Book clubs provide a wonderful forum for readers to talk about books and the reading experience and libraries contain many helpful resources for book groups. If you’re looking for a book club to join, check with your library. Libraries often provide meeting space for book clubs and many administer their own book discussion groups.
Most people feel inadequate when they first join a book group. After all, the number of books you’ve read has very little bearing on how well you’re able to talk about them. The following tips will help you show grace under fire and become an invaluable member of your book club.
By Neil Hollands
I know this seems obvious, but if you make the commitment to join a book club, find time for the reading and the meetings. People will notice if you consistently fail to finish the book or don’t show up. Once they do, it might not matter how brilliant your insights are, since they naturally will pay you less attention. If you can’t finish a book, it’s very important not to make a fuss. Don’t go on about everything that kept you from your reading or ask others to limit their discussion to avoid spoilers. They made sacrifices to read the book, so don’t expect sympathy if you didn’t. Contribute what you can and try to finish next time.
Background information always helps discussion. Look up the author’s biography or bibliography online. Read a review or two. If the title is older, find out which other authors were popular at the time. Better yet, print these materials and bring them to the group to pass around.
If you find a biography of the author with pictures, or a deluxe edition of the book, bring them along to share. How about pictures of the book’s setting? Or a related (or surprising) work by the same author? All of these will add depth and fun to your group’s discussion and help make you a popular member.
Like many readers, I’m a quiet person and can get tongue-tied in a social setting. If you’re like me, you might find it pays to prepare a few comments in advance of your next meeting. I’ve known some folks who even read their comments from a piece of paper. Most groups will be accepting and even appreciative if such comments are brief and well composed. Unless you’re an awful public speaker, though, it isn’t necessary to go that far simply note three aspects of the book you would like to discuss, then find the appropriate moments during the meeting to bring them up. With a little practice and forethought, you’ll find you can make better comments in the moment.
It’s understandable that you don’t want to come off as a know-it-all, but ‘ve seen many book-group participants take this to the opposite extreme, trying so hard to appear modest or self-effacing they practically erase themselves from the group. If you have the urge to apologize before each remark, to qualify every comment, or to constantly defer to other, “wiser” readers, swallow the self-effacement and just make your point. On the other hand, too-strong opinions can put other readers in an uncomfortable position. You might have hated the book, but to say so categorically isn’t likely to move the discussion forward. Similarly, unqualified praise leaves others with no role to play but that of wet blanket. Be specific and measured instead.
Book-group discussion is all about momentum, and nothing will make you unpopular faster than being the person who consistently throws the discussion off the rails. Don’t be so anxious to make your own points that you cut off others. Yes, the book might remind you of one of your favorite stories. Yes, someone else’s comment might have been the perfect setup for a joke. But don’t say every word that pops into your head. Instead, think about whether your comment is tangential or will leave others with nothing to say in reply.
Enthusiasm wears thin fast when half a dozen people blandly repeat that a book is “good” or “well-written.” Dig deeper. Talk about how the author handled conflict, or characters, or setting. Talk about pacing, or what you found suspenseful. Consider what you would do if faced with the dilemmas the characters faced. Note which sections you found believable and which you did not. Search for the author’s life experience in the book’s events.
Sometimes we get so excited to offer our next brilliant comment that we fail to listen. We change subjects prematurely or cut others off. You’ll make better conversation and better friends if you ask follow-up questions (particularly if someone’s point is good but not fully explained), provide examples for generalizations, or try rephrasing their comments. Book groups are a team sport, and often the most valuable player is the one who makes everyone else look good.
Neil Hollands is an adult services librarian, specializing in readers’ advisory, at Williamsburg Regional Library (VA).
Submitted by LitLovers.com.
You’ve elected—or have been elected—to lead a book club. Now what?
By Liz Kirchhoff
The best way to quell your nerves before your star turn is to thoroughly familiarize yourself with the material. Read the book and a few reviews as soon as you can. Give yourself as much time as possible to think about questions and themes, as well as which aspects of the book are most likely to interest your members.
Next you need to formulate discussion questions. In the realm of book-club leadership, a little Internet research goes a long way. If you’re feeling lazy, you can often simply poach discussion questions already there for the taking: try LitLovers, or search for the book on the publisher’s website.
Feeling more ambitious? Look up background information on book’s setting and events. Find YouTube videos about the topic at hand, or try a Google image search—a slide show will make you look and feel well prepared.
At the very least, find the author’s website or Wikipedia page and read her biography. As a bonus, author websites will often link to interviews, which can be a gold mine for thought-provoking questions.
Once you’ve got all the information you need, go through it and highlight questions, facts, and observations that seem like they’ll keep the discussion moving along. A little work now will help you feel a lot more confident later.
