I remember I was in a book club with my friend Leslie for the first time in the spring of 2012. It was one of my first “official” book clubs, and I was so excited. The books chosen were always very interesting and meaningful, and a small group of us met in her backyard and sat together on the grass to discuss the book and share treats. It was all very “hygge” even though I didn’t know what that meant then.
Now, fast forward to 2018. I have been in a few book clubs since and I’m really intrigued by the idea of what makes a good book club. So, I reached out to my friend Leslie, reminiscing back on that warm, spring book club experience, to get all of her best advice.
Here’s what she shared:
Be intentional about who is in the club
I have had book clubs that were an open invited. These are really fun, but tend to be more social than literary. Currently, I have a book club with my sister and our best friend. Even though we live in 3 different time zones, we Skype and it’s awesome.
Set boundaries around the conversation
A favorite book club had a very strict rule that you can only discuss the book between the opening and closing poem. It was silly, but made it a really focused book club.
How to decide on books
For a large book club, my favorite way is to have everyone submit 3-5 books. Then they have everyone vote on each person’s recommendations. It helps ensure that the books are going to be a good fit for the group while allowing each member to have a chance to pick a book. For smaller or niche clubs, this isn’t necessary.
Don’t be afraid to make it a niche group
Love books about social justice? Make it the theme for your club. SciFi, YA lit, mystery, or even cookbooks can be great themes.
Take the pressure off the discussion leader
I like having 2 people in charge per meeting. One is in charge of prepping for and then leading the discussion. The other hosts. It’s at their house and they prepare snacks.
I’m so excited to incorporate these tips into a book club that I’m in right now! Do you have any tips you’d like to add?