Are you interested in
starting your own book club? Let me give you some advice and helpful hints
we've learned during the course of our 100+ book clubs.
Number - The best number of
participants for a book club is 4-6 members. Fewer than 4 members and the
conversation can become stilted and dominated by one person. More than 6 and a
committee mentality develops. One person will lead the group, sidebar
conversations will occur and not everyone will get a chance to talk. Remember,
too, that it's unlikely everyone will be able to attend every book club.
Selection - Determine how you
want to choose your books. Are you partial to a particular theme or genre? Our
selections are very eclectic, including fiction, biography, history, science fiction,
even poetry and the Bible. Our rule is simple: we rotate the selection of the
title among the members, and there are no limits on the selection, but that
person is responsible for the discussion of the book.Similarly, we rotate the hosting duties. The
host is responsible for the selection of the single malt and refreshments.
Lately we've been using a blind taste test to try and minimize any bias in the
tasting. Two of our members are fanatical in their devotion to the art of
scotch whiskey, and we've all learned a great deal about the subject.
Facilitation - This is
probably the single greatest factor to the success of your club. Try to keep
the discussion on point, but allow plenty of opportunity for digressions. Over
the course of the evening, we will discuss everything from baseball to the
Second Coming of Christ, but remember that the ostensible reason for your
meeting is the book. In our group, the person who chose the book usually has a
few questions for the rest of us. Generally, these questions will cover a wide
range of issues, from the literary quality of the book to its relevance to our
world.The evening will be successful if
the host asks a question and everyone is given an opportunity to address the
question. The discussion leader should allow some latitude for digression, but
try to keep the discussion centered on the topic at hand until the issue has
been fully explored. If the discussion lags, just bring up politics.
Have fun! - Of our six
members, only one has been with the group less than 10 years. Over time, we
have all become very good friends. We talk about our significant others and
families, attend each other's parties and console one another when things are
bad. We've done weekend trips together and even traveled as a group to
Scotland for a
glorious week tasting single malts under the tutelage of some very
knowledgeable people. But most of all, we have fun. We tell jokes, razz each
other when things get too serious and make sure to find time to sing the book
club song. Each member takes their hosting responsibilities seriously so we
always eat and drink well.
Most of us have been
programmed to see books as work. In school we were given a short deadline to
read an important book and then write a paper describing its importance. Don't
get me wrong. I think there are important books, but I think many books can
bring up ideas that can initiate a stimulating discussion about important
questions: life, love, happiness, success. Finally, when the weight of the
important questions becomes too ponderous, there's nothing like a wee dram to
lighten the load.