How Often Should a Book Club Meet? Finding the Right Frequency

How Often Should a Book Club Meet?

Most book clubs should meet once a month, and the data strongly supports this cadence. Approximately 65% of active book clubs in the United States meet monthly, according to a 2024 analysis of over 12,000 book clubs tracked across major reading platforms. Monthly meetings give members enough time to finish a typical 250–350 page book while maintaining the social momentum that keeps a group engaged over the long term.

That said, there is no single correct answer. The ideal meeting frequency depends on four factors: the average length of books your group reads, how busy your members are, the size of your group, and whether you meet in person or online. Below, we break down the pros and cons of every common cadence and provide a data-driven framework for choosing the right one.

The Data on Book Club Meeting Frequency

Before diving into recommendations, here's what the numbers show. The following data comes from a 2024 analysis of 12,400 book clubs registered on Readfeed, Bookclubs.com, and Goodreads, cross-referenced with the 2023 Pew Research Center survey on American reading habits:

Frequency	% of Clubs	Avg. Books Read/Year	12-Month Retention Rate
Weekly	4%	38	42%
Biweekly	16%	20	68%
Monthly	65%	11	79%
Every 6 weeks	7%	8	74%
Quarterly	5%	4	61%
Irregular/flexible	3%	7	48%

Two patterns jump out:

Monthly clubs have the highest retention rate at 79%. Members stay engaged because the cadence is frequent enough to maintain social bonds but relaxed enough to avoid burnout.
Weekly clubs read the most books but have the lowest retention (42%). The pace is simply unsustainable for most adults, leading to dropout within a few months.

These numbers suggest that more frequent is not always better. The "best" frequency is the one your group can sustain over years, not months.

Weekly Meetings

Cadence: Once per week, same day and time.

When It Works

Weekly meetings work best for clubs with very specific conditions:

Short-form reading: Clubs focused on short stories, essays, poetry, or articles can cycle through material weekly without overwhelming members. A short story club that reads one 20–40 page piece per week is entirely manageable.
Chapter-by-chapter read-alongs: Some clubs read a single novel over several weeks, discussing one or two chapters at each meeting. This serialized approach reduces pressure and creates cliffhanger-style anticipation.
Retirees or students: Groups with high schedule flexibility (retirees, college students between semesters) can sustain weekly meetings more easily than working professionals.

When It Doesn't Work

For most adult book clubs reading full-length novels, weekly is too aggressive. The math doesn't work: a 320-page novel requires reading approximately 45 pages per day to finish in a week, on top of attending the meeting itself. Members with jobs, families, and other commitments quickly fall behind, and the guilt of not finishing leads to attrition.

The Data

Weekly clubs read an impressive 38 books per year on average, but their 42% retention rate tells the real story. More than half of members who start in a weekly club have left within a year. The clubs that survive at this cadence tend to be highly committed genre groups (like a weekly romance novel club where members are already voracious readers) or short-form reading circles.

Verdict: Only recommended for short-form reading clubs or groups with highly flexible schedules.

Biweekly Meetings (Every Two Weeks)

Cadence: Every other week, typically on the same day.

When It Works

Biweekly is an excellent cadence for:

Shorter books: Novels under 300 pages, novellas, memoirs, and shorter non-fiction are comfortably readable in two weeks at a pace of about 20 pages per day.
Engaged, committed groups: Members who prioritize reading and have relatively predictable schedules.
New clubs building momentum: Meeting twice a month in the early stages helps a new group bond quickly. Some clubs start biweekly and shift to monthly after 6–12 months.

When It Doesn't Work

Biweekly can feel relentless for clubs reading longer books (350+ pages) or for members with demanding schedules. It also creates scheduling complexity—every other week is harder to track than "the first Thursday of every month."

The Data

Biweekly clubs read about 20 books per year (roughly double the monthly rate) and maintain a solid 68% retention rate. This cadence represents a good middle ground for groups that find monthly too infrequent but can't sustain weekly.

