Whether it’s with your best friends or you are just looking to meet new people, starting a book club is a great way to create meaningful and fun experiences. Here are some things to consider when getting started.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
What is the purpose of your club? Will the meetings be face to face or virtual? Will you be the leader or will leaders rotate? Will there be food and snacks? What’s the criteria for people to join?
THE FLOW
It’s important for everyone to feel comfortable and have fun so make sure you gather feedback from your new members on how they think the meetings should flow. Are you reading one chapter or a few in between meetings? Will you go around taking turns discussing likes/dislikes?
THE DETAILS
Think about where you want to host it. If it’s with close friends, maybe you could rotate houses. If it’s a larger group, you could book a room at your local library or meet at your favorite coffee shop. How often you meet will depend on everyone’s schedules and make sure you find an effective way like google chat or what’s app group chat to communicate and send reminders.
THE BOOK SELECTION
Come up with a fair and fun way to select titles. You could vote or everyone could put the name of a book in a hat and the leader of the club could randomly pick a name. Some clubs even have themes for the year which can make narrowing it down slightly easier. Keep in mind things like the length, reading level, price, and availability.
AUTHORS
Once you select your book, check the author’s website for speaking opportunities. Some authors (especially up and coming ones) will come in person for your discussion or use google chat or Skype to answer questions and connect with their readers.