Any tips on running a successful book club? First meeting is scheduled this week! Not sure what I’m getting myself into lol
Any tips on running a successful book club? First meeting is scheduled this week! Not sure what I’m getting myself into lol
12 Answers
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Wine! ? ? ? ?
Of course!
I started a new thing this year – having the ladies sign up for what month would work best for them. Otherwise it was always me & one or 2 other people hosting. Everyone brings wine, or an appetizer/dessert. If there are no discussion questions in the back of the book, we will google them. Also, i have a fb page for
my group to keep them updated on what we’re reading, book club meetings (usually aim for once a month) and fun book posts from other groups I’m in.
Facebook group is a great idea!
when you start go around and ask each person if they liked or didnt like the book. i go to reading group guides and they have questions for the book we read
We meet at the local library, take our lunch and several bring sweet stuff, then after about 45 minutes start the book discussion. We have a theme so our books are based on the theme. Eat out for dinner first meeting of the year and go some place nice for breakfast in May. We started several summers ago to meet to play games. We have so much fun, really enjoy each other.
Try to stay on the topic. Don’t wander. Discuss characters, plot, theme, etc. with likes and dislikes.
I wish the members in my group would do this.
Cake ?
We always meet the same day (1st Tuesday of every month) at a locally owned restaurant. We keep a standing reservation. We named our group The Tipsy Magnolias. The restaurant always has our table ready for us. Having it at a locally owned restaurant helps support local businesses and it prevents any of us from having to host it our homes. No preparing food and house cleaning, no clean up.
Choosing books seems to be our hardest issue. There is one member who gets a little perturbed when it’s one she doesn’t particularly like. I’ve always tried to express that you don’t have to read it but at least try. I encourage criticism of a book, also. We all don’t have to like every book.
Keep the group small. We started with 3 and now have 7. I don’t want more than 10.
We are soon going to implement free read months. These months will be for each member to choose their own book and then give their own report of the book. This will hopefully help with the issue of choosing.
I, honestly, would prefer to go ahead and choose a book for each month of the year so we can get it out of the way and know in advance what to order or find. But most in my group didn’t want to do this.
Thanks, these are great suggestions!
Definitely keep it to an hour or less.
Also, look online to see if there is a group discussion guide for the book you’ve chosen. Just Google “Book review” “Title of your book” in the same search. This can make the discussion (and keeping everyone focused) SO much easier! If there isn’t a group discussion guide, consider coming up with a few vague questions about the book that everyone can chime in on. At one of our library’s book clubs, the lady who organizes it has gone on Goodreads to look at reviews and use those to come up with some questions.