Aparna Thomas

You've heard of 2-hour cocktail parties. But what about 2-hour reading parties? I attended one last week and it was a blast. Here's how to make reading fun and meet new people by hosting a reading party: 1) Pick a 2-hour timeslot on a weekday like Tuesday from 7-9pm. 2) From 7-7:15pm let people arrive, chat, and offer them water or a drink. 3) At 7:15pm start the 1st 30-minute reading session (ask people to silence their phones and read quietly beforehand). 4) At 7:45pm have people break out into 2-3 person groups. Give each person 3 minutes to share what they're reading and a key lesson they learned. 5) During this time people can also use the bathroom, grab a drink, or have a snack (have small finger foods like grapes, cheese, and crackers). 6) At 8pm start the 2nd 30-minute reading session. 7) At 8:30pm have people break out into different 2-3 person groups (that way they meet new people) and share what they're reading and have learned. 8) At 8:45pm everyone comes together and 3-4 volunteers share what they learned with the group. Other people can add their thoughts or ask questions. 9) At 9pm thank everyone for coming and wish everyone a good night. 10) After the event, the host should email everyone a document with the names of all the books people were reading and a 1-sentence summary of each one. That way people can easily add a book to their TBR list if it caught their attention during the party. - - - Takeaway 1: Reading doesn't have to be a solo activity, it can be social one. A reading party is a great way for introverts to meet new people while also getting their reading done and discovering new books. Takeaway 2: Find your tribe. If you want to read more, find places where other people are reading (like a library, coffee shop, or quiet park). If everyone is doing what you want to do, you're more likely to do the same activity.