Book Clubs

When I was invited to join my first book club, just the thought of the commitment of finishing a book I didn't pick sounded daunting. Fortunately, I squashed that thought and gladly and gratefully accepted the invitation. Today, I am a member of two book clubs and thoroughly enjoy them both! One meets in the evening and the other meets at lunch.

One book club began as an investment club almost 20 years ago. I wasn't a member when the women were working on investments but many of the current members were! The other reading club I actually started after talking to some friends about a book I had read. They had read the same book and we loved our brief discussion about it in the grocery isle and wished we had more time!  A few days later I contacted them with the idea of starting a book club and suggested they each invite a friend or two. We've been meeting for a few years now and our method of discussing and choosing books has evolved quite nicely.

There are many ways to structure a successful book club and as with most things in life, one size DOES NOT fit all.

 The club that meets in the evening rotates among each member's home every month with the hostess providing the drinks. This particular group serves wine, soda and water and each member brings an appetizer while one person is assigned a dessert. We have chosen categories each month so we are sure to cover many genres. (Ex. Biography, mystery, action, classics, etc.) People bring suggestions to fit the particular genre. February is Wild Card month so the suggestions were broad and exciting! We usually discuss the book by reading questions from the back of the work or questions obtained online.

As I am writing this, it sounds like we are stiff and formal but it is really just a format to follow. The discussions are invariably stimulating and the community is friendly and entertaining. Sometimes the discussion of the book can be related to popular culture. We were all quite amused when we realized that our discussion kept veering back to the recent episode of "Downton Abby."

Looking forward to March's selection. 

                                         




The group that meets at noon operates much differently. It was voted that we meet every other month. It works best for us if one person chooses the book, lunch location and leads that month's discussion. We go alphabetically so there is plenty of time to decide what book the group will read. We usually meet at a restaurant but our newest member has invited us to her house for lunch when it is her choice.

There are so many wonderful things about a book club but a few of my favorites are the different perspectives on a piece of writing, the friendship and laughter and the fact that I am reading and enjoying books that I would have never been interested in opening! If you are not a member of a book club but enjoy reading, take the plunge! Start your own book club. It has been so rewarding! Happy Reading!