Book clubs are a great way to expose yourself to variety. Find over 4306 reading groups with 1537412 members near you and meet people in your local community who share your interests. Great way to meet other people with a shared interest, and scratch the itch to discuss books, right. It is important to consider how often your book club will meet and for how long. Generally, 50,000 would be considered the minimum word count, and ideally a novel should be over 70,000 words. Make sure to get input from your group on how often the club should be holding discussions. So when i announced that today was the day they would know their book club groups, i had not planned for the groan of disapproval that met me. Tips for running a successful, sustainable book club. If its in your home, you might want to keep it to eight or less. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. Keep your book club interesting by switching up the themes, genres, and time periods.
Sep 08, 2019 to start a book club, start by finding a small group of people who all love to read, like friends, family members, or coworkers. Meet too rarely and it is easy for members to attrite due to a lack of engagement or by joining another more reliable club. Meet new people while making friends is always good for the soul, a book club gives you a chance to meet people from different walks of life. Based in dun laoghaire, she sets up clubs all over the country from 6 to 60 people. The perfect day for me is spent reading while sipping a cup of tea, dozing occasionally, reading some more, pausing to reflect. Most clubs are held in members homes on a rotating basis.
Not everyone can finish every book, but nonreaders may still have valuable insights. A club member recommended the graphic novel maus, and it really opened our eyes and hearts to the horrors of the holocaust. Use our ideas to help you organize your book club activities, hold good discussions, and settle tough issues. Oct 30, 2007 try this book club reading list for a year of suggestions. But there is more to starting a book club than you might think. Why joining a book club will make you a better writer wtd. Four lifelong friends have their lives forever changed after reading 50 shades of grey in their monthly book club. An old article from the huffington post is making the rounds in my facebook feed. Choose a book that is long enough to encourage a good discussion. Aug 21, 2017 ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. Then, decide on a place for your book club to meet, like your house or a local library. So this thought popped up during the past couple of days while i was searching for book clubs in my area.
This stepbystep guide will help you start a book club that can last for years. In many clubs, the one who hosts the meeting picks the book. My favorite way to troubleshoot this fatigue is to rotate through every member picking a book he or she wants to read. After the umpteenth book on the same subject or with the same feel, your members will long for a palate cleanser and may eventhe book club kiss of deathtake a break from reading the books.
To help you make sure your book club is on point, here is a short guide about how to start a book club to help you make yours perfect. Why women need their girlfriends by kari kampakis reinforces the importance of womens friendships, specifically into their 40s and 50s. We writers can learn from both the good and the bad. Important questions to ask at your first book discussion. Our 23 hour meetings are primarily a social gathering with a mere 10 minute discussion about the book snuck somewhere in the middle. Hcls staff also can discuss what works well for other book groups. A book club is a great way to meet new friends and read good books. Decide how the book club will be run will you have a leader. Will the same person be in charge for each meeting, or will you. With a book you can discuss many things such as the characters or the plot, or even go deeper, and it helps gives an insight of the people you are around in the book. If you are in a book club and have some ideas to share, id love to hear from.
Joining a book club can seem impossible, if you dont know where to look. How to start a book club that doesnt suck book riot. But they usually do need a point person to get things moving and help organize a few things. Try this book club reading list for a year of suggestions. To start a book club, start by finding a small group of people who all love to read, like friends, family members, or coworkers. If an editor is really enthusiastic about your book, it could take just a couple of days or even less. Aug 15, 2016 book events and signings are magical for a myriad of reasons.
Formal book clubs meet on a regular basis at a set location. Food is not required, but it helps the discussion roll and makes the book club meetings more fun. Post a flyer on the community board at your local bookstore or library, or check out and. Depending on whether one chapter, one section, or the whole book will be discussed, book clubs may meet weekly, monthly, or every 6 weeks. Hcls offers various book lists to assist in choosing titles, including books for discussion see link below, a list specifically designed and updated with book clubs in mind. Every now and then, meet at a bar and toast your selection with a literarythemed cocktail like, say, a great gatsby. Ive only had experience with mine, so ill share how ours is organized and why i believe weve had such endurance.
After you join a book club and eventually give up, perhaps you can use these tricks, too. Most book clubs meet about once per month, since a monthly meeting gives each member ample time to read each book. If you are running the book club, you can volunteer to be the moderator, or have other members of the club take turns at the helm. We find that the best discussions last between 45 and 90 minutes. Jennifer donovan is here today sharing how and why you should start a book club with your friends. May 12, 2015 just be mindful of everyones time, and dont promise the book club will meet from 6 to 8 p. Dec 14, 2017 my current book club group is much more casual, but perhaps too much so. Book events and signings are magical for a myriad of reasons.
