Need a little inspiration for your book clubs next read. Weve always been avid readers and not just because of that intoxicating old book smell, and since emma watson debuted her book club earlier this year, weve been feeling super inspired to start our own club with the bookish babes in our lives. Libraries have long embraced the reading public and provided public forums for book discussion, long before talkshow host oprah winfrey renewed interest in book clubs in 1996. Websites like are free to join, easy to use, and allow all the members of your club to post on a communal site. Oct 14, 2015 find more advice on starting your book club in nikkis guide. Feb 05, 20 top 5 tips for a successful book club wallace yovetich feb 5, 20. You can also try joining real simples noobligation book club. Here are a few tips to help make your reading group a. How to start a book club that doesnt suck book riot. All of my teen programs start with a few minutes to chat and catch up, as i have discovered that nothing really gets done unless the teens can talk a bit first.
Combine the book reading with a regularly scheduled discussion meeting to double the impact of the book. Setting a proper focus for your book club can help alleviate frustration and disappointment down the road for yourself and other book club members of your group. Your group should be a venue for hearing what your community is reading and what books they love, not just a way for the library to market itself. Ten tips for a successful book club the reading club. Also, dont let something super fun and enriching like a book club become a burden. Tap into book ideas and readytogo discussion guides from emma watson, reese witherspoon and.
Apr 07, 20 ive been asked on twitter by a few different people how i runfund my high school book club, so i decided i should write a post about it. Tips and tricks want to know more about using our graphic medicine book club kits. Some groups might have a consistent moderator for example if your group is run by the local library, a librarian will probably lead the meetings. If you belong to a book group yourself, you will know that the pleasure of reading is. Have each member of the group make a yearlong reading resolution. Rules to make your book club run smoothly thoughtco. Below are our articles on the subject of running a book club. I started running a book club about a year ago now. Running a book club quick guide to chatterbooks reading agency. Whether youre picking your book club suggestions as a group or looking for the best book club books to choose from for an individual choice, these 29 options will have you covered.
Tips for running a book club for kids from the mixedup. A policy about when and how to invite guests or new. Often times this means reading the newest sff books when they come out. Book clubs are a great way to get people together who share a common love for reading. Book clubs at work can play a number of different roles. Join us for a short webinar exploring book clubs with matthew noe, including a case study from your ner staff. Joining a book club can seem impossible, if you dont know where to look. Its your favorite night of the month except when one member doesnt like the novel or forgets to bring the pita chips she signed up for.
This can be something like vowing to read new authors or explore a new genre. Size very small groups can make for short discussions, while large groups can make for tricky organization. Your cousin mortie from montana may be in town for the week, but that doesnt mean he should come with you to book club. If you dont have anywhere to meet in person, you can start a virtual book club using social media or video chatting. How to run a teen book club teen services underground. The 3 most important tips for running a book club off. What other tips do you have for how to start a book club. Ive only had experience with mine, so ill share how ours is organized and why i believe weve had such endurance. Interested in starting a book club but unsure where to start. You can focus on a specific author, genre, time period, or topic. Your guide to starting a book club in your school oxford. From chicklit to historical fiction to nonfiction that reads like a. Matt long the long run, chris lear with alan webb sub 4.
Alan webb and the quest for the fastest mile, and leslie heywood pretty good for a girl. We have monthly authorled book discussions, and the biggest most fun summer book club party there is. I am also been in charge of my schools book club since junior year, and now we are about 40 members strong. Even though there are many online book clubs on the internet, you can start your own online book club. Starting and running a book club can be a challenging but very rewarding venture. It had already been going for nearly 5 years before i moved to columbus, but the facilitators kept moving, so it had changed hands a few times. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission. Insist that discussion time be limited to the book. Mary burnham is dubray books book club coordinator. May 22, 2014 technology opens up the book club experience to a whole new group of people the library might never have reached with an inperson book club, says sacramento public librarys calhoun.
