Here’s how it happens. Someone wants to read more or wants to get more out of what they already read, so they decide to start a book club. They ask the first wave, a few people like them. These people feel honored to be asked and quickly jump on board.

“Hey, you know, I have a (friend, cousin, colleague, dog) who would be really great. Can I invite them?” Sure, the more the merrier. Repeat. Yes, better conversations with more voices. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Congrats, the club has now broken double-digit membership and is somehow pushing 15. They’re wrapping up the third book and, while it didn’t go as well as the first two, it was still a pretty decent experience. It does take quite a long time to choose the next book, and only a few members have ever heard of it. It’s also 400 pages longer than any other book they’ve read.

The first person drops out one week later. They’re just too busy and cite the standard kid and/or work demands. The email thread (texting got way too convoluted early on) is active, but it’s now carried by three members.

Less than half make the next discussion. Side conversations dominate the first hour. The host tries to call order several times and eventually people sluggishly congeal together. Most didn’t finish the book. A third of the club didn’t even start. Those three people from the email thread (yeah, them) talk loudly for about 15 minutes while everyone else sits in silence. A few pull out their phones.

The club adjourns and agrees they’ll coordinate the next book over email.

This is the story of my second book club. And kinda the story with my third. Well, if I’m being honest, I see some similarities with my current club. Personal experience, trial and so much error, focused research, and direct reader conversations all keep pointing me back to one simple truth: smaller book clubs are almost always better.

Book clubs are very sensitive and energy-intensive ecosystems. Member motivation, enthusiasm, and effort all flow into the ecosystem as people interact with the book and each other. Members who put a lot into the ecosystem want a lot out.

In a tight-knit group, reading is a personal commitment. The relationships bring energy and keep the club healthy. If you don’t want to read the suggested book, you speak up - and are heard. If everyone has finished the book, you hustle up to get it done - and you do. If you haven’t said much during the discussion, it’s noticed - and someone invites you to share.

Larger clubs can work but depend much more on formal structure, skilled facilitation, and cumulative effort to get the same benefits as smaller groups. If a few members start to disengage, it takes extra energy from an already fragile ecosystem to help restore health. Oftentimes, there is no extra energy to give, and the club starts to devolve into a less energy-intensive social club.

As to size guidance, there’s no magic number. In our conversations and research six or less seems to hit a sweet spot. Many people don’t even consider a pair or a group of three when they envision a book club - they should. We even started to give a name to these smaller groups that have really got it down: Reading Teams. And a throughline for all these Reading Teams is thoughtfulness, care, and intentionality with how big they make their teams.

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My daughter and I read a classic novel together this summer. It didn’t go as planned. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

A father and daughter take on “Middlemarch,” George Eliot’s 800-page study of Victorian provincial life that many consider the greatest novel ever written. It does not go as planned.

This is a compelling example of a Reading Team with each member bringing energy and committing to the experience. Can you imagine trying to complete this book with 10 or more people? I cannot.

Mandi replied to our question about the best way she feels supported while reading. She likes using a dictionary app to look up new words immediately on her phone - amazing. Oh, and she was also headed to Half Price Books. I wonder what she got?

Thanks Mandi and happy reading!

Reading with others is a sensitive ecosystem, huh? Yes, and a healthy ecosystem and brings on wonderful new discoveries.

Do you have a shared reading moment or experience you’d like to share? We’re here for you and would love to hear it.

-Joel