Book clubs come in many forms, and there are many avenues that lead to book club pleasures. If I had just moved to a new city and wanted to find a book club, I would visit my library, the bookstore, the nearest university, and my neighborhood association. As an avid reader living in Georgia, I have explored the many places where like-minded people enjoy literature together. The ways you can join or create a book club are many.
Libraries often sponsor book clubs. When I think of the library kind, I think of the excellent Libby Covett. In her seventies, retired from a different career, she worked part-time at the Alpharetta Library in Georgia and ran its book club, with kindness, humor, and dedication. I remember her calling all the other libraries to round up copies of the group’s chosen book so members did not have to buy it. If storms or facility problems closed the library before book club night, Libby did not rest until she had reached all her members to tell them.
I remember her putting fresh flowers, tea, and cookies on the table the readers sat around for their discussions. Libby was always crisply tailored, well manicured, and well coiffed. She applied the same care she put into being chic, into her book club, preparing background on the authors ahead of time, making sure the meeting room was welcoming, calling members to remind them, putting the books on hold for them. It worked.
Let’s Talk About It is a national program of grant-funded book discussions. The grants pay for the books and for a scholar to lead the group. If you are lucky enough to live in a city that gets a Let’s Talk series, jump on it. Each series has a set list of books on a theme, such as A Mind of Her Own: Fathers and Daughters in a Changing World, or Between Two Worlds: Stories of Estrangement and Homecoming. Leaders of the discussions get extensive training. It is intellectually rich, and will lead you to read and think about things you might not find on your own.
Let’s Talk is the book club you may need the Internet to find. Please visit http://publicprograms.ala.org/ltai/ to see if your town is planning one. They are often held in universities, but must be open to and promoted to the general public. They also happen in public libraries and other civic institutions such as museums.
Book clubs have a commercial side—your bookstore is a great place to find one. Just ask. Borders bookstore offers pointers on how to start your own. They recommend having a secretary to track the books and the members, which ideally number eight to twelve.
Everyone should have a chance to talk, and no one should dominate. Rotating leaders are a good idea. Snacks are valuable icebreakers, and some book clubs find wine essential.
My sister is in a couples’ book club, which started with neighborhood friends. I was in a lawyers’ book club, a pleasant outgrowth of their jobs. I was a ringer—a librarian, a book professional.
The Midtown Atlanta neighborhood association has its own mystery-themed book club, open to the public, meeting in a restaurant or a community center. One can find local book clubs by looking at the neighborhood association website or newsletter.
Schools and after school programs sometimes start book clubs for kids, and sometimes for kids with parents. My last library had a vampire book club for teens. So, there is probably a book club for every age and type of book lover.
Publishers naturally love book clubs, and offer author phone calls. The writer will call your club while you are discussing his or her book and have a chat with you. Some publishers even arrange author visits. Free books, discussion guides, and reading lists are all available. If your club gets on a publisher’s mailing list, all kinds of literary goodies may come your way.
So, if you are interested in finding companions in your literary adventures, the choices are varied and intriguing—if you only look.
Libraries often sponsor book clubs. When I think of the library kind, I think of the excellent Libby Covett. In her seventies, retired from a different career, she worked part-time at the Alpharetta Library in Georgia and ran its book club, with kindness, humor, and dedication. I remember her calling all the other libraries to round up copies of the group’s chosen book so members did not have to buy it. If storms or facility problems closed the library before book club night, Libby did not rest until she had reached all her members to tell them.
I remember her putting fresh flowers, tea, and cookies on the table the readers sat around for their discussions. Libby was always crisply tailored, well manicured, and well coiffed. She applied the same care she put into being chic, into her book club, preparing background on the authors ahead of time, making sure the meeting room was welcoming, calling members to remind them, putting the books on hold for them. It worked.
Let’s Talk About It is a national program of grant-funded book discussions. The grants pay for the books and for a scholar to lead the group. If you are lucky enough to live in a city that gets a Let’s Talk series, jump on it. Each series has a set list of books on a theme, such as A Mind of Her Own: Fathers and Daughters in a Changing World, or Between Two Worlds: Stories of Estrangement and Homecoming. Leaders of the discussions get extensive training. It is intellectually rich, and will lead you to read and think about things you might not find on your own.
Let’s Talk is the book club you may need the Internet to find. Please visit http://publicprograms.ala.org/ltai/ to see if your town is planning one. They are often held in universities, but must be open to and promoted to the general public. They also happen in public libraries and other civic institutions such as museums.
Book clubs have a commercial side—your bookstore is a great place to find one. Just ask. Borders bookstore offers pointers on how to start your own. They recommend having a secretary to track the books and the members, which ideally number eight to twelve.
Everyone should have a chance to talk, and no one should dominate. Rotating leaders are a good idea. Snacks are valuable icebreakers, and some book clubs find wine essential.
My sister is in a couples’ book club, which started with neighborhood friends. I was in a lawyers’ book club, a pleasant outgrowth of their jobs. I was a ringer—a librarian, a book professional.
The Midtown Atlanta neighborhood association has its own mystery-themed book club, open to the public, meeting in a restaurant or a community center. One can find local book clubs by looking at the neighborhood association website or newsletter.
Schools and after school programs sometimes start book clubs for kids, and sometimes for kids with parents. My last library had a vampire book club for teens. So, there is probably a book club for every age and type of book lover.
Publishers naturally love book clubs, and offer author phone calls. The writer will call your club while you are discussing his or her book and have a chat with you. Some publishers even arrange author visits. Free books, discussion guides, and reading lists are all available. If your club gets on a publisher’s mailing list, all kinds of literary goodies may come your way.
So, if you are interested in finding companions in your literary adventures, the choices are varied and intriguing—if you only look.