Each member chooses a book and we usually read that book at their house. Covid19 advisory for the health and safety of meetup. On the upper end, a novel over 110,000 words is considered an epic. Generally, however, editors need to present the book at their weekly editorial meeting and get their team onboard before they can make an. The first thing you should do is figure out who will come to your book club. I had scoured the book room, gone book shopping spending my own money and used most of my scholastic points. Selecting books voteall members make suggestions, followed by an open discussion, and vote. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction and nonfiction alike. Its common for book clubs to choose a specific book to read and discuss at the same time.
In fact, the story was so captivating that my book club would also meet at the breakfast table to reflect on the horrific fleshlumpeater or to discuss whether we might actually. Recruiting members friends and neighbors are a good place to start, particularly if you are trying to create an informal group. To avoid these relentless chores, i keep a few tricks up my paisley cotton sleeves. Jan 23, 2015 i had scoured the book room, gone book shopping spending my own money and used most of my scholastic points. Also, look for classes and forums of interest to book clubs. If you dont have anywhere to meet in person, you can start a virtual book club using social media or video chatting. Some people work full time, and some are unemployed. Jul 17, 2017 jennifer donovan is here today sharing how and why you should start a book club with your friends. We usually go for a drink in august no book as many of us are away, and we have a meal together at christmas. Thats the level where publishers may suggest dividing a story into multiple volumes. You do not want your book club members to get bored. Only ive never been in a book club before, or known anyone who has been in one. I am starting a book club and as part of it we want to meet out and try different places to eat as well.
There are lots of book clubs out there now, and theres more than one way to run a successful one. My current book club group is much more casual, but perhaps too much so. We were a book club long before oprah started the book club rage. More than 50 choices awaited my students, i couldnt wait to start book clubs. Im starting a book club with a 540 page book that had a lot of interest. You can choose to have appetizers, a full meal or just dessert. Do reminder messages need to be sent out by mail or phone. Some meet during the day, over the weekend, or for breakfast. Rotate members take turns, each choosing a book for a given month. In the early years, all of us were mothers of babies and young children. Your goal should be between 5 and 15 people, so everyone gets a chance to speak. You come into a club, meet once a month, and create a shared bond, says michael k.
At the book club i am currently a part of, i have made many new friends, and it is all because of the bonds we have made over discussing books. A book club sometimes called a reading group or book group is a group of people who get together on a regular basis to discuss books. Arrive at 7pm meet, chat, eat if food is on offer and discuss any book club issues such as what to read next. Some book clubs meet at a different restaurant each month. As you read each novel, jot down page numbers and passages that moved you and where you found answers to the discussion questions. A book discussion group is a forum where readers can come together and talk about books and the reading experience there are adult groups, studentled groups, motherdaughter groups, fatherson groups, and parentchild groups, to name just a few.
By most peoples standards, 40,000 words would be pretty short for a novel. Just be mindful of everyones time, and dont promise the book club will meet from 6 to 8 p. With diane keaton, jane fonda, candice bergen, mary steenburgen. How long does it take for an editor to make an offer. If you want your book club to be a little closer knit, you can also meet. In fact, differing opinions make the best discussions. How to select books litlovers book club recommendations. Its especially helpful for those who travel or miss a meeting or two. Wanting to spare my close circle any conversations where they politely pretend theyre interested, i thought maybe i should join a book club. Many of these topics are also good to consider if youre joining an existing club, or your book club is having problems. Ive been on the lookout for good advice on how to start a book club and havent found anything remotely as good as yours.
I plan to meet every other week for discussion, but how many pages should we read between meetings. Jan 29, 2009 my book club my boys, ages five and seven would meet each night eager to discuss the hilarious effects of whizzpoppers or their distaste for snozzcumbers. Having discussion questions before your book club meets will help facilitate a good discussion of your book. There is never any one way to experience or interpret a book. Comfortable place for book club meeting restaurants. Feb 03, 2018 14 online book clubs you can join right now. A book club is a reading group, usually consisting of a number of people who read and talk about books based on a topic or an agreedupon reading list. Remember that the theme of your book may determine the atmosphere of your book club. Vote all members make suggestions, followed by an open discussion, and vote. Wearing a giant, oversized scarf will make you look deeply intelligent in almost any situation, but especially a book club. Some clubs meet online, many meet inperson either in homes or public places such as a library, bookstore or cafe. Rotatemembers take turns, each choosing a book for a given month. I searched online, but havent found any advice about this. If you want your book club to be a little closer knit, you can also meet on a weekly or biweekly basis to discuss each book as you read it.