How exactly does one start a Book Club?

Question

I currently have about 5 people and am waiting on a couple more. So do you have the meetings once a month? Is that enough time for everyone to read the book -- I mean we do all have jobs. And then I guess we take turns hosting it? How do we decide who hosts and when? Anyone who ever started one up and has any advise, I'd appreciate it. What did you do that didn't work and what did you do that did?

Also, being that we're just getting started and we don't know who has read what, I thought we should start with a newly released book? Any suggestions on good newly released books?

Answer 1

If and when you decide to start your own group, your first task is to recruit members. Think about how many people you want to participate. The size will likely be dictated by the place where the group meets. If you plan on hosting meetings in your own living room, for example, you may find it difficult to accommodate more than seven or eight members. On the other hand, if your group is too small, discussion may suffer, especially if you don't have perfect attendance at each meeting. Many book clubs recruit solely from friends or coworkers, but you don't need to stop there. Posting flyers at your local public library is an excellent way to foster diversity in your members and meet new people.

Once you have a solid group of people together, it's time to set some guidelines for your group. It is a good idea to do this at your first meeting. How often will the group meet? Most book clubs typically meet once a month and discuss one book per meeting. Decide on a process for choosing the books you will read. Be sure to set a consistent time and place for meetings, so that you do not have to go through the process of scheduling each meeting. Make it clear to members that they are expected to plan their schedule around your set time, not vice versa. While the living room is the obvious choice for a place to meet, you should also consider such places as a library, restaurant, or community center.

Once you have recruited members and established guidelines for your book club, it is time to focus on the actual discussions. If you are serious about having quality discussion and are willing to invest some money in your book club, you may want to consider hiring a professional leader to moderate meetings. Not only will a leader help insure that a fulfilling, balanced conversation takes place, but he or she will also help your group decide which books to read (or even choose the books for you). A good way to find a discussion group leader would be to contact your local public library or college.

If you choose to not hire a professional leader, you should be prepared to guide the discussion yourself. An excellent starting place for a particular book would be a reading group guide. If no guide is available for the book you are currently reading, you may wish to turn to some general questions and topics for discussion.

To be sure, planning and running your own book club can be a challenge. But if done properly, your book club will prove to be a rewarding and fulfilling experience for you and your peers.


this is the artical i used to start my book club we just read "sharp objects" it was a really good book
Hope this helps

Answer 2

I started a book club about 2 years ago. We meet the last week of the month on Wednesday nights at 6:30. The person that picks the book hosts. I would suggest you have less than 10 members if you plan to meet at member's homes. At the end of our 7 member rotation, we have a members vote. I bring 3-4 books to the group that have been made into a movie and we vote on which we want to read. Then, we go to the movie and out for dinner. Don't worry about who had read what. Just let the host pick and someone can reread if they already read it. If you pick new releases, you'll spend too much money on buying hard cover books. For your first book, I'd suggest reading your state's "one book one read". Your local library will have a program about it and it's a fun discussion time. Also, here's another great link we find useful.
www.readinggroupguides.com
http://www.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/one-book.html

Our biggest problems have been members coming without reading the book. They just want to socialize. We had to ask members to just come if they have read, because we felt strange excluding them from our book discussion and they were trying to get us off topic. The other problem was too many people wanting to join. We now just tell people that when we have someone quit, we will call them. A small group is just easier to manage. Good luck and have fun!

Answer 3

Book club host changes every month. Whoever came up with the riginal idea, shoudl host the 1st month. Everyone should bring a munchie or beverage. In order to figure out who hosts next..just ask the group someone will volunteer..or pick out of hat..Picking a book is easy, the first month pick a bestseller, but also pick a book that may be in paperback or on the trade shelves...Hard cover can cost $20-30 dollars..no need spend that kind of money every month. At that first meeting the next host should bring along a few books and you can all vote on what you will read next...

As for discussing the book, that usually lasts about a 1/2 hour and then people discuss their cheating husbands and ashole bosses for awhile, drink a few bottles of wine..eat some crab dip...then go home. have fun!!

Answer 4

Here's what my book club does...we have kind of evolved and learned what works for us thru trial and error...
we meet once a month at a bar or coffee shop- we like somewhat quiet places with couches/comfy seating! We usually go to this one bar that is more like a lounge and not very crowded mid week. Or, we go to a coffee shop with comfy seating and a fireplace!
We have recently started having the members choose books according to the abc order of their first name, so it rotates and everyone gets a chance to choose- one of the best things about a book club is reading a book you never would have read on your own and really loving/appreciating it.
we have also recently joined Yahoo groups, where we have a page open only to members (5 or 6 of us, although anyone is welcome to join us) where we have a database of books we've read and where we met and books we would like to read

also, some people can't come every month- and that's Ok too- we also have taken a hiatus a couple of times, like in the summer or over the holidays-when we skip a month, we have a book swap, where we trade books we already own so we have somethign to read over the break.
you may want to pick a certain day, like third thursdays of the month, so people always know when the meeting is and you don't have to try to work around everyone's schedule- you'll never be able to keep everyone happy all the time!
good luck - it is so much fun!
oh, and here are some ideas for good reading...
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
Girl with the pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
Night by Elie Wiesel
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

The Memory Keeper's Daughter is the newest one I can remember! We are getting ready to read 'Saving Fish From Drowning' by Amy Tan, which is new, but I can't say yet if it's good or not!

Answer 5

it ought to help to renowned the way previous the daughters will be. i ought to assert commence with some classics and perchance crew up with an area book position like Barnes & Noble or Borders (a lot the better once you've a locally owned & operated one, yet they're uncommon presently) for concepts or a e book club format. some thing college suitable must be deemed age suitable i ought to imagine, so per chance verify with Scholastic Books or your college's librarian, too. good luck! appears like relaxing!