HOW TO START A BOOK CLUB
Technically, my first book club was Junior Great Books in elementary school. My problem was that I did not share the group’s enthusiasm for Aesop’s Fables.
I was more into the Little House on the Prairie and my obsession with the Ingalls’ loft and stone fireplace.
My first book club was twenty years ago in our current neighborhood.
The only book finished was Loving Frank by Nancy Horan.
With three active kids in swim team, lacrosse and tennis and my early days as a Realtor the only thing I read was People magazine (an annual gift from my mother-in-law).
That is all you need to know about my MIL. She loved television, books, and Hollywood gossip!
And then a few years ago as my kids left the nest I found I had more time at home- with my husband and an oversized television.
One of my friends mentioned a book club in our neighborhood, and this time I was ready to read.
I love book club because it holds me accountable to reading, socializing, and new recipes. We meet monthly with two women coordinating a dinner.
Book club holds me accountable to read a variety of books and authors.
It opened up my world until I tackle Majong (when I retire).
Here are a few suggestions on how to start a book club. No technical skills required, just a passion to read.
- Start with your neighborhood. Keeping a tight radius means it takes minutes to arrive. We have a few that live outside the neighborhood, but it works, so don’t be afraid to expand out, maybe to a nearby neighborhood.
- We have 3 book clubs in our neighborhood.
- Over-invite to get a book club size that doesn’t get canceled because four of the five members can’t attend.
- Decide on the next month’s book and date on the night of the current book club. If we put it on their calendar that night, we are more likely to attend.
- Too many cancellations? Invite new members!
- My blog and NYC friend Pat’s book club meet in the afternoon!
- Keep a waitlist!
- We grab our discussion notes from the author. You can find them online.
- Or create your own questions.
- Keep a time limit. At times, our book club goes off the rails with some of us who like to hear ourselves talk. Ha! There are book clubs where I offer no input, and there are ones where I talk about my love of Ellen in Theo of Golden. And the poignant way the author discusses mental illness and homelessness.
Do you belong to book club? Any suggestions to add to this list? If you have questions please leave in the comments or email me at laura@everydayedits.co (no m).
I love the book club I am in. There are 10 of us and most of us live in the same neighbiorhood. We pre select books in December for the year at at an evening holiday get togther where we each bring an appetizer and wine to sahe, and we each choose the book to discuss and the month that we want to host. We meet in the afternoon and the hostress of the month provides light refreshments and non alcoholic drinks. It keeps it easy! We have read a mixed genre of books from historical fiction and memiors to current best seller fiction and mysteries. The only thing we avoid is romannce novels–no Colleen Hoover for us…lol…we are all too old for that!
agree on Colleen Hoover books. Love the organization. We try to fill our calendar for the upcoming year but we wait on choosing book! I read more now than I ever did! xo laura