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My guide to hosting the ultimate “Bunny” book club pajama party with creative decor, themed snacks and engaging discussion prompts inspired by Mona Awad's dark and quirky novel.
Our book club, affectionately known as the “Shadow Daddies” due to our affinity for romantasy novels, chose author Mona Awad’s sophomore novel as our January read. Although it was a left turn from our typical fantasy genre, I was quite surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this book. Quirky, satirical, dark academia with a heavy dose of magical realism, this book kept me on my toes while giggling along to its darkly woven humor. Think Mean Girls or Heathers but with a surrealist twist.
While the book sounds quite out there, and it is, it actually lends itself rather perfectly to a themed gathering. I was very excited to host my first ever book club party at our house, and knew I wanted to go all out.
Pajamas & Prose
We had decided ahead of time that this would be a pajama party, mostly because it sounded like a comfy and cozy idea for January! So naturally, the theme “Pajamas & Prose” was born. I created this cute little invitation to send to the other girls, as well as discussion cards containing reading guide questions (sourced directly from Penguin Random House.) Everyone arrived wearing fun and girly pajamas, and I, of course, had to don my favorite silk feather pjs for such an occasion.
Setting the Scene
I decided to lean into the colorful and girly elements of this novel, mostly because that’s my forte, and I already own lots of pink décor. I pulled out any Easter bunny-related items that I had, such as this pink bunny garland and cottontail chair sash. (While I wish I could link these items, I learned that sadly my mom purchased them at Pier 1 over a decade ago – hello hoarder! So, I’ve linked some similar pieces instead.) To the table, I added my cake stands, tiered server and some pink plates, lit a pink candle and tied pink satin ribbons around pretty much everything, including the champagne glasses, of course!
Snacks
Without spoiling anything, the characters in the book often frequent a local restaurant that specializes in cute miniature foods, so I asked everyone to bring a “mini” food! This allowed everyone to really get creative, and we had everything from mini cheeseburger sliders to mini chicken pot pies! I supplied my favorite pigs in a blanket courtesy of Trader Joe’s to the savory selection.
The book mentions cupcakes several times, so I knew I had to serve some mini cupcakes, as well as little donuts and chocolates. The end result was a colorful cornucopia of cute, miniature foods and sweet treats – a whimsical display that the main character of this novel would surely hate! (Or love, depending on the headspace she’s in.)
Finally, I wanted to send everyone home with a party favor, so I made these adorable Bunny Sugar Cookies the day before the party. They were so easy to bake and assemble using a bunny cookie cutter, pink ribbon, large pearl sprinkles and a little bit of buttercream! I wrapped each individual cookie in a cellophane treat bag and displayed them in a little Easter basket for each girl to take on their way out! (I will definitely be making these again for Easter!)
Drinks
Along with our snacks, I served fresh hot chocolate with homemade whipped cream in little pink mugs topped with a pink bunny peep! Full disclosure, I attempted to make the whipped cream in the blender, and we had some texture issues, so I will be workshopping that recipe! Either way, the end result was delicious!
Later in the evening, we also indulged in a glass of sparkling rose as a nightcap! Served in my pink ribbon-clad champagne flutes!
Activities
We decided to do a secret Santa-style gift exchange, since we didn’t get around to it in December! We set a $20 limit and the stipulation that the gift had to be “book-related” – another opportunity for us to get creative. I ended up gifting a set of marble bookends and receiving Fancy AF Cocktails by Vanderpump Rules stars Ariana Madix and he-who-shall-not-be-named. Other gifts included a Fourth Wing candle, romantasy cocktail book, t-shirt and custom book embosser!
It's safe to say this book club party was a success! Full of lively and passionate discussion and delicious food and drink, it was equal parts fabulous and cozy.
Thank you for joining me on my monthly hosting journey! If you loved these ideas, be sure to check out more entertaining tips, themes and recipes on the blog – and sign up for updates directly to your inbox. Until next time, happy reading and hosting!
