The Writing Life | Starting a Book Club

Starting a bookclub

I was introduced to the book club experience back in the mid-1990s when our local cathedral bookstore hired me to lead a book club for them. Since then, I have led and participated in 4 book clubs of very different themes and goals—and enjoyed them all.

In spite of the current popularity and ubiquity of book clubs many people—even avid readers—don’t belong to a book club. Many would like to, but don’t know how to start one. Here’s how in 3 easy steps

I. Set your Goals

There are many reasons for starting or joining a book club. You need to know what yours are.  Some of the goals of book clubs I have been involved with are:

To create community through the shared experience of reading and of ideas

To increase interest in a library

To promote a bookshop

To create a forum for sharing ideas, opinions, and questions

To broaden readers’ horizons

To offer outreach opportunities

You may have goals not on this list, that’s fine. The important thing is that you set workable goals for your group. And remember, that your goals may change and grow over time. That’s good.

II. Think through major Considerations

Every group is different, so before you begin decide what will work best for you and your group to reach the goals you have set:

1. How will your group be organized?
2. How will your books be chosen?
3. What will the criteria be for your book choices?
4. How will your discussions be led?
5. What will the details of your meetings be?

There are many possibilities here, so let’s look at each one separately.

Organization

In my first group, which I led as a professional writer and teacher, the bookstore owner coordinated the meetings. I chose the books and led the discussions.

Tea and Tomes, the book club at my local church developed from the grass roots with someone saying, “I read a great book, we should get together and discuss it.” Later our Parish Life committee organized it. Now our Pastor does.

The Jane Austen book Club I belong to is sponsored by the local chapter of the Jane Austen Society. The Regional Coordinator runs it.

For our family book club my daughter-in-law, who started the club, sends emails and Zoom links to all the women and girls in our family.

Choosing the Books

For Cathedral Connections I chose books based on the theme I set for the year’s reading.

For our church club congregants suggest titles, and the club leader or pastor announces the titles a month or two before a meeting.

Jane Austen book club members suggest titles every November, then vote online.

In our family club each member chooses a book once a year.

Criteria for Book Choices

Connections books had to be good literature, fiction, and available for the bookstore to sell.

Tea and Toms chooses clean books with meaningful themes, fiction or non-fiction. Sometimes we do Tea and Poems.

The Jane Austen club discusses 2 by Jane, 2 about Jane, 2 because of Jane, each year. All titles need to be generally available.

Our Crow Aunties and Cousins choose books we have enjoyed. Most, but not all, choices need to be appropriate for our younger members. Audio availability is helpful for some. Sometimes we do plays, which can often be watched on YouTube.

Leading the Discussion

For Connections I prepared discussion questions. The coordinator sent them out (by postal mail) a few weeks ahead.

Our church club began with casual discussions, now our pastor moderates, usually with prepared questions.

Jane Austen book discussions first asked for volunteers to lead, they often sent out discussion questions, now our meetings are more free flowing.

For our family the person who chose the book sends questions or links ahead of the discussion.

Meeting Details

The cathedral book club met on weekday evenings 6 times a year, at first in the church library, then in the coordinator’s apartment where she served refreshments.

Tea and Tomes meets as desired, often once a quarter. We met on weekday afternoons at first, then realized Saturday afternoons allow men and working women to participate. We meet in the parish hall or homes. We always serve tea and refreshments.

The Jane Austen club meets every other month on Tuesday evenings. We originally met in public libraries at 6:30, now we meet in homes where the hostess sets the time and provides drinks, members bring snacks.

Our family meets around our computers, ipads, or phones 6 or 7 times a year when convenient to accommodate international time zones.

III. Getting started:

Announce an organizational meeting at a convenient time and place.

Present the preliminary plan you have formed based on your choices from the goals and topics suggested above.

Discuss your plan to establish the group interests are and what will work for them–especially regarding meeting time and place.

Consider setting rules for your discussion to help you achieve your goals. Basic courtesy, of course. Perhaps a No Politics rule, such as we have for Tea and Tomes?

Be open and flexible as your group develops and new ideas and interests emerge.

And most of all, enjoy!

As you can see there are many ways to approach organizing and running book clubs. And whatever you choose initially will be sure to change if you have the joy of staying together for several years. Our Tea and tomes group has gone through several permutations as we have continued for almost a quarter of a century. Making a start is the big step. After that the joy of sharing your reading with friends will carry you forward.

Do you participate in a book club? If so, please tell us about it below.