How to Form a Book Club

Reading is an addiction of mine for years, although literature class in school was never my favorite, I held a deep passion for discussing books with others to discover new things that I had skimmed over while reading. For years, I kept thinking about hosting a book club however was not sure how to go about hosting one. None of my friends showed that much interest in books that I had mention, unless Vogue Magazine counts, but the thought still prevailed. Hence, below is a list that will assist any newcomer into creating a book club that fits the needs of the readers.

1. Gathering. Reading through different articles on reading clubs, I gained excitement however I feared that I would be the only person in my book club. Gathering friends sounds easy however my friends (although I love them all) were not of the "reading novel types." Therefore, I suggest talking to friends, co-workers or neighbors to discuss forming a club. Yes, many of them will grin and say "why, that's a lovely idea however I am not sure I have the time." Do not get discouraged, tell them to just keep it in mind and pass the word on. Tell everyone that you come across that you can get along with for a few hours a month. Talk to teachers at the kids school, hair stylists, mailperson and so - you might be surprised. Although sneaky, I lured everyone in by telling them I had wine and appetizers to entertain us while we chat about the books that we have read. Food always works!

2. Determine Location. For the first meeting, I suggest meeting at your house, local library or small coffee house. Some libraries have free meeting rooms that are available for reading clubs; they are usually a little stuffy and not comfortable. In addition, if your idea is to lure everyone in by food, it is important you double check with the library to assure food is allowed in the booked room. For my book club, I chose to have a reading club in my house so that it was comfortable and no one had to go out of the way to find the library. Then, I had wine and baked homemade bread to make the smell of the house feel comfortable - which is the most important thing for a book club.