A friend who's been running a book club swears by (4). He goes around and asks the same question every week: "What did you read, and how did it make you feel?".
It gets people talking about the _why of the books_, particularly why they found it interesting, or what ticked for them. This makes for a more engaging discussion.
I’ve had a similar experience to this with “Six pack and a paperback” style parties — everyone brings some beer and a book to share.
After a couple of them with similar people, there’s inherently a dialogue about which books you previously had taken or brought, why you chose to bring a particular book this time. The general context is very literary focused by framing.
1. Meet every 3 to 6 months.
2. Everyone bring books to swap.
3. Everyone bring a list of books they really loved.
4. Each person takes turn talking about the books they loved while sitting around a dining room table with snacks and drinks.
5. It's fun if other people have read the same books. It's even more fun if they disagree.
6. Last time I did this I added 10 books to my "To Read Pile" and traded books with friends.
7. Everyone wanted to do it again.