Book clubs are a lot of fun- you get a chance to read new books, you can catch up with old friends or meet new people (depending on the book club), and usually eat some delicious food! However, if you are anything like me, the picking books part of book club can be a little stressful. What if I pick an unknown book and everyone (including me hates it), what if, conversely, everyone has read it and is bored because of it, and what if people make assumptions about me based on the book?? (Yes, these are thoughts that I have had…) These are the tried and true ways that I pick books for book club!
I love book clubs! I’m currently found myself in three different book clubs. I love reading, so being able to discuss and chat about books with other like minded people is pretty much one of my favourite things ever. I am finding that online book clubs is a great way to meet new readers and a fantastic way to see books from a very different perspective! In person book clubs tend to be more with people you know, so it’s a lovely way to get know your friends a little better. Part of being in a book club is picking a book, and I think I can speak for a lot of readers when I say, that is a very stressful proposal. There are so many things to consider when choosing a book that having a strategy helps!
Let the Group Decide
One somewhat easier method is to let the group decide the book! You can either call for suggestions and anyone can suggest anything, or ask every member to make one suggestion, with the decision either made by vote or random draw. I call for suggestions and then let everyone vote for my own online book club, as I think that it makes you feel more involved (important for an online group)! In either case, it stops people from feeling sour or upset that their book wasn’t chosen. It also makes the whole choosing bit far less stressful, as I think we would all think less about a suggestion than a definitive book being chosen! (The only risk you run with this is that some people may be upset if their suggestion is never chosen, but what can you do!)
Determine a Niche for the Book Club
If you throw a book club open to any book ever written, you might lose a lot of people. I know quite a few readers who will skip that month/meeting if they really don’t want to read the book- if it happens several months in a row, you may have lost people for good. If you decide that the group will read all fiction, preferably with a historical view (as an example), everyone will know exactly what they are in for. All classics? People know what to expect! In my book club, we alternate each quarter between fiction and non-fiction, and limit gratuitous violence and sex. If someone really dislikes non-fiction, they may be sitting out for this quarter but know that they can expect fiction for the next! I am a fairly adventurous reader but I understand that some people really prefer reading within a few specific genres, and although it makes picking the book a little trickier, they often have much to contribute to the discussion because of it.
Pick a Book You’ve Read
I know that a lot of people feel otherwise about this one, but I would recommend picking a book that you have already read! You will know if it is a dud, if there is a lot to evoke discussion, or if it’s generally just an odd book that maybe isn’t suited so well to a book club. It can really help to have someone familiar with the book lead the discussion, and if you’ve read it for a second time, you probably have more insights and thoughts to share. I know that not every book club has someone lead the discussion but even if there is no formal leader, it can help to have some more familiar keep it going.
Also, picking a book that you have read helps weed out books that require an extraordinary amount of background information or previous knowledge; those can read be book club buzzkills!
Have an Open Mind
This goes for both choosing and reading books for book club- always have an open mind! You can discover some absolutely wonderful books that you never expected, and sticking strictly with books you know inside and out (or skipping books that aren’t in a specific genre) really limits you. Be willing to try different books, and be open to new authors and genres! You never know what discussions might come out of a book, and what you might learn about someone from them. You also can’t expect anyone else to be open to your book choices and your discussion points if you are dismissive of theirs; respect should always be shown for others’ thoughts! I think it’s also more enjoyable to find a book when you love when you weren’t expecting it, and you could miss out on
Give Ample Time For Reading
One of my biggest tips for a book club is to give more than enough time for people to read the book! I myself can make my way through a book in a day, if I’ve decided that’s all I want to do. However, people have busy lives. They have job, families, pets, teams, side hustles, and countless other things. Announce your selection as far ahead as possible. This is especially important for people borrowing the book from their library, as they may have months to wait before it comes in. And yes, I know that there will be some people who will just put it off until the hours before, but there are people who want to read ahead and be ready to contribute!
What book would you recommend for a book club? How do you pick a book for your book club?
Cheers,
The Historian
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I absolutely love your collection of books and often look closely in your pictures for the titles. As an international relations major, history is one of my favourite subject to read for. I have recently gotten Londonopolis and am so excited to read and review it! I have a mild British history obsession and your collection of books always satisfies it.
Thanks a lot!
Oh, that makes me so happy to hear!! (I always wonder if anyone actually notices which books I feature haha) I actually will have a gift guide for historians and history lovers going up in mid-October, and there are quite a few books on it ??
I have only belonged to one bookclub. I was invited to join by a good friend who had been in it for a long time. All the other women had known each other at work. I never really felt like I fit in. And then my friend moved away and I was still in ‘her’ bookclub. I kept going for another year, but it was awkward and I doubt they missed me when I left.
I feel like book clubs either need to be everyone knows each other or no one knows each other, for this very reason!! Before each book starts in my book club, I like to throw some “get to know me” questions so that we all can feel comfortable with everyone. I do think it is perhaps easier to do it online, though!! (If you want to join us, none of us know each other in real life 🙂 )
I hate leaving shopping until the last minute. I usually go in October or November and do most of it together.
Rachael | https://rachaelstray.com/
My mom is great at doing all of her shopping in a few days!! I wish I had the stamina to fit it in a few a weeks ?