Hosting a book club first meeting

Author lindsey kelk has created the i heart book club as a facebook. Insist that discussion time be limited to the book. For the first club, the hosting mom created a scavenger hunt of clues to find the aunt. After the umpteenth book on the same subject or with the same feel, your members will long for a palate cleanser and may eventhe book club kiss of deathtake a break from reading the books. This will be the most important choice you make, because it will affect everything else about the book club, from where and when you can meet to which book you read. Bring one or two options for meeting times and the first book. Host your club after seeing the movie and include a comparison of the two in the discussion. Coordinate with your members to set up a pre book club meeting. Its important to note that sometimes people may need to think before they answer.

Some clubs have one member who enjoys leading all discussions. Book club discussions are great conversations based on a common book that everyone has read. A little bit of order can go a long way in hosting a wellorganized book club. Members who would rather socialize be gentle but firm. How to start a successful book club everyday reading. If you are starting a workplace book club, you can host it in a convenient office space or local coffee shop.

Send out an email to gauge employees interest in reading a book on their own time and then meeting at lunch once a week to discuss the book. Nov 19, 20 hosting a book club book clubs are a great way to not only find great new reading material and discuss it with other book lovers, but also to form a social group. Mar 18, 2020 use online surveys to select the books your club reads. Depending on the size of your club, a typical meeting can last anywhere from an hour to a couple of hours or more. Jun 03, 2020 now that you have a book picked out, its time to decide how youll conduct your book club. Figure out who youre inviting to your book club the first thing you should do is figure out who will come to your book club. Book club meetings go on for a long time, and if the space is cramped, people tend to get fidgety. Ideally, no one member will have to host every meeting of the club. These four celebrity book clubs are surprisingly goodand certainly worth a look. Decide what will be best for your group and try it for 34 months, and if it doesnt work try. Pick a place to meet technology makes it so easy to connect with other, often farflung readers and have the sort of fruitful discussions that book clubs make possible, says childrens book author and illustrator.

Dec 12, 2018 i hope these book club meeting ideas help you and your book club have new energy in the new year. Have everyone in your book club come up with a question or discussion point for each meeting. Coordinating a time and a place to meet is one of the largest challenges for many book clubs. Host club meetings on zoomcomplete with backgrounds once everyone has read the book, host a zoom meeting to discuss it.

Aug 24, 2015 someone in my city started a book club on, but it was cancelled before the meeting due to the host s health issues. If your meeting is focused and to the point, everyone who attends will appreciate it. Successful groups select good books, have interesting discussions, and foster community. You can save yourself a lot of time and effort by using preexisting template for the kind of meeting youre having e. Jul 15, 2019 if its a silent book club that you are hosting, you must, as the leader, somehow persuade people to, at some point, be silent and read. Rotate discussion leaders each monthmaybe its the person who selects the book or the one who hosts the meeting. Play whos who ask club members to come to the meeting dressed as a favorite character.

Chances are, only half of those people will show up, and then only half of those people will. Email your book club members to inform them of the following. If youre a book club newbie, 10 invitees is a great place to start. How to start an online book club book blogs bookgen. How to do book club virtually during covid distancing. Important questions to ask at your first book discussion. I want to present a few options for you, including virtual, in person, and online chat groups that might work. The place has to be agreed and in access of all members conveniently. One of the easiest ways to do this is to look for a book club discussion guide. You can schedule book club meetings over the course of a calendar month, and meet weekly for 4560 minutes.

Before the first meeting finish reading your book mark any interesting passages you might want to discuss. I didnt want to be a snobby book club with trials for new members and stuff like that, but if our club got too big we literally wouldnt be able to function. One of the best pairings with our wine is a good book club. We have always met the first monday of each month at 7. Grab your psl and wrap up in your favorite oversized hoodie because fall is basically here. Successful book clubs select great books, have compelling discussions, and create community.

