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From Oprah to living rooms and bookstores, there's no mistaking the explosive growth of book clubs and reading groups over the last several years.
But how do you start and run a group? How do you keep the conversation rolling? And most importantly, how do you have fun in the process? This primer will help get the pages turning.
1. Getting started
The best way to start your own group may be to ask a few friends who like to read - three or four is enough to start with -- whether they'd join. You might also try posting notices at the library or in a local coffee shop, bookstore or college bulletin board.
Once you've recruited members, schedule an initial meeting to discuss logistics: where and how often you'll meet, who'll provide the snacks (an essential for many groups), and, of course, what you'll read. You might have everyone name some favorite authors and books to help determine the best common ground.
Your group doesn't have to have a leader, though sometimes the person who started the group becomes the de facto coordinator and/or moderator. Many groups find that the best discussion leaders are members with a passion for a particular topic or author. Alternatively, you might appoint the most experienced reader to lead discussions -- or simply rotate the job among all members. What works best will depend on your group. Together, you'll find the system that works best.
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2. Choosing books |
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The most popular choices for reading groups are genre fiction and memoir, but there are also groups that read poetry, history, biography and popular science. Many groups - including some of the most successful clubs in Barnes & Noble stores -- focus on a particular genre, subject or literary era. There are even groups devoted to a specific author: an ambitious reading project-say, Shakespeare's plays or Proust's In Search of Lost Time -- can be more rewarding when it's shared with a group.
Setting some limits can make choosing each book easier. By narrowing the field, you also increase the chance for useful comparisons between the different works your group reads. If you've decided to focus on fiction, you might have everyone in the group choose one book related to a theme: love, war, religion, art, travel or family, for example. Or you might want to explore the literature of a particular culture or time period. Use Book Browser to find books in your chosen genre, or books with similar themes. And decide how you're going to make the choice: A common approach is to have the group vote; other groups take turns.
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3. Talking about books |
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If you have a small group, you may not need any formal rules for discussion. Bigger groups may find that a moderator can help move the conversation along. It's sometimes helpful to have each member present a question, topic or favorite passage for the group to discuss. We also have online Reading Group Guides with suggested questions and discussion points for thousands of the most popular book club titles.
Have someone keep an eye on the clock to make sure everyone gets a turn - and reserve some time at the end of your meeting for open discussion, since new ideas often bubble up during the meeting.
Once you've selected a book and laid out a few ground rules for discussing it, what should you talk about? There are probably as many ways to read as there are readers, but here are some of the most common ways for reading groups to discuss a book:
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As a work of literature. This type of discussion focuses on the author's skill and the reader's aesthetic or intellectual response to the book. Readers of fiction might ask: How are the characters revealed? How does the narrative unfold? Is a compelling atmosphere created and sustained? Are the book's themes treated in an original or unusual way? How does the author's style contribute to (or detract from) the impact of the book? If you're reading nonfiction, you might ask whether the author's argument is convincing, whether enough evidence is presented to support his or her claims, and whether the writing style helps make the subject matter accessible.
As a cultural artifact. Some readers are most interested in what a book reveals about the historical and cultural circumstances of its author. Seen this way, a book can serve as a springboard for a discussion of social issues: you might discuss racism and injustice in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man; women's roles in Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth; the Holocaust in Elie Wiesel's Night. If you're reading contemporary works, you'll find they often have some resonance with current events, politics and issues in the news.
As a story with a point of view. Most readers look for reflections of their own experiences and beliefs in literature, and some of the most passionate book discussions center on the readers' agreement or disagreement with the author's point of view. To spark such a discussion, you might begin by asking what the book says about human nature. How does it portray justice, compassion, courage or wisdom? What motivates the characters to action? What actions does the author seem to condemn or approve? Do you agree? When group members share what moved, captivated or infuriated them, the conversation can quickly turn into an intense exchange about life and death, God and nature, society and the self.
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Any or all of these approaches can be used in each group meeting. However you proceed, your discussion will inevitably contain elements of individual experience and taste. It's OK if your group can't come to a consensus. Indeed, differences of opinion - shared in a civil manner and without insult -- can spice up the discussion.
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And don't worry if the discussion occasionally - or even frequently -- strays. The important thing is to have fun.
For further reading, see our listing of Guides and Resources for starting and running a reading group. |
