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All the Book Club Dinner Ideas You'll Ever Need

ByTiffany Dahle Published:
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Plan the best book club party with the best book club dinner ideas that pair great book picks with themed dinner recipes to really get your book discussion going!

A book club party at a dinner table next to a photo of a pile of books and two recipe ideas.

For every book we've chosen for the Peanut Blossom Book Club, I've included a fun party menu that goes along with the book's theme.

I think this is such a fun way to incorporate a little playfulness to your book club group but it doesn't need to be difficult!

If you want to plan ahead for a full year of book club dinner ideas to share with your group, I've pulled together some of my favorite books along with simple dinner menus you can share together.

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How to Plan a Book Club Dinner

There are two ways you could approach a book club dinner:

  1. Every member takes turns hosting: The host picks the book, plans the meal, and does all the work once and then gets to enjoy all the other book club meetings as a guest.
  2. Potluck style: Every member takes turns hosting and picking the book of the month. The host plans the theme for the book club dinner but then all the members sign up to bring dishes on the theme potluck style. This means everyone chips in every month.

I've been to book club parties that operated both of those ways and there are pros and cons to both. They are both excellent choices, it just depends on your particular group.

Just have a chat about what works best for everyone before you start.

Easy Book Club Books and Dinner Idea Pairings

Pairing a book club book with a dinner theme doesn't need to be complicated but if you've never done it before, you might be feeling stuck.

I've gathered some of my favorite book club picks from the last 8 years of the Peanut Blossom Book Club and paired them with a simple dinner theme to get you going.

Summery Beach Menu

A photo collage of four books to read on the beach.

Our annual summer beach reads are always such a fun break to the book club routine!

Enjoy a book club pick that is set in a beach town or somewhere warm and sunny and then pair it with a light and easy summer menu:

A copy of Malibu Rising sits on a table surrounded by books.
A copy of A Hundred Summers sits on a table.
A copy of The Weekenders sits on a table.

Around the World Dinner

Pick a book from someplace you've never been and "travel" together as a book club!

Then, plan your dinner to include recipes from that area of the world and taste something new.

Italy

You could read a book set in Italy like The House at the Edge of Night by Catherine Banner and then plan an authentic Italian dinner.

A copy of The House at the Edge of Night sits on a table.

France

Read The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown and then make French Onion Soup with Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée for dessert.

A copy of The Light of Paris sits on a table.

Asia

Read Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan and serve Oriental Chicken Layer Dip.

A copy of Crazy Rich Asians sits on a table.

English Tea Party

Mix things up and plan a book club tea party with finger sandwiches, tea and cocktails, and some easy sweets:

Then be sure to pick either one of these fun and lighthearted royal romances or one of these books about the royal family to enjoy with your book club.

A photo collage shows historical fiction books about the royal family along with modern biographies of Prince Harry and Princess Diana.
A collage of book covers about the royal family.

Tropical Getaway Dinner

Read a tropical getaway book and while everyone is imagining a palm tree covered island, serve up an easy tropical themed dinner:

A copy of The Bungalow sits on a table.
A copy of the book The Unhoneymooners sits on the table.
The book "You Had Me At Hola" sits on a table.

Classic American Dinner

A collage of 4 photos of historical fiction books about the American Revolution

Choose a book about American history and then serve a classic American dinner. This would be super fun for July in honor of the 4th:

Irish Dinner Ideas

Collage of four book images Carnegie's Maid, An Irish Wish, Angela's Ashes, and What the Wind Knows.

Perhaps in March your book club could pick an Irish book and pair it with an easy Irish dinner for St. Patrick's Day:

BBQ Potluck Dinner

Collage of four book covers: Lonesome Dove, Kings of Texas, Badluck Way, and Holidays on the Ranch.

Any time of year would be fun to choose one of these books about ranch life for fans of Yellowstone. Pair these cowboy books with a classic BBQ party including:

New York Theme Dinner

Have fun with an easy New York Party theme and pair it with a book set in New York:

Cover of the book Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson sits on a table.
A copy of the book The Overdue Life of Amy Byler sits on the table
A copy of The Arrangement by Sarah Dunn sits on a table.
A copy of Delicious sits on a table.

Book Club Dessert Party

Skip dinner and head straight for dessert! Plan an evening with your book club friends and have everyone bring their favorite baked treat. Pair the dessert buffet with a book that talks about a bakery:

A copy of The City Baker's Guide to Country Living sits on the table.
A copy of Midnight at the Blackbird cafe sits on a table.
A copy of The Secret Ingredient of Wishes sits on a table.
A copy of The Union Street Bakery sits on a table.

Spooky Dinner

In the fall, plan to pick a spooky book for book club. Choose one of the best thrillers ever or a fun (not too scary) murder mystery book. Pair it with a Halloween themed dinner:

Christmas Holiday Party

The photo collage shows four great books to read for Christmas book clubs.

At the end of the year, enjoy some holiday festivities with your favorite book club friends and plan your own little Christmas party.

Choose one of these fantastic Christmas books for book club and then pair it with a simple festive dinner:

You could also spice things up with a romantic Christmas book or choose a festive December book club book that does NOT talk about Christmas.

The photo collage shows a book club party on the top and several dinner ideas below.

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