Five Simple Steps to Creating an Amazing Book Club
A few years ago, my husband and I were invited to join a book club. As much as I love to read, this book club is the first one I have belonged to, and it has enriched my life in so many ways. I’ve been exposed to reading I might not have sought out for myself and it has made me a much more widely-read person. The conversations I have had with the members of my book club have helped me to understand other perspectives better. And most of all, I’ve developed some really strong friendships with some amazing people. So, if you are thinking about joining or starting a book club, my advice is to go for it. And if you don’t know where to start, check out these five ways to build an amazing book club!
Invite a Diverse Group
You can’t have a book club without people. Who you invite to your book club is perhaps the most important decision you’ll make. I would encourage you to invite people from all areas of your life. Most people tend to keep different friend groups separate for the most part, but a book club is the perfect time to bring together your high school best friend, two colleagues, your sister, and the new friend you met taking your son to baseball practice and games. Our book club is a beautiful hodge-podge of personalities. It started with three couples who all worked together. Then Karl invited a friend from church. We invited a couple we have known all our lives. Terry invited his student teacher and his fiancé. We’ve grown, and every time we grow, I get to meet new people and grow new friendships. And all these people think differently, and that’s my favorite part of book club. We are a diverse group of ages, races, and walks of life, and we all have a different worldview. That makes discussing books so much fun!
Unite the Group
Once you have invited your people, you have to figure out how to bring them together as a cohesive group. You want them all to want to keep coming, to want to spend time together. We do this by making book club a whole fun experience. There are lots of ways to do this, so think about your group and what they would like. I have a friend whose book club meets outside at her home around a fire pit. Our book club rotates who hosts that month, so we are always being welcomed into a different home, and that has really helped us to get to know each other. I have another friend whose book club always meets at a favorite restaurant. Whatever you do, I suggest good food and a location where everyone feels comfortable. Also, keep everyone connected by setting up a group message where people can share comments on the book you’re reading, memes, or life updates in between meetings.
Choose Books for Conversation
Most people who join book clubs are avid readers, and we all have our favorite genres. But when choosing books for book club, resist the temptation to just choose the kind of books you like to read. Instead, try to choose books that will spark conversation. You can do this by searching for books that have interesting premises, provide different perspectives, or are different in some way from what the people in your group normally read. I also suggest choosing books that may be controversial or even books that have been banned. These provide a space for great discussion. Some favorites my book club has read that provided the best discussion are Station Eleven, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Scythe, 13 Reasons Why, and The Power.
Be Organized and Flexible
Getting a whole group together is difficult, and there will rarely be one date that works for everyone. I suggest having a set weekend where you will have book club. For example, we meet the last weekend of each month. If people can’t make it one month, that’s ok. We know we’ll see them next time. But keeping things organized helps us to make sure we never just stop having book club. With that said, we are flexible too though. Sometimes we meet on Saturday, sometimes Friday night, sometimes Sunday. We do lunch or dinner. Whenever the most people can be there, that’s what we do. We set our next month’s meeting at the end of the meeting before and then it pretty much stays firm. We always come to book club with our calendars and list of what books we want to put on the table for next month. Make that part of your meeting so you are always organized but also flexible.
Mix Things Up
The most important tip for great book clubs is to always keep things fresh. If you’ve read several dystopias in a row, choose a historical fiction or a memoir this time. We went on a run once where we read everyone’s favorite books one month after another. Invite new people. Meet in a different location every now and then. One month, we decided to read a book that was being made into a movie and our book club that month was going to see the movie and then discussing afterwards. Just know that if something isn’t working or things feel stagnant, you can and should always mix things up to keep your meetings fun and exciting.
I hope this post has given you some great ideas for your book club! I’d love to hear from you! What books are you reading with your book club? What does your book club do to keep things fun? Drop me a comment.
And check out these other great posts to help you pick out some great books to read!
