Book Clubs

Book Clubs bring the joy of shared reading to BookNest. Whether you’re organizing a small group of friends or building a thriving community of readers, this guide covers everything you need to know.

What Are Book Clubs?

Book Clubs are community spaces where readers come together to discuss books, share recommendations, and connect over their love of reading. Each club includes:

  • Reading Lists - Collaborative book selections
  • Blackboard - Pinned announcements and important notes
  • Chat Channels - Real-time discussions organized by topic
  • Meetings - Scheduled sessions for deeper discussions
  • Member Management - Roles and permissions for organizers

Creating a Book Club

Starting Your Club

  1. Navigate to Book Clubs in your dashboard
  2. Click “Create Club”
  3. Fill in the basic information:
    • Club Name - Choose something memorable
    • Description - Tell potential members what your club is about
    • Cover Image - Upload a banner for your club (optional)
  4. Choose your privacy setting:
    • Public - Anyone can discover and join
    • Private - Join by invitation only
  5. Click “Create Club”

Choosing Between Public and Private

Public Clubs are perfect for:

  • Meeting new readers with similar interests
  • Building a larger community
  • Genre-specific or themed reading groups
  • Open discussions accessible to all

Private Clubs are ideal for:

  • Small friend groups
  • Work or school reading circles
  • Spoiler-heavy discussions
  • Exclusive or curated membership

Club Features

The Blackboard

The Blackboard is your club’s announcement center. Use it to:

  • Pin Important Messages - Keep key information visible to all members
  • Post Announcements - Share updates about upcoming reads or meetings
  • Set Reading Goals - Display current and upcoming book selections
  • Share Resources - Post reading guides, discussion questions, or links

Managing the Blackboard:

  1. Go to your club’s main page
  2. Click “Add to Blackboard” (admin/moderator only)
  3. Write your message or announcement
  4. Choose whether to pin it
  5. Post to make it visible to all members

Chat Channels

Chat channels keep discussions organized. Create channels for different purposes:

Default Channel

  • Every club starts with a General channel
  • Use for introductions and casual chat

Creating Additional Channels:

  1. In your club, click “Add Channel”
  2. Enter a channel name (e.g., “Spoiler Discussion”, “Book Recommendations”)
  3. Add a description (optional)
  4. Set permissions (who can post)
  5. Click “Create”

Channel Ideas:

  • No Spoilers - For readers who haven’t finished
  • Full Spoilers - For open discussion after reading
  • Off-Topic - General conversation and bonding
  • Book Suggestions - Recommend future reads
  • Chapter Check-ins - Progress updates by chapter

Collaborative Reading Lists

Build your club’s reading journey together:

Creating a Reading List:

  1. Go to Club Reading List
  2. Click “Add Book”
  3. Search for the book or add manually
  4. Set status:
    • Current Read - What you’re reading now
    • Up Next - Queued for future
    • Completed - Finished books
  5. Add optional details:
    • Target completion date
    • Discussion questions
    • Reading schedule

Tracking Progress:

  • Members can mark their individual progress
  • See who’s ahead and who’s catching up
  • Progress is shared within the club
  • Nobody gets left behind

Live Meetings

Schedule regular or one-time meetings:

Creating a Meeting:

  1. Go to Club Meetings
  2. Click “Schedule Meeting”
  3. Set meeting details:
    • Title (e.g., “January Book Discussion”)
    • Date and time
    • Duration
    • Description/agenda
  4. Choose meeting type:
    • One-time - Single event
    • Recurring - Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly
  5. Click “Schedule”

Meeting Features:

  • Automatic reminders sent to members
  • RSVP tracking
  • Meeting notes and summaries
  • Link to video call (if you use external tools)

Joining Book Clubs

Finding Public Clubs

  1. Go to Book Clubs > Discover
  2. Browse or search for clubs:
    • By name
    • By genre focus
    • By activity level
    • By member count
  3. Click on a club to preview
  4. Click “Join Club” to become a member

Joining Private Clubs

Private clubs require an invitation:

Via Invite Link:

  1. Receive a link from a club admin
  2. Click the link
  3. Confirm you want to join
  4. You’re in!

Via Direct Invite:

  1. Club admin sends you an invite through BookNest
  2. Check your notifications or email
  3. Accept the invitation
  4. Access the club

Club Membership

No Limits - Join as many clubs as you want! There’s no cap on membership. Whether you’re interested in one cozy group or ten different reading communities, you’re welcome everywhere.

