Organizing
a book club is, hands down, one of the best ways to keep in touch with some of
your closest friends, especially if you all have a common love for reading.
After all, one of the most difficult parts of keeping in touch is finding
things to talk about, and a book club offers a definitive point for
conversation.
Have a Relaxed First Get
Together
The key to starting your book club with the right tone is to get
together informally for your first meeting. Have everyone bring a little list
of some books they love and some books they want to read, and then have a
pleasant time planning out how your book club is going to work. This is great
because it allows everyone to have input on the operation of the book club and
keeps anyone from taking unilateral control of the meetings.
Choose a Short Book
Another
great way to keep things relaxed with your book club is to ensure that, at
least at first, the books you choose to read are nice and short. This
helps to keep the idea of reading from becoming too overwhelming and allows
everyone involved to get used to the idea of reading consistently for a club.
Make
Sure Everyone is on Board. Another important thing to consider is that you should ensure that
everyone in the club is happy with the decision you have made regarding the
book you are going to read.
Afternoon Tea
A great way
to keep things fun and entertaining while meeting for your book clubs is to
incorporate afternoon teas into your book club meetings. After all, who doesn’t
love a nice hot drink and a scone as you discuss your favorite parts of the
book you are reading.
Think Up
Some Talking Points.
To make this even more fun, you can look up some interesting talking points to
enjoy over your afternoon tea, such as “where did the afternoon tea
originate?” or “did
you know you are less likely to get a ‘caffeine crash’ when you drink tea” to
help break up the conversation and keep things flowing naturally.
Set Reading Checkpoints
Additionally,
a great way to ensure that everyone can enjoy the conversations you have about
the books you have been reading, you should set little reading checkpoints
along the way. By reading up to each checkpoint before your club get-togethers,
you can be sure that everyone has read the same amount of the book, and so you
can all talk without fear of spoiling anything.
Keep it Relaxed. It would probably be advisable to
keep these checkpoints short, as you never know how busy your friends are going
to be, and you don’t want to turn reading for your book club into a chore for
them.
Make Sure Everyone is
Happy
Finally,
it’s a good idea to touch base with your club members every now and again to
ensure that they are all enjoying the book club and that they don’t have any
gripes or issues with how things are going. After all, the idea of the club is
that you all enjoy yourselves together.
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