Starting Your Own book club…
Have you ever read a book and thought, I wish I could talk to someone about this! Or maybe you’re in a reading rut and need some recommendations but don’t want to go at it alone.
You should join a book club or start one of your very own!
The purpose of a book club is to meet with others who have read the same book (around the same time frame) as you have and discuss it. Book clubs can be very casual or more formal depending on the readership and type of genre you choose.
They typically meet once/month, but you can also dictate the timeframe of how often you meet depending on how lengthy your book choice is and how frequently you’d like to see the other members of your club!
Not sure if you want to join a book club vs. start your own? Here are a few questions to ask yourself…
Do I want to be in charge of picking what everyone is reading?
Do I want to schedule how often we meet, where and when we meet, and recruit others to participate?
Do I want to have more of an authoritative role in the group and help moderate or move the discussion along?
If you answered “yes” to at least one of these questions, you should definitely consider creating your own club! Keep in mind of course, when you are in the driver’s seat of your book club… you take on more responsibility than perhaps your counterparts.
If you answered “no” to at least one of these questions, perhaps you should consider joining someone else’s book club instead to get a feel for how it is run and also to take some of the pressure off of making those bigger decisions.
Book clubs can be private or open to the public; if they are private, you can consider hosting it at your house (or rotating houses of the club members) or maybe meeting at a public place but not advertising the club heavily (such as a coffee shop, bar, park, or library!). If you anticipate a larger crowd, consider reaching out to wherever your intended space is to request a table/room/whatever so you can all sit together and keep in mind any noise requirements if you’re in an indoor space.
If you’d like to make your book club public, you will want to keep all of the above in mind plus advertising your efforts! You can create free flyers on Canva that look super professional and post them in places where you see others reading (like libraries, book stores, and coffee shops); just be sure to ask first before you start posting. As long as your club is not-for-profit and open to everyone, there shouldn’t be an issue in this type of community advertising.
Okay, so you want to create a book club and you’re ready to start finding members. Here’s a few more to-do’s:
Decide on your first book. Choose something that was published relatively recently (unless you are going more for a niche club focused on the classics) and has at least 3 stars on goodreads.com. If you aren’t sure what to read, you can browse book club book lists online and find suggestions including right here on ruthiereads! Will you be asking participants to be in charge of finding their own copies? Consider looking into your local library to see if any digital editions or paperbacks are available for free, or opt for your local bookstore or Amazon for a quick purchase turnaround.*
*Note: paperbacks tend to be less expensive than hardbacks, and digital editions tend to be less expensive than paperbacks (but not always!)
Come up with at least a few discussion questions. This doesn’t have to feel like homework, and for the most part, book clubs will discuss the book organically through conversation. However, if you have someone who likes to talk a lot… or on the flip side, many people who don’t talk much…. book club questions can get your group on track and initiate conversation. The easiest way to find book club questions related to your book of choice is to search the book’s publishing website for questions they may have already written. Some personal book blogs will come up with questions that may be different than the publishers (like myself!), so it’s always a good idea to search at least a few different sites to see if anything else pops up.
Decide where you’re going to meet, when, and for how long. Do you want to host this club at your home? Would you prefer a more public space? Also a major consideration: Will there be food or drinks? Readers like to eat, and even if you aren’t meeting during a typical meal time, it’s pretty typical to have something to snack on during a book club. If you don’t want to shell out any cash, consider choosing a public space that offers food (like a cafe) so that club-goers can order something if they please and pay for themselves.
Spread the word! Do you already have readers in mind who you want to start this with? A club can happily exist with two people, so rest assured, you still can say “I have a book club” if it’s only you and your grandma reading the same book. That being said, the more people you include, the greater potential for excellent discussion and more diverse recommendations. You can even open up the club to members who can’t attend in person! Consider sharing your book club idea on social media and seeing if any of your friends near or far want to join virtually through Facetime or Skype. So find your group, whether it be coworkers at the office, your siblings, your friends near or far, or whoever you can find who wants to read the same book at the same time as you.
I wish you well. Keep reading!
xo,
Ruthie.