
How much does Book Club in a Box cost?
₹599 including 18% GST for buyers in India, or $17 for buyers outside India. One-time payment, no subscription, with an automatic invoice.
How do I get the files after paying?
Instantly. Your download page opens the moment payment succeeds, and a permanent download link is emailed to you. Download each file separately or everything in one ZIP.
What software do I need?
Any of the usual tools: Excel or Google Sheets for spreadsheets, Word or Google Docs for templates, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Preview, Xodo or GoodNotes for the fillable PDFs, and Google, Outlook or Apple Calendar for the calendar plan.
Can I get a refund?
Because it is a digital download, kits are not refundable once downloaded. We always refund a duplicate charge or a failed delivery, and if a file is corrupted and we cannot fix it within 3 working days. Full terms: bodhih.org/refunds.
Can my company buy this for a team?
Yes. Team and company licences, and workshops on this topic run by Bodhih Training, are available. Write to solutions@bodhih.com or call +91 99000 11601.