Then here are awesome tips and suggestions on how to start a book club. If youre tempted to set up a childrens book group im of course happy to share more ideas or be a sounding board just get in touch. Weve got great ideas for organizing a book club meeting tips on how to lead a book discussion and good book club etiquette. Lets face it, book clubs are fantastic in theory, but theyre really hard to pull off. It seems like every date works except for one person. Running a book club quick guide to chatterbooks reading. Im still working on improving it, so if you run a book club id love to know what you do to make it fun. Peruse them for ideas of what you can do each month to liven up your meetings. I wanted to talk about how our book club changed and evolved into the amazing and fun group it is now and share with you. However, whether youre an avid reader or not, its a fun excuse to share ideas and some wine with a few friends. Some clubs meet online, many meet inperson either in homes or public places such as a library, bookstore or cafe.
Jan 22, 2015 i hope its given you a flavour of different ways childrens book groups can be run by people just like you. Their site provides a number of useful hints and tips to setting up a group. Your list of choices may feel like its neverending because there are over a million different books to choose fromliterally. A book club is not only a good way to share a common interest, but it is also a fun way to socialize in general. Tips and suggestions for starting and running an awesome book. Better yet, make your club official and create a place to share with each other on book movement. I really like the idea of bake sales for book club. Consider starting a blog or an online forum to keep track of the club. 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. Nov 08, 2010 home book lists tips for running a book club for kids tips for running a book club for kids i wrote previously about books that hit and miss with boys book groups, but books are only a part of what makes a book club successful, and not even the most important aspect. While it doesnt have an assigned book, i do the administrative type work it takes to run the club, like choosing venues that can house large.
The secrets of running a successful book group childrens. Running a bookclub by dymphna flynn producer, bookclub and peter guttridge. This handbook tells you what you need to know about setting up and running a successful chatterbooks club. Of course, some book clubs are purely recreational. Below are some tasks that should be addressed by the club coordinator. You can get monthly book recommendations and free teaching notes as part of our oxford education book club. Ask one employee to lead the discussion about the weeks assigned chapter or two. Apr 30, 2014 one of the key roles of running a book group is to read the books before they are shared with the group. I wrote previously about books that hit and miss with boys book groups, but books are only a part of what makes a book club successful, and not even the most important aspect. This handbook tells you what you need to know about setting up and running a successful. Sometimes fitting a book club into friends schedules can feel like musical chairs. The reading agencys reading groups for everyone is a network of bookgroups from across the uk, with information on setting up and running book groups. But running a book club is something this introverted girl had never done and i ran into a few challenges that i didnt expect. One of the best pairings with our wine is a good book club.
You want to ask questions that are openended and help people talk about themes and how the book relates to deeper issues. Its targeted at 812 year olds and weve been going about 7 months now. The following represent monthly tips that we have shared with book groups over the years. I wanted to talk about how our book club changed and evolved into the amazing and fun group it is now. Read tips and advice for running a book club from the okanagan regional library orl. Tips and suggestions for starting and running an awesome book club. Have a good topic of discussion to start the conversation and make sure to have some more ready to introduce if the conversation flags, goes off topic, starts to repeat itself or gets uncomfortably contentious. Tips for running a successful, sustainable book club. Then, decide on a place for your book club to meet, like your house or a local library.
If you are in a book club and have some ideas to share, id love to hear from. The role of club coordinator in a book club as the book club evolves, the role of the group coordinator will change. In our more modern, connected, and everbusy age, however, traditional library book clubs have been undergoing a quiet revolution. Whats not to like about taking the best parts of english classreading and discussionbut trading tests and homework for lattes or cocktails. What makes or breaks the club on the first day is the presence of other kids. Librarians reimagine book clubs with the help of technology. Once a month i run as a volunteer a childrens reading group at our local public library. Form an employee book club see success stories in which a group of employees voluntarily read the same book. When youre starting a book club it helps to set some ground rules to help ensure that all of your attendees feel welcome and want to return. Brush up on your netiquette, and post meeting reminders for your book club, discuss whos bringing what snacks or simply encourage each other to read the assigned chapters. All the light we cannot see by anthony doerr, the girl on the train by paula hawkins, the rosie project by graeme simsio. How to start a successful book club photo credit and tutorial for painting book covers. Some clubs hold book discussions first and invite social members to join afterward.
