Picking a book for a monthly book club doesn't always seem so daunting. But after a while it seems as if ideas are few and far between. In The Book Club it seems we were often going from feast to famine. Sometimes we would have several suggestions that would carry us through several months of reading. Then other times no one would come with any ideas. This club was set up for everyone to bring suggestions and we would, as a group choose what to read.
Many times, the problem would be that we had all read very good books, but they really wouldn't generate much discussion. And book club - after all - is for generating much discussion... About the book read, preferably but often as with Sunday School - rabbits are chased. Book discussion forgotten.
Well, I've been away from The Book Club now for four months (however they did come visit me here one month - I am so grateful) and I'm missing the camaraderie of fellow readers. - whether discussing a chosen book OR chasing rabbits. So I've been toying with the idea of starting The Book Club 2nd Edition :) here in my new home city.
I've done a little research. I've found some great ideas.
- go in alphabetical order
- when it's your turn, you choose the book and the place to meet
- the one who has chosen can either come with their own discussion questions OR
- the previous month tell members to each bring 2 discussion questions of their own.
Or choose books this way but still have only one person come prepared with the discussion questions. I have learned from experience DON'T come to book club with no discussion questions - because the discussion will probably not happen.
I want to start a new book club in September. I haven't yet decided exactly how it's going to "run". Many times you will need to try several ideas to find one that will fit your group. There is no right or wrong way to do this.
These are some of the books by my bed. What I've found is I always want to suggest a book that I've read. - That way I know if it was good - and if it was, I always want to share it. But then you have the dilemma of having already read the book chosen. That happened me quite often. There really isn't any way to avoid that other than going by book reviews to choose a book that no one has read.
Now I'm going to chase a rabbit! But only for a moment. This is the book I am currently reading. Great book. If the picture isn't clear enough it is "Old Books, Rare Friends" by Leona Rostenberg & Madeleine Stern. As those from The Book Club will attest, I never - or maybe I should say, very seldom do I read a book without these little flags and I mark passages that I may want to share at club or that I may want to use for future quotes. You will even notice I have a flag stuck on the front of the book marking which woman was which. I need to picture the people as I'm reading. At the beginning of the book, I kept forgetting which was which so I marked Leona. It works for me. I would suggest it for you.
Another rabbit, another of The Book Club members gave me this idea YEARS ago - if the book has many characters to remember, make a list of the characters and a small notation about them so while reading you can keep track of who's who.
Now - I'm tired, no more running after rabbits.
Books I'm thinking of for future book club meetings:
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
- Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
- Old Books Rare Friends (mentioned above)
- The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
- The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Nighttime by Mark Haddon
- Little Bee by Chris Cleave
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