The other members have arrived and everyone has a drink in hand. It’s go-time.
One way to start the conversation is to think back to grade school. I always begin meetings of my own book club, which has a revolving membership, by having each person introduce herself and talk about the last book she’s read. Some members get really into it and give you a full book report, while others just mention a title. No matter how detailed the response, structured introductions can be a really great icebreaker—after all, most people who’ve taken the trouble of joining a book club love to talk about books.
Another easy way to start the conversation is with the book at hand. Explain why you chose the title. Did you connect with it emotionally? Were you taken with the story or fascinated by what you learned? Even if you have oodles to say, it’s best to keep it short, then open up the floor.
Or you can launch straight into questions. Some leaders like to ask everyone flat-out whether they liked the book. Some leaders ask at the start of the meeting if everyone enjoyed the book, then wrap up by taking a poll on whether anyone has changed her mind. In my club, I usually begin by asking readers not whether they liked the book, but what they thought of it. If you prefer to avoid starting the discussion with judgments, simply ask for general impressions.
As a book-club leader, it’s your job to direct the meeting in a productive way. To do so, you’ll need to pay attention to the pace and focus of the conversation. If you notice that it seems stilted or has veered off topic, ask a gentle, pointed question or two to shut down the side chatter that crops up whenever a conversation goes off the rails. Make sure to have the questions you prepared printed out in front of you. As the discussion moves forward, mark them off your list. This will keep you organized and give you an easy way to jump-start a stalled conversation.
It’s helpful to have†a few closing questions in your back pocket when you reach the end of your discussion. I use these standbys:
At this point, you can relinquish the reins to the person who chose the book for your next meeting, who can close things out with a short introduction of their selection. Take a sip of wine. Eat a cookie. You’ve earned it.
Liz Kirchhoff is an adult services librarian at the Barrington Area Library in the Chicago suburbs. She is a longtime book reviewer, has read for the American Library Association’s Notable Books Council, and was a member of the 2017 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction Selection Committee.
Basic Ground Rules
Some Do’s & Don’ts
Submitted by LitLovers.com.
Submitted by LitLovers.com.
If your book is a cultural portrait of life in another country, or different region of your own country, start with these questions:
Is your book club not running smoothly? Does it need a tune-up? In my years of moderating book clubs, I’ve learned that digression is the most prevalent problem. Interruptions can destroy the flow of discussion, create ill will between readers, and distract the group. Fear not: I’ve developed effective, tactful ways for book-group leaders to identify the source of interruptions and harness them for good.
By Neil Hollands
Groups employing themes often welcome digressions; groups reading a common book may be less amenable to wandering. Groups that acknowledge a social purpose to meetings expect time for other subjects, while groups that want serious book talk will frown on interruptions. If your group has never discussed its goals and intentions, and members are pulling in different directions, perhaps it is time for a friendly discussion about your collective expectations.
If your group seems reasonably happy, try not to get too worked up about interruptions. Some degree of ebb and flow is unavoidable—and often even desirable. Without it, conversation can become too stiff and formal.
When the meeting starts, ask each reader to identify one question or topic she would like the group to address. Write them down and make sure each one is discussed before the end of the meeting.
If your group frequently pulls in different directions, they could be dissatisfied with the books they’re reading, the discussions that typically occur, or the way the group is run. If you can identify a common theme to interruptions, consider making those themes the focus of your next meeting.
Maybe your group is too excited to talk to one another to fully appreciate the books. Try serving refreshments and chatting for fifteen minutes at the start of each meeting, taking formal breaks, or organizing drinks, dinner, or dessert afterward.
Consider dividing your discussions into major categories of literary analysis such as characters, plot, major themes, pacing, setting, style, and so on. Try to actively declare certain topics open and closed: follow up the first comment on a new subject by saying “X has introduced an interesting topic. Let’s explore that,” and signal an end to the topic by asking “Does anyone have anything else to say on the subject of Y?”
When an interruption happens, quickly and neutrally steer the conversation back to the interrupted person. “That’s an interesting idea, Y, but I don’t think we got to the bottom of what X said. Can you expand on your point, X?” If X seems flustered, try rephrasing what she or he just said.
If interruptions are frequent, point that out at the start of your next meeting. Make a simple, impersonal plea for everyone to try hard not to interrupt and take an extra breath before they start to speak. In most groups, this will at least create a temporary reprieve, and when it does, reinforce good behavior by thanking everyone for reducing their interruptions.
If interruptions are a chronic problem, consider a more formal discussion model that prevents them entirely. This might mean passing around an object to clearly identify which speaker has the floor, or it might mean giving each participant five minutes at the start of the meeting to say what he or she wants about the book before any discussion begins. It might even mean raising hands or formally moving through an agenda of questions or topics. This can make things a bit stiff, but when a book group has broken down, it’s better than the alternative.