How to make book club meetings fun if your meetings are held at someones house, you can make meetings fun by turning them into pot lucks or lunchdinner occasions. I am delighted that john byrne and his team at the magazine have invited me to be the guest blogger this week. Everyone can bring something, or, if the host alternates for each meeting, they can be in charge of refreshments for their turn. The business world is full of long, boring, rambling meetings. It had a lot of members signed up, so i know theres interest here for one, but i unfortunately am not able to host a book club where i live. How to start a lowcost book club with your friends my. How to start a book club that doesnt suck book riot. We usually go to a somewhat quiet restaurant with round tables and plenty of wine. With busy schedules and the immense list of new books released every single day, its hard. We have an overall moderator and each month the host will select the book, time and place of our next meeting. First, the rules of your standard book club still apply. And i am even more delighted that they have embraced the book clubreading group concept that i have been passionate about for. Cozy up for fall with these books chosen by celebrity book clubs.

Book club ideas to breathe new life into your book club. Most book clubs socialize first and then get down to book club discussion. If you are starting a book club yourself, you may need some ideas for creating a fun group that people will come back to time after time. You could host your book clubs in person, outside, socially distant.

Whereas in person, you might want to keep it to a certain number, the options are really limitless online. The same person can host every time and have different people bring appetizers and small dishes for each meeting, or a different person can host every time. Select the time that fits most of the group and stick with this once chosen e. When it comes to picking a book for your club, the best, easiest, and fairest way to make sure all members voices are heard is by voting on.

Dec 04, 2014 despite strong initial enthusiasm for our book club, in the end a small but mighty group met to discuss think like a freak by steven d. Use your clubs private bookclubz home page to schedule your first meeting. Delve deeper into the books making the charts, and get tips for keeping your reading group engaged. Communication is key for any book club but especially if youre meeting only online. Bookstr is a great space to both host and find an existing book club. Determine if employees are interested in a book club. When designing a space in your house to host the book club, look around and remove any possible distractions. Tips on how to host a book club meet what should i read. It can be entertaining to guess who each person has dressed as. Scroll on to find genius ideas thatll make sure your book club party is a story for the ages. My favorite way to troubleshoot this fatigue is to rotate through every member picking a book he or she wants to read. Take a vote if you would like to have everyone involved in the decision making process. May 21, 2020 host club meetings on zoomcomplete with backgrounds once everyone has read the book, host a zoom meeting to discuss it. There is never any one way to experience or interpret a book.

Appoint a club memberwhoever selected the book or the person who is hosting. Rejoice, poetry lovers, because april is here which means its officially national poetry month, and entire 30 days dedicated to stunning stanzas, visceral verses, and prophetic poets. With this in mind, heres some tips and tricks for forming your own literary circle. It can be a room in your local library, home of any member or a coffee shop etc. Hosting your book club online makes meeting easy and convenient for members wherever they may be. How to start a book club online or in person maam cave. How to organize and host a book club silent book club. Successful groups select good books, have interesting discu. As the weather shifts, its a great time to cozy up with a new book.

Mar 04, 2021 if you havent picked out a first book yet, discuss this with your group. When planning on how to start your book club, start making points on how you want to structure the sessions. Jan 03, 2020 at the first meeting, put everyones name on a slip of paper and put it in a bowl to choose the next host at random. There are also online resources that help book clubs coordinate information and share book ideas. How to host a poetry book club, because its time to make this a part of your reading. You assume that everyone will read the book, that you will finish a recordhigh number of books during the year, that you will have. If everyone in your book club knows each other fairly well, you may want to take turns hosting meetings at each others homes. Part of being a good leader is being comfortable with silence. When you are asking questions, you want to facilitate discussion, not come off as a teacher. Some of our favorite celebs, including reese witherspoon, emma roberts and emma. They will appreciate hearing from you and might even have something to. Important questions to ask at your first book discussion group meeting.

