To help you make sure your book club is on point, here is a short guide about how to start a book club to help you make yours perfect. Aug 29, 2016 while it is hopefully easy for you to enjoy your book group, it is sometimes challenging to start one. In one of my past book clubs, we literally only read books that included discussion questions at the end of the book because we wanted to be certain wed have a meaningful discussion. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. Or use a search including reading guide to find information on the various book group sites. We started meeting twice a month and switched to once a month over time. Youll also find printable book club questions at the end of this post to bring to. At the beginning, we said we would cancel the meeting if there werent 4 people in the room. Starting a support group or a discussion group we frequently receive calls for information on local support groups. Our discussion group also acted as a sounding boarda group we could spill thoughts, ideas, and questions onto and get feedback from a variety of perspectives.
It can be hard to make contact with book groups, as they are normally set up by word of. How to start a book club that doesnt suck book riot. The best thing about starting your own is that you can design it to reflect your. Having discussion questions before your book club meets will help facilitate a good discussion of your book. Some clubs meet online, many meet inperson either in homes or public places such as a library, bookstore or cafe. Thus, if you want to start a group a great place to begin can be with your friends but dont assume that they share your expectations about the sort of books to read or how the club will run.
Jun 11, 2017 starting a new group takes time, patience, and luck, but it can be fun and satisfying. Starting a voluntary discussion group down home country. My experience starting a discussion group and why you should. When peplow asked readers why they joined a book group in oneonone interviews, many said. A book club sometimes called a reading group or book group is a group of people who get together on a regular basis to discuss books. Sep 03, 2018 a book group can become a sort of group therapy, a way for readers to collectively process their lives. The book discussion group meets on the second thursday of each month, in the rollins center room 114 at the newtown campus, from 7.
Starting over is a remarkable gracefilled invitation to move past regrets. This stepbystep guide will help you start a book club that can last for years. Home book discussion groups libguides at american library. Sep 14, 2017 to further expound, here are the four main reasons to start your own discussion group. Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and distribute. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction and nonfiction alike. Starting a book club is more complicated than you might think.
Given the opportunity, many people love to talk about great writing and belong to a great books discussion group. Or people in a weight loss support group might be interested in a new walking club. How to begin and lead a book discussion group iowa center for. So find good ones i highly recommend starting with friends you already know.
Check out our book club discussion questions post that has 40 of them. For possible questions to start discussion on specific books, check the back of the book, particularly if the title is a popular book club choice, or the publishers website. For example, members of a business networking event might want to join a business book group. How to start a successful book club in 4 simple steps. For more formal groups a prepared list of questions about the book will keep the discussion moving. Starting a book club is a fun way to enjoy books, meet new people. Ask around the office, playgroups, your church, or civic organizations. Starting a reading group it seems you can hardly open a book these days without someone mentioning to you that theyve read that title in a reading group. The internetbased groups home is always open so members can interact whenever it is most convenient.
Many book clubs start when a few friends get together and decide that theyd like to meet to discuss books on a regular basis. Each member or a team of 23 takes a card and answers the question. Although there are thousands of people with all over the us, there are not always support groups for those that want them. Group discussion is an exchange of ideas and opinions that are debated upon. A book group can become a sort of group therapy, a way for readers to collectively process their lives. Friendship, becoming a group by getting to know and respect each other. Aug 21, 2017 ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book.
A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Online forums easytouse discussion boards that can be accessed at anytime. Even though there are many online book clubs on the internet, you can start your own online book club. A great way to gather a large diverse group is to invite 35 people and ask each of them to invite 3. Dec 14, 2017 are you always struggling to come up with book club questions to help guide your group discussion. As you read each novel, jot down page numbers and passages that moved you and where you found answers to the discussion questions. Your group can be about any type of literature and can be made up of both friends and strangers. Hence it is very important to use the right words and sentences to. From small groups that gather in living rooms and libraries to the millions who tune in to find out oprahs picks each month, reading groups are everywhere. Running a meeting what books to choose further information. We read and discuss fiction, nonfiction, short stories, and poetry and host live chats and interviews with leading authors. Today im beginning an online book discussion through the themes of finding church, we are beginning a book discussion group online.
The people in a group will either make or break your book club. But there is more to starting a book club than you might think. Will the meeting be more like a relaxed gathering of friends with the leader merely starting the discussion and keeping the group on task. Book discussion group bucks county community college. Your life beyond regrets is a lifechanging book you need to read and will want to give to others. Lots of groups take turns at one anothers homes, but if you want to remove the pressure to. Aug 08, 2019 many libraries provide meeting space for book clubs or administer one or more book discussion group. Online bible studies can bring group members together for instant interaction without the logistical hurdles of travel time, babysitters and work schedules. Starting a book club at work can be a great way to enrich your workplace. Mar 18, 2020 when youre starting a digital book club, all the standard book club rules apply. Maybe you already have a group of friends interested in getting. Aug 09, 2017 looking for a fun way to enjoy books and meet new people. The best thing about starting your own is that you can design it to reflect your particular reading. How to start a book discussion group get together a core group it is much easier to start a book club with two or three people who already have some connection.
You can help your organization become a learning organization in which people continuously grow and develop. Here are some tips for establishing a strong group, setting ground rules, choosing books and discussing. When youre starting a digital book club, all the standard book club rules apply. The best king of stories feature dynamic characters who change throughout the book. There are so many reasons to be part of a book club. Get your book club book discussion group off to a successful start with this list of key questions to discuss at your first book discussion group meeting. Choose one question at a time and toss it out to the group. This page provides general information about book groups, including with one book programs, some resources for guiding book groups, references for specific types of book groups, and an anonymously contributed guide to establishing and running. Here are a few ideas and tips for starting a successful and enjoyable group. Reading group choices is your resource for book recommendations, book club discussion topics, and reading group guides. You can also create a group on meet up or put up fliers at local coffee shops and.
A group discussion is a type of meeting, but it differs from the formal meetings in a number of ways. That way, you can easily share them with the group later on. Quick start guide book discussion groups libguides at. Successful groups select good books, have interesting discussions, and foster community. Important questions to ask at your first book discussion. How to begin and lead a book discussion group iowa center. Well begin with chapter 1 and take about two weeks on each chapter as we work through the entire book. Starting, running and choosing books for a reading group. A book discussion group is a forum where readers can come together and talk about books and the reading experience there are adult groups, studentled groups, motherdaughter groups, fatherson groups, and parentchild groups, to name just a few. Find discussion books, contests, and reading lists. Book groups are a great way to share a love of good stories with others. Seeking help and advice from experienced great bookies when starting a group will shorten the learning curve. Starting a great books group is a lot like starting any book group. How to start a reading group reading group choices book.
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