Let's Party! Hosting a book themed party

by Donna Huber

Book blogging is great because we can talk non-stop about books and reading with other people who get it. But sometimes it is good to get together with people in "real life" and talk books. Even if the people you are getting together with aren't as much of an avid reader as you are. It can still be fun and you never know you may turn them on to your favorite book or author.

Years before I even thought of book blogging, I use to host parties for the Harry Potter movies. The weekend before the new release I would host a movie marathon of all previously released movies. We had a lot of fun. Everyone would bring a Harry Potter themed food or drink item to share. I think one time I had something like 10 or 15 people over to watch the movie marathon, but it was a lot of fun.

After I started blogging I hosted a ladies night in with the Kama Sutra. It was a smaller gathering of close friends more apt for the topic. It was a blast. We had several bottles of wine, some fancy cheese and strawberries with creme. Then we passed the book around and randomly read snippets from the book. The more wine consumed the funnier things became. We were a mix of in a relationship and not in a relationship and at least one person was recently married. The conversation became quite lively at times.

Both parties were with people that are casual readers and probably wouldn't classify themselves as book nerds.

The key to a great party is to find a book that appeals to casual and even non-readers. It might be a book that is also a movie - like I did with Harry Potter. Or perhaps it is a book that everyone's heard of, but may not have read - like the Kama Sutra.

Flirtini - a featured drink from Gabriel's Inferno
by Sylvain Reynard (credit: Donna Huber)

Then add in some themed elements. The easiest way is with food and it has never been easier to find recipes for food and drinks featured in a book.

Depending on the book and crowd games can add a fun element. For one of the Harry Potter marathons I did a trivia type game that had people looking for movie mistakes (like the water freezing in the bottle in the Prisoner of Azkaban) and naming differences between the books and movies.

You can get a lot of ideas for book themed parties with a simple google search or looking on Pinterest. Recently BookRiot featured ideas for an Anne of Green Gables party.

One book I've always wanted to do a party with is Deborah Harkness's All Souls Trilogy. With it in development with the BBC, now might be a great time. I think a wine tasting party would be fun since wine is featured prominently in the series. I don't know enough about wine (nor the budget), but there is a local specialty wine store nearby and they have hosted other parties. Even if we didn't get to taste the actual wines featured in the series (some are really rare) would could still learn a bit about them and maybe taste something similar.

A book themed party can be a great way to share your obsession, I mean, passion for books with your friends and get away from the computer screen for an evening.

Have you hosted a book themed party? What book would you like to host a party with?



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