Mar 14, 2020 so heres some key tips on how to host a digital book club. If you can, tag the author on social media to let them know youre reading their book. Mar 07, 2018 what to do during the meeting let others answer first. People will be disappointed if you neglect the silent reading period. As part of your celebration this year, go beyond reread. Mar 08, 2012 we started our book club about a year ago and it has been working great. For the second book, the hosting mom had the girls create a doll house using tag board cut out in the shape of a doll house. How to start a book club everything you need to know. As the group owner, it is your responsibility to encourage and facilitate the discussion. Select your first book and send out a meeting schedule for the remainder of the year.

Its not always easy to maintain a book club but its always a rewarding experience and a good way to form friendships or nurture old ones. Hosting your book club online makes meeting easy and convenient for members. First, determine who you want to be in your book club. How to start and grow your book club penguin random house. As the host of our book club, ive learned a few things from our first meeting. Here are some neat ideas for your next meeting see more ideas about starting a book, book club, book club. Just choose a time that works for everyone, and create a zoom video chat. Jan 12, 2012 this series was so popular that we did three book clubs in a row, one book after the other. You can invite as many as you want, or you can host a simple twoperson book club.

Gather everyone together to discuss the first book option, the permanent meeting location and time, how the book club will be run, and the goals for the book club. Depending on the seriousness level of the group, you may want to do a bit of research on the author, time period, etc. Apr 03, 2020 so we reached out to a handful of authors to get their tips on how to host a successful book club virtually. Meeting place selection of a venue for regular meetings of the book club is the first essential thing to be decided by the members of the group.

The right length depends on the book s difficulty and when youll be meeting next. Jul 30, 2019 be sure to create a reading schedule and meeting dates. How to start a successful book club in 6 simple steps oprah daily. View a book club planning check list downloadable pdf.

One way to include all members is to write questions on an index card for e. Feb 27, 2017 literary book decor, a surprising theme, cocktails of course, and even a book swap or a donation bin celebrate the true spirit of the month. Moving forward, every member should have a voice, with the group reserving veto power in case too many have already read. At the first meeting, pass around a piece of paper and have people write down their contact information clearly then type it up and email a copy to each member after the meeting. By letting others in the book club answer first, you will promote conversation and help everyone feel like their opinions matter. There are also online resources that help book clubs coordinate information. Start with a small guest list get set up for a video chat on zoom consider employing virtual meeting features anticipate awkward pauses what. Jun 28, 2018 most readers start a book club with a fair bit of optimism.

Keep to a schedule, stick to your proposed theme, and prepare questions to help stimulate conversation. Find resources for your book club, whether it meets in your living room or across cyberspace. Looking for a fun way to enjoy books and meet new people. Take the hyphen book club, created by author emma gannon. Openended questions help ignite discussions involving the whole group. She uses a dedicated instagram account to host her monthly book club. At the first meeting, put everyones name on a slip of paper and put it in a bowl to choose the next host at random. You can do this in batches where you create all the due dates at one time. Dont let the entire time pass without a silent reading period.

The first thing you should do is figure out who will come to your book club. To get your book club going it might be wise to start by reading a short paper. For the first meeting, it makes sense for you to suggest the title and prepare a few discussion questions. Book club ideas that will totally impress your friends. Jan 23, 2019 the first step in planning a book club meeting is to work with the local library on lining up some selections. Come up with a perfect starter book, then figure out how much the members need to read for the next meeting. If its in your home, you might want to keep it to eight or less. The host can decide whether to have the book club party at her house or at a separate venue, such as a restaurant or a coffee shop. In fact, differing opinions make the best discussions. Lastly, throw in a few extra pillows and cushions to give the area a more homely, colorful, and welcoming quality. Heres how you can start a fun and engaging book club. Mar 10, 2015 our book club was quite small at first but since i hadnt established any rules the group quickly grew exponentially.

Theres nothing like sipping on chardonnay, enjoying small bites, and discussing the summers hot read with friends, new and old. Here are some neat ideas for your next meeting see more ideas about starting a book, book club, book club books. That way we can reserve book club meetings on our calenders and schedule other things around them. That way, everyone will have something ready to contribute.