STARTING A BOOK CLUB
How to Start a Book Club - 10 Easy Steps
By Molly
Lundquist
So you want to start your own book club? Terrific! Book discussion groups
are great ways to make new friends, keep in touch with old ones, discover
new books, and have meaty conversations. To help you get organized, simply
follow these 10 steps and you'll be on your way!
1. Decide what kind of a club you want to be-do you want to
be seriously academic with a heavy emphasis on book discussion and minimal
social chat? Or do you enjoy the social bonding aspect of a book club-food,
wine, personal sharing-and want to keep discussions shorter, light and fun?
Probably, it's somewhere in between the two.
2. Decide what kind of books you want to read-do you
enjoy reading the older classics or contemporary novels? Challenging works
or somewhat lighter? Perhaps poetry, plays, or nonfiction-history,
biographies, travel stories, current events. What about specific
genres-detective/mystery, romance, inspirational, science fiction or
fantasy? Perhaps you're eclectic-you like a variety of genres.
3. Choose three friends who share similar reading tastes
and ways of approaching book discussions-that's important. You all want to
be on the same page, so to speak. Each one of the three should ask one or
two others, for a total of 7-10 members. It doesn't matter if you don't all
know each other; in fact, it's more fun if you don't. And start small-you
can always add new members when you want, though it's good to stop at 16, a
maximum number for most book clubs.
4. Choose when and where to meet. Once you all get
together, pick a day and time of the month that works with everyone's
schedule. Some clubs meet in the evenings, after work; others on weekends.
Those who are at home with children, or retired, find midmornings or
lunchtime best. The most important thing is to establish a schedule and try
to stick to it. Then, of course, decide where you want to meet. Most clubs
meet in each others' homes or restaurants. Others find rooms in local
libraries, Y's, or other more public places. Or you may decide to become a
library-sponsored group, in which case you will always have a good source of
fresh new members.
5. Decide about food. There will be food, right? Of
course. Do you want just appetizers or desserts...or do you want full meals?
And who prepares the food-does every member bring a dish...or does each
member cook once a during the year? Maybe it's brown bag lunch or a potluck
supper. Think, too, about having themed food to match your book-feature food
from Afghanistan when you read A Thousand Splendid Suns. Look for Book Club
Recipes on the web to give you ideas.
6. Decide how to select your books. Most clubs use one
of two basic methods-voting or rotation. The voting begins with members
making book suggestions, followed by discussion, and then a vote. The
process can be as formal or informal as you want. The rotation system means
that every member gets a month to choose a book. Both methods have their
strong suits...and their drawbacks. Choose two or three books at a time so
members can read at their own pace. Many clubs choose all their books for
the year at one meeting, but that ties clubs into a rigid schedule...and
it's unfair to members who had to miss the one meeting.
7. Give yourselves a name. And be creative: some of my
favorites are The Happy Bookers...or First, the Food Book Club...or The
Brooksville Book Babes.
8. Send out monthly reminders for every meeting. Don't
rely on peoples' memories. Use email, phone or postcards, so make sure you
keep an up-to-date contact list.
9. Keep a journal. It's a nice way to keep track of all
the books you've read and what you thought of them. You might include photo
highlights of special meetings or trips to hear an author speaker.
10. Give back to the community. Collect dues and donate
books to your local library, or sponsor a scholarship for youngster in a
literacy program. Schedule reading times for nursing homes patients.
Starting book clubs takes some initial work up front to get them off the
ground. But once up and running, you'll be surprised at how they take on a
life of their own. Good luck...and happy reading!
Molly Lundquist is owner of
LitLovers, an online
resource for book clubs and solo readers. LitLovers brings together Molly's
life-long love of reading, writing, and teaching. The website includes a
large list of in-depth reading guides, book recommendations and reviews,
free online literature courses, international book club recipes, and plenty
of how-to tips for
book clubs,
including tips for kids book clubs.
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