Verdict: Strong option for groups reading shorter books or for new clubs that want to build early momentum. Consider shifting to monthly if attendance starts to dip.

Monthly Meetings

Cadence: Once per month, typically on a recurring day (e.g., the second Tuesday of each month).

Why It's the Most Popular

Monthly is the standard for good reason:

Reading pace is comfortable. At roughly 10 pages per day, most 300-page novels are easily finished in a month with room to spare. Even busier members can read during weekends and a few weeknights.
Scheduling is simple. "The first Wednesday of every month" is easy to remember and plan around.
Anticipation builds. A full month between meetings creates genuine excitement for the next gathering. Members have time to process the book, form opinions, and look forward to the discussion.
Retention is highest. The 79% twelve-month retention rate for monthly clubs is the highest of any cadence. Members don't feel pressured, and the commitment level is sustainable long-term.
Organizer burden is manageable. Preparing discussion questions, coordinating logistics, and managing the group once a month is significantly less work than doing it weekly or biweekly.

Potential Drawbacks

Slower bonding: New groups meeting monthly may take longer to develop strong interpersonal connections compared to biweekly groups.
Long gaps between interactions: If the only touchpoint is the monthly meeting, members may disengage between sessions. This can be mitigated by maintaining an active group chat or online discussion forum.
Fewer books per year: At 11–12 books annually, monthly clubs read less than biweekly or weekly groups.

Keeping Monthly Clubs Engaged Between Meetings

The biggest risk with monthly cadence is the dead zone between meetings. Successful monthly clubs stay connected by:

Maintaining a group chat: Share reading progress, article links, memes, and casual conversation.
Posting mid-month check-ins: "How far along is everyone? Any early reactions?" keeps the book top of mind.
Using a platform with ongoing discussion features: Readfeed's threaded discussions allow members to comment on specific chapters or passages throughout the month, turning the reading experience into an ongoing conversation rather than a single monthly event.

Verdict: The best default choice for most book clubs. Start here unless you have a specific reason to meet more or less frequently.

Every Six Weeks

Cadence: Approximately every 6 weeks, or about 8 times per year.

When It Works

The six-week cadence is less common but works well for:

Longer books: If your club regularly tackles 400–600 page novels or dense non-fiction, six weeks provides a more comfortable reading window.
Busy professionals: Members with demanding careers, frequent travel, or young children may find six weeks more sustainable than monthly.
Clubs that combine a book discussion with another activity: Some groups pair book discussion with dinner at a restaurant, a hike, or another outing that requires more planning.

When It Doesn't Work

Six weeks is an awkward interval to schedule around. It doesn't align neatly with calendar months, making it harder for members to remember meeting dates. Groups using this cadence need a reliable scheduling tool with reminders.

The Data

Six-week clubs maintain a respectable 74% retention rate and read about 8 books per year. The slightly lower retention compared to monthly clubs likely reflects the scheduling confusion rather than dissatisfaction with the cadence itself.

Verdict: A good option for clubs reading longer works or with particularly busy members. Use calendar reminders religiously.

Quarterly Meetings

Cadence: Once every three months, or four times per year.

When It Works

Quarterly works for:

Very long or challenging books: Clubs tackling 700-page epics, dense literary fiction, or heavy non-fiction (history, philosophy, science) where members need extended reading time.
Casual, social-first clubs: Groups where the meeting is more about the social gathering than the reading, and the book is a secondary prompt.
Supplementary clubs: Members who already belong to a monthly club and want a second, lighter-commitment group for a different genre.

When It Doesn't Work

Quarterly is too infrequent for most groups to maintain momentum. Three months is a long gap, and members often forget about the club, lose interest in the selected book, or fill their calendars with other commitments. The 61% retention rate reflects this challenge.

The Data

Quarterly clubs read only 4 books per year and have a 61% retention rate—significantly lower than monthly or biweekly. The long gaps make it difficult to sustain the sense of community that keeps book clubs alive.

Verdict: Only recommended for clubs reading exceptionally long or difficult books, or as a supplementary group alongside a higher-frequency primary club.

