How To Start a Bookclub

One of life's pleasures is leveraging your current interests or hobbies to engage with the community around you. Discovering others who share your passions can be highly rewarding, broadening both your knowledge and social network.

One way I've connected with my neighbors is by starting a book club. I've always loved reading and find great comfort in the worlds within my books. When the pandemic began, I felt very lonely (a common experience) and was also dealing with postpartum, so I needed something beyond myself and my home to reconnect with others. This isn't typical for me, as I'm a self-proclaimed introvert who often feels self-conscious in social settings. However, my desire to connect with others in this situation outweighed my fears.

I wanted to share my experience of starting a book club and the lessons I've learned throughout the process.

1. QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

I started by questioning what I wanted to gain from creating a book club. Here are the questions I asked myself:

• With whom am I hoping to connect?

• What type of atmosphere or culture am I aiming to create?

• How serious do I want this book club to be?

For me the answers to these questions were as follows:

I wanted to meet other parents who were in the same life stage as I am and lived in my neighborhood.

I desired a relaxed, low-pressure environment where everyone would feel accepted regardless of what they contributed.

I aimed to find a balance between being serious and enthusiastic about reading, while also keeping it relaxed enough so that members wouldn't feel like it was a class or homework assignment.

If you're considering starting a book club or any other group centered around a shared interest, I urge you to take a moment to reflect on the answers to these questions for yourself. You can also find these questions and more on my downloadable Creating a Bookclub Guide.

2. FINDING MEMBERS

My next step was to determine how to connect with my target members. Fortunately, this was quite simple for me because there is a Facebook group specifically for parents in my neighborhood.

I shared a straightforward post asking if anyone would be interested in this kind of book club. I was amazed by the overwhelming interest and eventually had to delete the post, connecting only with the first 12-15 people who responded via direct message.

This prompted me to consider what size group would be practical for this type of book club. I believed that having fewer than 20 members would be ideal since we would likely be meeting online or outdoors (thanks to the pandemic). For some people it may be more helpful to ask themselves this question prior to reaching out for interest.

3. ESTABLISHING FOUNDATIONS

Through the direct messages, I aimed to establish the foundation of my vision for this book club and to gauge whether this aligns with what people are seeking or hoping to find in a book club. Once this was established we tried to decide together the following:

• How frequently we would meet and discuss a book?

• When and how we would meet?

• How we would choose books?

• What kind of books would you like to focus on?

**If you're the founder of the book club, you might prefer to be the one making all the decisions, which is perfectly acceptable as long as the other members agree. It's crucial to regularly check in to ensure everyone remains comfortable with these decisions, as excessive control by one person can be socially taxing for members and may impede social connections, which is a primary objective of bonding over shared interests.

We decided to hold in-person meetings outdoors once a month. To select books, we would vote on a selection of five options, which I would research and present to the group. We all agreed that we prefer any type of fiction, but we also wouldn't mind occasionally choosing a nonfiction book.

Here are some alternative ideas for these decisions:

• Regarding frequency, meeting once a month is likely the most common. If schedules are busier or access to books is limited, a 6 to 8-week schedule might be more suitable. If you're uncertain, you could experiment with one time frame, evaluate after the first meeting, and adjust accordingly. It's perfectly fine not to have everything planned from the beginning, and being somewhat flexible to accommodate others' needs can demonstrate your commitment to fostering a meaningful connection.

• With the pandemic days now behind us, determining how and when to meet with your group may be simpler. Book clubs are often held at the home of a member or leader. However, if that feels too personal, especially for those who are just getting acquainted, meeting at a park, café, or restaurant could be good alternatives. Additionally, if you or other members live far apart, meeting online is always an option.

• Determining a suitable time and day for everyone can be challenging, as it involves considering people's work and personal schedules. Currently, my book club meets on Sunday nights at 8 pm because we all have children and prefer to finish dinner and bedtime routines before attending the meeting.

There are numerous methods to decide on the books your group will read, and here are some options to consider:

• Each person in the group takes turns choosing the book.

Simply follow a celebrity book club such as Oprah's or Reese's. This removes the guesswork for everyone.

• Everyone can offer suggestions, and these can either be chosen at random or discussed at the meeting's conclusion to decide on them for the next meeting.

• If your book club wants to read a specific genre of book each month, you can look for popular selections in the chosen genre online or on platforms like Goodreads or StoryGraph.

• Your book club might consider exploring specific themes each month, selected either by the members or commonly provided by libraries, bookstores, or previously mentioned platforms like Goodreads or StoryGraph. Examples include "Middle Grade March" or "Non-fiction November."

• Certain book clubs don't read the same books; instead, they gather to talk about a good book they've read recently that they think others would appreciate as well!

Again, it's perfectly fine not to have this system figured out immediately, and it's also acceptable to alter methods as the book club evolves.

4. MEETING TIME

After establishing the foundation and logistics, everyone can concentrate on reading the book and looking forward to the meeting.

Particularly in the early days of a book club, having some questions ready can help spark the discussion. Some books include questions at the end that can be used, or you might find questions for the particular online. In my Creating a Bookclub Guide, I've included questions that are applicable to any book.

If you are the creator or leader, you're probably the one members will look to for guidance or to facilitate the discussion. Personally, I find that a bit overwhelming, so for the first 3-4 meetings, I prepared a list of questions to keep the conversation going. Now that we know each other better, we generally have discussions without much prompting, though occasional silences still occur, and that's perfectly fine!

5. EVALUATION

At the conclusion of that initial meeting, it might be beneficial to check in with everyone to gauge their feelings and gather any suggestions for future meetings. Keeping an open mind to others' suggestions is crucial, as the goal of the book club is to foster connections. It's also important to reflect on your own experience. If you didn't enjoy it, it's perfectly fine to take a step back and take pride in having tried something new, even if it wasn't right for you at this time, or to make adjustments so you feel more at ease. This should be a fun and enriching experience, not a draining one for all participating

I hope this has provided you with a solid starting point if you're considering launching your own book club or something similar. Keep an eye out for my downloadable Bookclub Guide for additional assistance.