Book Club- How To Start Your Own

I was a loyal member of a book club in Utah with a big group of friends for about four years. I met new friends and became closer to old friends, I loved that book club. When I moved to Connecticut I brought up the idea of starting a book club to four friends and they all told me they do not read or they were already in a group. So I dropped the idea. Until recently when I was working on a clients home and we realized we knew a couple of the same people. I brought up the idea of book club, again, I just couldn’t let it die for me in Connecticut. Luckily they were all in!

I recently shared on my Instagram a piece of advice I heard from one of my favorite Podcasts, Happier by Gretchen Rubin. They said “Do something every day that cannot be undone!” Basically it will make us happier if we are able to do something that is different than the day before. Something that you will not have to redo the next day. For example; the laundry, the dishes, vacuuming. It challenged me to think of something I look forward to, and that is reading books and discussing them, both are things that cannot be undone. Not to mention I could always use more friends, especially after moving to a new state, and an excuse to get together with them.

I heard someone say “the key to happiness is deep relationships.” I agree 100% with that. Whenever I have a meaningful conversation with someone I always leave happier. So now you know why I really wanted to start a book club, this is how I started it.

1. INVITE- Ask friends (or someone that you met that you would like to be better friends with) if they are interested in a book club. If you get a no, don’t quit and don’t take it personal, some people don’t like to read, or don’t have time. Just keep asking. Once you have a friend say yes, they invite a friend of theirs, and so on!
2. START COMMUNICATION– We got five women to give me a YES they would love to join a book club. Then I started a text group. Once you invite someone, have them invite a friend of theirs. Two people make a club, but it is always fun with a lot more, we typically have anywhere from 10-20!
3. SET A DATE–  If you are starting this group take charge and suggest a date. I decided to throw out the first Thursday of every month, keeping it consistent.
4. PICK A BOOK– I suggest picking an easy book that is not too long for your first book club book. And make sure to give everyone a month to read it. You also do not have to review a book. You could review an article, a podcast, one friend had a mini screen play we read for book club that month!
5. BUILD EXCITEMENT– For the first book club I wanted to make it extra fun, it was in December, so we made it a party and had everyone bring a $15 favorite thing gift and played the favorite things game. It is the best night!!!
6. THEME IT UP– One book we read Necessary Lies. It was set in the South and mentioned biscuits several times, so obviously we needed biscuits! Maybe this will stress you out and that is not my intention. I think you can still keep it easy and simple while making it fun and finding a snack to serve that goes along the era of the book.
7. FIND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS– You can google “book club questions” for any book you are reading and I guarantee you will find several options of great questions. Or look at the back of the book, they typically have them there. Make sure to read through the questions and pick your favorite ones. Sometimes the host just starts a discussion, personally I like to print questions and have everyone take a question, so everyone feels included. Typically the hostess kicks it off and she reads the first question and gives her thoughts and everyone else chimes in! Then continue around the room in that fashion. It is the best way to hear from everyone in the group- so the more out-spoken ones aren’t the ones talking the entire time.
8. PLAN– We have selected books several ways before. One year we had everyone bring three choices for their book for the month they would be hosting then we all voted. With my new book club group we went around and everyone picked a month they wanted to host then picked their book. I do think it is best to pick the entire book line up for the year. That way those that are avid readers can read ahead. You can even pick a love story for February, a thriller for October and so on. My book club now we just pick the book for next month at the end of each book club.

These have been some of our FAVORITE BOOKS in our past Book Club-

• Educated– recent read and it was very good! A great one to discuss. It comes highly recommended too. Memoir by the Tara Westover, who overcame her survivalist, extremest family in order to go to college.
• The Glass Castle–this was everyone’s favorite book for the entire year, yes we voted at the end of the year on favorites and the person who picked the book got a prize!
• These Is My Words– one of my favorite books and my sisters too, I have read it a few times.
• Sarah’s Key– Sarah’s Key tells the intertwined stories of Sarah Starzynski, a ten-year-old Jewish girl living in Paris during World War Two, and Julia Jarmond, a forty-five-year-old American-born journalist living in Paris in 2002. For the first third of the novel, Sarah’s and Julia’s stories are intertwined, while the remainder of the book focuses on Julia’s story.
• Room
• Elizabeth Smart– really enjoyed reading her story, since I followed it so closely in the news when it happened, she is so strong.
• Memories of a Geisha
• The Secret Keeper
• Left To Tell
• An Invisible Thread
• A Voice in the Wind- The Lion Series– surprised how much I liked this series, Christian Romance.
• Necessary Lies
• The Rent Collector

Let me know your favorite books your book clubs read or your favorite book. Also I want to know if you are in a book club or are planning on starting one!

Find more book recommendations on THIS Gift Guide Blog Post!

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