Start a Book Club

A great way to enjoy reading is to join a book club.  Unfortunately, there is not always one available in your town.  There are many that are online that you can enjoy, but you miss out on the face to face discussions.  What is the solution?  Start your own book club.

Book clubs can be for adults or children.  There are way too few of them for teenagers and children to enjoy.  Before announcing that there is a book club, you need to get it organized.

To start a book club, you need to lay out the ground rules before the first meeting.  You need to ask yourself these questions:

-          What kind of books will you be reading?  Will this be a mystery book club, classic book club, romance book club, adventure book club, religious book club, or a bestseller book club?

-          How often will you meet?  Most book clubs meet once a month.

-          When will you meet?  Actually, this question could be discussed at your first meeting to see what day and time fits everyone’s schedule the best.

-          Where will the meetings take place?  At a fixed location or rotate from house to house?

-          Who will be the leader?  This should not be the host.

-          How are the books decided on?  Does the leader choose or can the members make suggestions?

If you do not have these questions answered before the first meeting, it might just be chaos with a few people getting upset.  Once you know the answers, you can begin advertising.

Put up signs at the library, grocery stores, and even in the paper.  If your town has an event website, add it to that.  Put it in the church bulletin.  If it is a book club aimed at the youth, talk to the schools and see how they can help promote it.

Before the first meeting, be well prepared and organized.  At your first meeting to discuss a book (typically your second meeting), have a list of questions ready to help spark conversation.  Keep the group on topic.  At the end of the meeting as everyone’s overall opinion.  You might even want to ask anyone to write up a review so that you can post it on a website.

Being involved in a book club is fun, and starting one yourself can be exciting and daunting.  Be prepared and always in control.  And the most important thing is to enjoy reading.