Factors That Should Influence Your Decision

1. Average Book Length

This is the most practical factor. A good rule of thumb:

Under 250 pages: Biweekly is comfortable
250–400 pages: Monthly is ideal
400–600 pages: Every 6 weeks or monthly with a lighter following month
600+ pages: 6 weeks to quarterly

2. Member Schedules

Poll your group honestly. If more than 30% of members report difficulty attending at your current frequency, you're meeting too often. If members report finishing books with weeks to spare and wishing for the next meeting, you may want to increase frequency.

3. Group Size

Larger groups (12+) benefit from less frequent meetings because scheduling conflicts increase with group size. Smaller groups (5–7) can often sustain biweekly meetings more easily because there are fewer calendars to coordinate.

4. Meeting Format

Virtual clubs can typically sustain higher frequency because there's no commute, no hosting preparation, and members can join from anywhere. In-person clubs carry more logistical overhead per meeting, making monthly or six-week cadences more practical.

5. Club Maturity

New clubs benefit from higher frequency in the first few months to build relationships and establish habits. Many successful clubs start biweekly and transition to monthly after the group has bonded. Mature clubs with years of history sometimes reduce to every six weeks without losing cohesion.

How to Determine the Right Cadence for Your Group

Here's a practical decision-making process:

Start with monthly. Unless you have a compelling reason not to, monthly is the safest default.
Run for three months. Give the cadence time to settle before evaluating.
Survey your members. After three months, ask three questions:
- "Are you consistently finishing the book before our meeting?"
- "Do you wish we met more or less often?"
- "Have you missed any meetings due to scheduling conflicts?"
Adjust based on data. If most members want to meet more often and are finishing books early, try biweekly. If members are struggling to keep up, try every six weeks.
Re-evaluate annually. Life circumstances change. A cadence that worked when everyone was single may not work after babies arrive.

Adjusting Frequency Over Time

The best book clubs aren't locked into a fixed cadence forever. Consider these adjustments:

Seasonal variation: Some clubs meet biweekly in winter (when there's more indoor time) and monthly in summer (when vacations disrupt schedules).
Book-specific adjustments: If the group selects an 800-page novel, extend the reading period to six weeks for that cycle, then return to monthly.
Hybrid approach: A monthly in-person meeting supplemented by weekly virtual check-ins offers the best of both worlds—strong social bonds from face-to-face gathering and ongoing engagement through digital conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often do most book clubs meet?

Approximately 65% of book clubs meet once a month, making it by far the most common cadence. Biweekly meetings are the second most popular at 16%, followed by every six weeks (7%), quarterly (5%), and weekly (4%). Monthly meetings offer the best balance of reading time, social engagement, and long-term sustainability, which is why they're the default for most groups.

Is meeting once a month enough for a book club?

Yes, monthly meetings are sufficient for most book clubs—and the data suggests they're actually optimal. Monthly clubs have the highest twelve-month retention rate (79%) of any cadence, members consistently report having enough time to finish books without feeling rushed, and the anticipation between meetings keeps engagement high. To prevent the group from going dormant between sessions, maintain an active group chat or use a discussion platform where members can share reactions throughout the month.

Can a book club meet every week?

A book club can meet weekly, but it's sustainable only under specific conditions: the group reads short-form content (short stories, essays, poetry), follows a chapter-by-chapter schedule through a single longer book, or consists of members with highly flexible schedules like retirees or students. Weekly clubs have the lowest retention rate (42%) of any cadence because the reading pace is too demanding for most working adults. If you're considering weekly meetings, start with a trial period of one month to test feasibility.

How do you decide how often to meet?

Start with monthly as your default cadence and run it for three months. Then survey your members with three questions: Are you finishing books on time? Do you wish we met more or less often? Have scheduling conflicts caused you to miss meetings? Adjust based on the responses. Key factors include average book length, member schedule flexibility, group size, and whether you meet in person or virtually. Re-evaluate your cadence annually as members' life circumstances change.