Book clubs are about more than just reading books. It’s a great way to be able to read more but it also creates a sense of community and a group of people who want to come together to share experiences to support each other.
Did you know there are literally millions of books out there about every topic you can imagine? How do you decide what book to read? This article is going to give you five tips on how to start your very own book club.
Define the Purpose
Start with why that’s always your foundation. So what’s the underlying reason for this group you’re trying to pull together? Is it connecting new moms together?
Is it growing your business? Maybe it’s connecting and socializing with neighbors or keeping in contact with people who live far away. Thinking through what the purpose is for your group really does help you decide what the group is going to be about.
It also can help you decide whether you want your group to be online, in-person or maybe even a combination of both.
Decide Who to Invite
Don’t undervalue this step because it actually affects everything. It affects how your group will run, how often you’ll meet and everything else. A good size for a book club is anywhere between six and twelve people.
That way it’s large enough so you could have some great conversations and it’s not too small where if a couple of people are absent then you can’t talk about the book.
Anywhere from six to twelve allows for intimate conversation yet still large enough in case people can’t make it. Also, think about the type of people you want to invite. Diversity is really good.
It’s good because it sparks conversation and it allows you to shift perspective.
So let’s say the purpose of your group is to connect new moms and have them come together. Well, there are all different kinds of new moms. There are new moms from different backgrounds and ethnicities.
There’s work at home moms and stay-at-home moms and full-time working moms. Pull together different people to make your group more enjoyable and make the conversation that will make a difference.
Learn About the History of Book Clubs
Have you ever wondered where book clubs came from? Sure, you’ve been talking about books since you first started writing them. But when did book clubs start becoming official?
It actually wasn’t until the late 1800s, when women started getting together to start book clubs and share information in a safe space. One American group, The Women’s Reading Club of Mattoon has been meeting for around 140 years. How many books could you read in that time?
Spread the Word
So you’ve decided to start a book club? That’s awesome. The only problem is, nobody knows about it. You could ask a tutor to make an announcement at a school, start a Facebook group, or even do the old fashioned way of putting up flyers in your local library.
Plan Your Meetings
Now your friends and colleagues are interested in your book club. So what’s next? You have to plan out your meeting. Figure out everything you’re going to do from start to finish and make sure you choose a book club leader.
The club leader emails people to remind them about the meeting and lays out all the books. You can meet at a local restaurant or at a swimming pool. Check the Inground swimming pool costs in your area before organizing a meeting.
Decide What Kind of Books You’ll Be Reading
This is really the hard part because everyone likes different books, whether it’s fiction, nonfiction, or mystery comedy. You can just toss a bunch of book titles into a hat and shake it around. Then the Book of the Week is the luck of the draw.
Talk About Your Book
Everyone knows talking about books is the coolest part of a book club, but the conversation doesn’t lead itself. Make sure everybody comes with questions and quotes and ready to talk about what they like and don’t like about the book.
Now you’re ready to start your very own book club. Have fun connecting with your friends and meeting new people as you discuss how a book made you feel, react, and think!
Identity Magazine is all about guiding women to discover their powers of Self-Acceptance, Appreciation, and Personal Achievement.
We ask that every contributor and expert answer the Identity questions in keeping with our theme. Their answers can be random and in the moment or they can be aligned with the current article they have written. In that way, and as a team, we hope to encourage and motivate each other, thus inspiring you to Get All A’s.
1. What have you accepted within your life, physically and/or mentally? Additionally, what are you still working on accepting? Now, we’re not talking about resignation, rather stepping into, embraced, and owned.
I have accepted that I will never find the perfect balance at as a mom, and no matter how others perceive me as a working mom, both being a mom and a professional help me to progress as a woman.
2. Appreciation is everything. What have you learned to appreciate about yourself and/or within your life, physically and mentally? On the other hand OR in contrast, are there elements of who you are that you’re still working on appreciating?
I’m grateful for the resilience that my trials have instilled in me. As hard as my trials have been they have helped me empathize with others more and to become a better person.
3. Share with us one of your most rewarding achievements in life? Tell us not only what makes YOU most proud but also share the goals and dreams that you still have.
Becoming a mother and feeling the love of my children has been the most rewarding experience of my life. That love coupled with a desire to maintain their love and respect is one of my biggest motivators in life.