Club Roles and Permissions

Member Roles

Admin (Club Creator)

  • Full control over club settings
  • Manage all members and roles
  • Delete the club
  • Create/delete channels
  • Manage the Blackboard
  • Schedule meetings

Moderator

  • Manage regular members
  • Create channels
  • Pin messages to Blackboard
  • Schedule meetings
  • Remove inappropriate content

Member

  • Participate in all discussions
  • View all channels
  • Update reading progress
  • RSVP to meetings
  • Suggest books

Managing Members

Inviting Members (Admin/Moderator):

  1. Go to Club Settings > Members
  2. Click “Invite Members”
  3. Choose method:
    • Search for BookNest users
    • Generate invite link
    • Send email invitation
  4. Send invitations

Promoting Members:

  1. Go to Club Settings > Members
  2. Find the member
  3. Click “Manage Role”
  4. Select new role
  5. Confirm change

Removing Members:

  1. Go to Club Settings > Members
  2. Find the member
  3. Click “Remove”
  4. Confirm removal

Club Settings

Editing Club Details

  1. Go to Club Settings > General
  2. Update any field:
    • Name
    • Description
    • Cover image
    • Privacy setting
  3. Click “Save Changes”

Privacy Controls

Switching from Public to Private:

  • Existing members remain
  • New members must be invited
  • Club no longer appears in discovery

Switching from Private to Public:

  • Club becomes discoverable
  • Anyone can join
  • Consider if this is right for your community

Notification Settings

Customize how members are notified:

  • All Activity - Every message and update
  • Mentions Only - Only when tagged
  • Daily Digest - Summary once per day
  • Meetings Only - Just meeting reminders

Best Practices

For Club Admins

Starting Strong:

  • Write a welcoming description
  • Set clear club guidelines
  • Create an introduction channel
  • Post the first book selection promptly

Keeping Members Engaged:

  • Regular meeting schedules work best
  • Use the Blackboard for updates
  • Encourage discussion with questions
  • Celebrate finished books together

Managing Discussions:

  • Create separate spoiler/no-spoiler channels
  • Set reading schedules with milestones
  • Be flexible with pacing
  • Address conflicts promptly and fairly

For Members

Being a Great Clubmate:

  • Introduce yourself when you join
  • Respect spoiler guidelines
  • Participate in discussions
  • Be kind and constructive in feedback

Getting the Most Out of Clubs:

  • Join clubs that match your reading interests
  • Don’t overcommit—quality over quantity
  • Share your honest thoughts on books
  • Suggest books you’re excited about

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Can’t find a club I was invited to:

  • Check your notifications for the invite
  • Ask the admin to resend the link
  • Ensure you’re logged in to the correct account

Messages not loading:

  • Refresh the page
  • Check your internet connection
  • Try logging out and back in

Can’t create a channel:

  • Only admins and moderators can create channels
  • Check your role in Club Settings

Notifications not working:

  • Check club notification settings
  • Verify your email preferences
  • Ensure browser notifications are enabled

Reporting Issues

Found a bug? We want to know!

  1. Click the Report button (lower-right corner)
  2. Describe what happened
  3. Include steps to reproduce if possible
  4. Submit your report

We’re actively improving Book Clubs based on your feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many clubs can I join? There’s no limit! Join as many as you’d like.

Can I be in multiple private clubs? Yes, private club membership doesn’t limit other club participation.

How do I leave a club? Go to Club Settings > click “Leave Club” > confirm your decision.

Can I rejoin a club I left? For public clubs, yes. For private clubs, you’ll need a new invitation.

Who can see my club activity? Only members of that club can see your activity within it.

Can I delete a book club? Only the original admin can delete a club. All content will be permanently removed.

What happens to discussions if a club is deleted? All messages, reading lists, and meeting records are permanently deleted.

Can I transfer club ownership? Yes, the admin can promote another member to admin and then leave.

Need Help?

Book Clubs is a brand-new feature, and we’re constantly improving it based on your feedback. If you have ideas for making it better, we’d love to hear from you!