Book Club Information

[LisaG]

Would ya'll be willing to share ideas on starting face-to-face, as well as online book clubs.....and what keeps them going and successful! I think that would be some interesting information~ It seems a lot of you have a lot of experience.... I have been checking out your sites/ blogs as fast as I can! There is just NOT enough time in the day LOL!
Lisa :)

[Tricia]

I've been in two different face-to-face book clubs that have run the same kind of way. One person is assigned to bring a few books to share with the group, and then the group votes on which one they want to read. That person is in charge of "leading" the discussion at the next meeting. We also have one person bring a treat. So there are three people who have assignments at each book club:
1. Discussion leader
2. Treat bringer
3. Book choice bringer (who is the discussion leader the next month)

[Andi]

I wrote a piece for eHow (my freelance gig last summer) about how to lead online book discussion:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2049842_lead-online-book-clubs.html

[LisaG]

Thanks ladies!
Lisa :)

[Melissa]

My in person group does it a bit differently than I've ever experienced before. We have one person "in charge" (it was the same person for 7 years, but she burned out, and I took over recently), who makes up the list of suggestions from others. She assigns two books per month, and the deal is read one, read both or don't read any. A lot of people like the freedom to choose between the two books, but I've found that it kind of limits the discussion. A lot of the time is spent "selling" people on one or the other of the books. (And so, I'm considering changing it to something along the lines of what Tricia described, if enough people are willing.)

As for the Nook, each month a new "host" picks a theme (we kind of just fell into that, I think) and three books. We vote on the books, and the highest number wins. I think it works because it's democratic -- sometimes everyone picks the one you wanted to read, sometimes they don't -- and it's fair. Everyone gets a turn, if they want it, and everyone gets a say. I also like the way we run the discussion... the "host" puts up questions, and we all chime in whenever we get a chance (even if it's months after the "discussion" finishes...). It's always interesting to hear what people have to say, and there everyone gets a turn (if they want it); there's no obnoxious people drowning out others.

[Angie Fox]

I started a face-to-face book club by inviting friends and asking them to do the same. We started with about 10 women and it's grown to about 15 over time. Still, about a dozen of us are at any given meeting. Each month, a person volunteers to be the next host and that person picks the book. We try to select something that's readily available in the library, for members who don't want to buy every month. Then we have an internet chat group where we'll talk about our book as we read it.

We'll also plan the book club menu around the book we read. Like when we read Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife, we did an English tea theme. In October, we'll probably have a gothic book of some type and we'll make dirt cake and tombstone cookie appetizers. It keeps things fun.

Also, we're very laid back. If someone hasn't finished the book or - heck - if the month has gotten away and they haven't even read it yet, that's fine. They can come for the fun and hear the discussion. It's just a really nice night out.

[Brenda Branson]

You can check out what we did with our summer book club at my school blog, Book Bag Blogs.

[Susan]

I was looking for a book club where we discuss books with a little socializing. What I found here was there was more socializing and less book discussion.
I would try on my own. But there wasn't anybody interested. Then about 4 yrs. ago, I found one. Little old shy me, became the moderator, and ran the book club. It kind of fell in my lap. I don't know what happened but I was not quiet any longer. We started with 4. Then other people from our organization found out, and it kept building and building, At first our book club, became mine. I was picking the books,
and making all the decisions. Then after a year, I decided everyone needs to own the book club. We were meeting in the same place and time, but no one was picking the books except for me. We were meeting in a coffee/used book store until they had no choice.
This month, we decided the person who is the hostess of the month runs the book club for the month. I really think this will work. Because everyone takes ownership. I started a book blog that started in July. This is a great way to connect to other readers is book blogging. WARNING you can become a book blog junkie. There is a Book blogs called booksonthebrain, where she posts installments of how to run a book club. She does have some good ideas. There readingguide.com and bookreporter.com,book bookbrowse.
Book bloggers put links on their blogs. Hope this helps.

[Hagelrat]

book geeks have just started an online book group. Still working out the details, but so far so good.
http://www.bookgeeks.co.uk/