Sometimes, the focus is professional development in a particular area. Tips for running a book club 1 what should you read. Reading group guides includes reading group guides for many different titles. If you cant see what you are looking for our other categories are displayed on the left under our quick links. 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. Want an excuse to get out once a month or a reason to pick up a good book. The best thing about starting your own is that you can design it to reflect your particular reading. If the book youre discussing has one its certainly worth printing it out. Lucky for you, weve put together the book club tips and resources youll need to get your book club up and running. Goodreads is basically a dream come true for anyone running an online book club, so if you arent familiar yet, its about time. Jul 25, 2017 interested in starting a book club but unsure where to start. The 3 most important tips for running a book club off the. The easiest way to get around this is to plan in advance and keep to a schedule. Other times, the focus might be something more general like leadership practices.
Some of the rules may seem like common sense but making sure everyone is on the same page helps avoid unnecessary conflict. Many books suitable for book clubs have discussion guides. Theres nothing like sipping on chardonnay, enjoying small bites. It had already been going for nearly 5 years before i moved to columbus, but the facilitators kept movi. Book club kit this kit is designed to assist in the establishment and running of book clubs. The band wife raise your hand if youve ever joined a book club, dutifully read the book and showed up to find that 75% of the people hadnt actually read any of the book, there was an obligatory 5 minutes of book discussion and then everyone sat. Weve put four new spins on the traditional book club to help you host events that everyone will love to be part of. Also, avoid questions that have simple yes or no answers. Running a book club might sound like an easy, straightforward thing to do, but its harder and more rewarding than you might think. From chicklit to historical fiction to nonfiction that reads like a novel, theres a book here for every book club. These tasks may be delegated to other club members. Deciding on a specific theme will help narrow down your list of books.
Members have a relationship with one another that changes when new people enter. We have prepared a list of tips to help you choose a book. If youre having trouble getting your book club off the ground or looking for new ways to keep your current group energized, think outside the oldschool rules. There are lots of book clubs out there now, and theres more than one way to run a successful one. Want to know more about using our graphic medicine book club kits. Ive been running a school book club for 3 years now. If you and several friends are already interested in reading, your book club is well on its way. Our book club consisted of military wives all stationed overseas.
Book clubs are a great way to meet people, to actually fit some leisure reading into your schedule, and to learn. Tips and suggestions for starting and running an awesome book club want an excuse to get out once a month or a reason to pick up a good book. There are so many reasons to be part of a book club. We recommend seven or eight to start and no more than 20. Having established rules can be especially important if you are starting a book club thats open to the general public. Tackling lifes big challenges through the proven power of reading. Remember that the theme of your book may determine the atmosphere of your book club.
Running walking book clubs 1 reply when the bcla readers advisory interest group minutes went out to the listserv last week, i was excited to learn that richmond public library will be leading a walking book club this summer in. General tips when writing your own book club discussion questions, avoid questions that are too general, like what did you think of the book. Setting up a book club in school reading groups and book clubs are a hugely popular way of engaging readers and are a way into opening the box of reading delights. Starting a book club is easier than you may think, but it all begins with a clear intention. The role of a moderator will vary from group to group. In addition, our book club coordinators are always available to assist. Top 5 tips for a successful book club wallace yovetich feb 5, 20. Tips and suggestions for starting and running an awesome.
Lack of time, scheduling conflicts, mobility issues. Lets face it, book clubs are fantastic in theory, but theyre really hard to pull off successfully in real life. If you always wanted to run a book club at your workplace but didnt know where to start, this article will give you a bunch of tips thatll help you set up shop. Tips for running a book club okanagan regional library orl. How to start a successful book club everyday reading. Sep 08, 2019 to start a book club, start by finding a small group of people who all love to read, like friends, family members, or coworkers. Jan 29, 2009 need a little inspiration for your book club s next read.