I love a good book and have been known to read two of three books at one time. However, I will mention that a life coach did tell me that that was not a good habit to pursue!
I personally have belonged to various book clubs over the years. These book clubs provided the opportunity to read books I never would have considered reading. When my guys were little, I belonged to a book club and we had a standing meeting day of the third Monday of the month. We were a diverse group but we had many, many interesting and stimulating conversations over the years. To this day I have very fond memories of that group and they were a saving grace for me on many, many occasions. Except for the time that the host informed us that a big black snack was in her house and she had not located it. Now, that’s a story for another time!
Starting a book club can be a fun and rewarding experience for readers. Here are six tips to help you start a successful book club:
- Define your goals: What do you hope to achieve by starting a book club? Do you want to foster a community of readers, discuss books in-depth, or simply have a social outing? Knowing your goals will help guide your decisions as you plan your book club. This is very important to manage expectations. Consider what types of books you would like read. Would you like a variety (fiction, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction) or do you want to stick with a specific genre?
- Choose your members: Invite people who share your love of books and are interested in participating in discussions. In my experience 5-8 people is a good amount of participants. This provides the opportunity for everyone to participate.
- Establish a meeting schedule: Decide on a regular meeting time and place that works for everyone. This can be in-person or virtual, depending on your preferences and current circumstances. In my experience, a book club works best when all members are committed to attending on a consistent basis and also helps to foster trust.
- Decide on your book selection process: You can choose books by taking turns selecting a book, voting on a list of suggestions, or using a random selection method. Consider using a theme to guide your book choices, such as historical fiction or memoirs. In my current book club, we all bring several selections and pick out a year at a time.
- Plan your discussions: Prepare a list of discussion questions or prompts to guide the conversation and keep it focused. Encourage members to come to meetings with their own questions and thoughts on the book.
- Set some guidelines: Establish some ground rules for respectful discussions, such as not interrupting others or using personal attacks. You may also want to establish a code of conduct for your book club, such as a policy on spoilers or late arrivals.
Starting a book club can be a fun and fulfilling way to connect with others and explore new books. It also helps in developing YOUR TRIBE. By following these tips, you can create a welcoming and engaging environment for fostering friendship and continuing to improve your brain health!
Action Step: Identify and contact five friends to start a book club.
