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Everyone loves a good party. So, why not combine partying with your other favorite hobby, reading?

A book party is the perfect theme for any occasion, from birthdays to International Talk Like a Pirate Day (it’s a real thing–look it up!).

I’ve gathered all you need to plan a book party your guests will go crazy for.

Let’s dive into the best book party ideas for your next celebration.

Best Occasions for a Book Party

When is a book party appropriate? I say, any time! You don’t need a special occasion to invite your bookish friends to eat food and talk books.

But, if you insist on having an occasion for the party, here are a few great days to celebrate within the pages of your favorite novel.

Book Club

If you’re part of a book club, consider switching things up with a book party. It could be a party just because or on a special occasion for your book club.

A book club party works well because you already have a guest list and know your guest list is just as bonkers over books as you are.

Birthdays

You are never too old for themed birthdays. Why not throw yourself a book-themed birthday this year?

Or, throw a book-themed birthday to surprise your book bestie for her birthday.

Graduation Parties

Nothing is more studious than books. Make a book lover’s graduation party book themed.

A book-themed graduation party will help it stand out from all the other graduation parties. It will also make it a little more personal for the graduate if they love diving into exciting novels.

Holidays

The holidays are the perfect time to throw your bookish bash. Wait, aren’t holidays, you know, HOLIDAY themed?

You’re allowed to layer your themes. Here are some fun holiday-layered book themes to consider:

• Edgar Allan Poe Halloween party
• Holiday Romance Christmas party
• Rom-Com Valentine’s Day party
• Irish Novel St. Patrick’s Day party

You get the idea. Now, have fun at your next holiday.

Book Related Holidays

Along the same line as holidays are those obscure holidays. You can find a list of upcoming holidays on the National Today calendar.

Look at what’s upcoming in October. National Mad Hatter Day would pair perfectly with an Alice in Wonderland party. You can also peruse the Literary Birthday Calendar to celebrate your favorite authors’ birthdays.

Book Themes

Now that you have an occasion, time to plan the theme. You don’t necessarily need a specific theme other than “book.”

However, if you do want a more specific theme, here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Genre Themed

A genre book theme can focus on your favorite genre. For example, I LOVE fantasy. So, my genre party would probably have dragons, swords, and mythological creatures.

You can also have romance-themed, pirate-book-themed, historical novel-themed, and regency novel-themed parties.

If you are having a holiday-themed party, you might match the genre to the holiday.

Author Themed

Author parties are fun ways to celebrate a new book release or a literary birthday. For example, a J.R.R. Tolkien party can encompass The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

A Jane Austen party might be a fun twist to a Regency book party.

Book Title Themed

If you would like to have a very specific party, build a theme around a book title or series.

Harry Potter is one of my favorite series, so I naturally have had several Harry Potter-themed parties.

Book Games

You’re ready to plan some fun party games to keep your guests entertained. If the party is for kids, you’ll want to have 5 to 10 games planned. Kids have short attention spans and tend to jump from game to game quickly.

However, if you’re planning an adult party, remember that adults can tire faster. Adults also take more time on games, especially if they’re competitive or like to be social while playing the game.

So, you may only need two to three games at your adult book party.

Here are some fun book games for an adult book party.

Improv Story

An improv story works great right after guests have eaten or when they’re becoming tired because everyone can sit for this game.

You will need to sit in a circle and designate a moderator. The moderator starts a story with a line like, “Once upon a time, in a castle made from jelly beans, there lived a hobbit.” From there, the first person in the circle picks up the story and continues until the moderator calls, “Next.” The next person in the circle continues the story with their own twist. This continues until the moderator calls, “Finish,” and the last person has to wrap up the story nicely.

You can award the best storytellers with book-themed prizes.

A fun twist to the improv story is designating each person with a different genre. When they are the storyteller, they pick up the story but change it to their genre. So, you may have the fantasy storyteller passing his dragon fight scene on to the romcom storyteller, who must somehow change the storyline into a romantic comedy.

White Elephant Book Exchange

If you love a classic white elephant gift exchange, you’ll want to try a white elephant book exchange.

All guests bring a favorite book wrapped in paper. All books go into a pile. Each guest takes turns choosing a book from the pile. When it is the next guest’s turn, they can either steal a book already opened, or they can select a new book. If someone steals your book, you can choose another book from the pile.

Guests can only steal the same book up to three times.

Continue until everyone has a book.

Book Crafts

Another quiet game that allows guests to socialize is book crafts. Set up a craft table and allow guests to join throughout the evening, or designate a specific book crafting time.

Here are some great craft ideas for your book party:

• DIY Bookmarks
• Decorating a book tote
• Coloring pages

Book-Themed Board and Card Games

There are dozens of book-themed games, from book trivia to themed board games. One of my favorite literary games is Hogwarts Battle, a cooperative board game that can easily last hours.

You may also enjoy Marrying Mr. Darcy board game for your Regency-themed party. The game of Clue pairs well with a mystery book theme. Or, play Dragonwood at your fantasy party.

Book-Themed Food Ideas

No party is complete unless there is food. Here are a few tasty literary treat ideas. I recommend adding signs so your guests can enjoy the fun book connections. You can get extra creative and print out book covers for the books that inspired each food item:

• Gummy worms: Bookworms
• Deviled Eggs with green-dyed centers: Green Eggs and Ham
• Mini sandwiches: Book sandwiches
• Mini tacos: Dragon tacos
• Fruit punch: Polyjuice potion
• Mini boiled potatoes: Mr. Collins’ excellent boiled potatoes

Plan a Book Party to Remember

This list is just to get you started. Now, it’s time for your creativity to do the rest.

Let’s help each other by leaving comments with more book party ideas. I look forward to hearing what you all come up with!

Not sure what book to use as your book party theme? Check out my book database for some great clean book recommendations.