đź“š A&B #157

How to host a reading party, when to quit a book, and more.

September 03, 2023

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đź‘‹ Hey everyone,

Here are a few popular posts you may have missed:

đź“š Book Summary:

This week's newsletter is a bit different. Instead of a book summary, I’ll be sharing how to host your own reading party.

What’s a reading party?

It’s an introvert’s favorite party–think of it as a cross between a book club and a networking event.

I’ve gone to a few reading parties and even hosted my own, and it’s a fantastic way to meet new people, discover amazing books, and finally finish that book you’ve been reading for two months.

Here’s a simple guide to hosting your own reading party:

đź“–

1) Planning Your Reading Party

Pick a 2-hour timeslot on a weekday like Tuesday or Thursday from 7-9pm.

Set up an event page on Partiful (it’s free).

Invite 10-15 people (it’s best to keep things small for your first event).

If you don’t know who to invite, reach out to friends, coworkers, or people you’ve befriended through social media but haven’t met in person yet.

Have people RSVP and let them know that the only thing they need to bring is a book.

đź“–

2) Hosting The Reading Party

From 7-7:30pm let people arrive, chat, and offer them water and snacks. Also, have people put on name tags so there aren’t any awkward moments of forgetting people’s names.

At 7:30pm, encourage everyone to take a seat, silence their phones, and begin the first 30-minute reading session.

Put on some quiet relaxing music so it isn’t completely silent (here’s the playlist I used).

At 8pm, have people break out into 2-3 person groups. Give each person 2-3 minutes to share what they're reading and a key lesson they learned.

During this time people can also use the bathroom and grab a drink or snack.

At 8:10pm, start the second 30-minute reading session.

At 8:40pm, have people break out into different 2-3 person groups (that way they meet new people and discover new books).

At 8:50pm, tell everyone there’s 10 minutes left and that they can use that time to continue their book conversations or to network with people.

At 9pm, wrap things up, thank everyone for coming, and wish them a good night!

đź“–

3) Why Reading Parties Are Awesome

Smart people tend to be introverts so if you can get introverts together and get them talking, you’ll meet lots of intelligent people and learn a ton from them.

It’s also a great way to network without having to go to a loud bar filled with drunk people.

You’ll also discover a lot of new books and get people’s opinions on which books are worth reading and which aren’t.

It’s fun to switch things up and make reading a social activity instead of a solitary one.

And if it’s warm out, you can host the reading party at a park or a rooftop.

As the host, you can curate your reading party however you want. You can choose a certain theme like only fiction books or only history books (I kept it broad and said non-fiction books).

You can also put more emphasis on the party side of things and spicy things up by turning into also into a wine or cheese night.

Use this post as a general guide for hosting a reading party but feel free to switch things up to your preference and liking!

âś… Actionable Advice:

1) Plan your own reading party:

  • Set up a free event page on Partiful.

  • Invite 10-15 people.

  • Use the steps above to host your own reading party.

  • Email me afterward to let me know how it went!

2) Sign up for my next reading party:

3) Refer 1 friend to this newsletter:

  • If you’ve been enjoying my newsletter please tell one friend about it.

    • It would mean a lot to me and as a thank you, you’ll get a list of 30+ awesome short books you can read in a day (use your referral link at the bottom of this email).

đź“– Reading Lesson:

Do you read a lot of books but feel like nothing in your life has changed?

đź’Ž Weekly Gem:

Sheehan Quirke quit his job at McDonald’s to start writing on Twitter as the Cultural Tutor. 15 months later he has 1.5+ MILLION followers.

Sheehan shares advice on how to overcome writer’s block, grow on Twitter, and lots more. If you’re a writer (or want to become one) this podcast is a must-listen.

PS: David is hosting a free workshop with the Cultural Tutor this Wednesday. I’ll be tuning in, sign up for it here.

Thank you for your support, I'll see you next Sunday!

Read on,

Alex W.

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