Neil Hollands is an adult services librarian, specializing in readers’ advisory, at Williamsburg Regional Library (VA).
By Kaite Stover
There’s a question I always ask whenever I visit a book club: “What’s the best book you’ve ever discussed?”
This is a surefire way to start a lively discussion, one that always begins with the books the group has enjoyed and inevitably transitions to those they haven’t. Eventually, the group will conclude that the best books are those they never would have chosen for themselves. And as soon I hear a member say some variation of “This isn’t a book I would have found on my own — I’m so glad I read it,” I know I’ve found a title†I can recommend without hesitation.
After I’ve read a new title, I task myself with answering the following five questions before I present it as a potential book club selection:
If—and only if—my answers to these questions confirm a book’s suitability for sustained discussion, it goes on the list. But self-reflection and polling book groups aren’t the only ways to find titles that will provoke thoughtful conversation. Literary prizes, reading group guides, and web resources are just some of the myriad ways to find a great book. Here are some road-tested places where you can find titles sure to vanquish any future dull discussions.
By Kaite Stover
Check out these websites where librarians who advise book club readers and leaders turn when they need potential titles.
Booklist Online and The Booklist Reader
Booklist, a review journal published by the American Library Association, offers more than 180,000 book reviews on its website, as well as top 10 lists, author interviews, and much, much more. Its companion blog, The Booklist Reader, offers a vast variety of supplemental materials, from themed lists and author Q&As to book-club advice and reviews tied to the news of the day.
Goodreads
Wondering which books are trending in book groups? Goodreads has a page devoted to that. Some people love the users reviews on this site and others hate them, but there’s no denying they provide a valuable snapshot of readers’ response to†a mind-boggling array of titles.
IndieNext
The Indie Next List compiles the books independent booksellers are most excited about. The IndieNext Top Ten Reading Group Suggestions offers a great mix of nonfiction, essays, short stories, and poetry.
LibraryReads
This site provides an incredibly useful list, chosen by public librarians across the country, of the top-ten books published in a given month—great for book groups drawn to contemporary, popular selections.
LitLovers
Created by a former college English instructor with experience in speech writing and public relations, this site provides excellent resources for new book group readers and leaders. Don’t skip the LitFood page if your book club likes to eat. (And seriously, whose book club doesn’t?)
Reading Group Choices
Established in 1994 as a partnership between publishers, independent booksellers, libraries, and authors, this site’s section on favorite books is sure to inspire those starting a new group.
Reading Group Guides
Since 2000 ReadingGroupGuides.com has been the go-to website for book groups and features more than 4,350 discussion guides, contests, a “What’s Your Book Group Reading” feature, advice and ideas on starting and sustaining a group, reading suggestions, as well as newsletters and blogs on topics of interest to book groups. Content is updated twice a month.
The American Library Association’s many awards, honors, and lists provide a rich hunting ground for book groups. Winning, short-listed, and nominated titles for the following awards—both ALA and non-ALA—are particularly useful.
Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction
Since its establishment in 2012, the Carnegie medalists and finalists have been meaty books with layered characters, complex plots, and relevant themes.
Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards
This prestigious prize, established in 2015, will alert travelogue lovers to many worthy titles.
National Book Awards
Perhaps the most prestigious U.S. book awards; the National Book Foundation’s archives offer a great place to find hotly debated fiction and accomplished narrative nonfiction about a variety of intriguing subjects.
PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction
This is perhaps my favorite book award of all. Founded by Barbara Kingsolver, the Bellwether Prize goes to a manuscript of literary merit that addresses a social issue. Each title prompts a thoughtful examination of a timely societal concern.
PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Well Award for Biography
Biography lovers, this one’s for you!
The Royal Society Science Book Prize
This is the only major international prize given to popular science writing. Be sure to check out the Young People’s Book Prize, too.
Kaite Stover is the Director of Readers Services for Kansas City Public Library. To date, she provides book club support to 60 book groups in the Kansas City area. If you need more, find fun facts here.
Association of Book Group Readers and Leaders (AGBRL) is also known as the Association of Professional Book Club Facilitators, and is an information clearinghouse for readers, individuals and book groups. P.O. Box 885 Highland Park, IL 60035. Rachel Jacobsohn, Founder/Director
(E-mail: rachelj@interaccess.com).
Great Books Foundation is an organization designed to help booklovers begin their own discussion groups in schools, libraries, community centers, and private homes.
Library of Congress Center for the Book has a mission to sponsor programs that highlight their area’s literary heritage and promote the importance of literacy and libraries.
National Reading Group Month supports reading groups by promoting the love of reading and literature through nationwide events, and providing tips for enhancing book discussions.
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