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Tips for a successful book club

Invite the right people who enjoy discussion and who will read the book 

Make the following decisions:

• where you are going to meet
• how often – usually once a month is sufficient
• will you serve refreshments
• what is the role of the leader
• what types of books will you read and discuss

Choosing Good Books for Discussion

Choose books which have complex characters that have to make difficult decisions.  Books that are heavily plot driven where the author spells out everything are difficult to discuss.  Remember that not all members will like every book that is chosen, although having one or more members who passionately dislike a book can spur interesting discussions as well.

HPL offers over 250 book club kits for use by book clubs in Hamilton.

Reading a Book for Discussion

• Bookmark passages that are important to you
• Analyze style and search for personal meaning
• Ask tough questions of yourself and the book
• Analyze book structure and themes
• Get to know characters - consider their faults and motives
• Compare to other books and authors

Book Club Member’s Role

• Read the book for discussion
• Attend regularly
• If you didn’t like the book give reasons                          
• Be open to new ideas
• Respect everyone’s opinion and have fun

Group Leader’s Role

• Facilitate discussion and keep it on topic
• Ensure everyone’s opinion is welcomed
• Provide some background on the author and reviews
• Prepare some provocative open-ended questions

Secretary

• Keeps a list of chosen books for discussion
• Keeps a list of membership and contact

Useful Book Club Links

Novelist

Many adult and young adult (teen) fiction discussion guides.  Includes plot summary, questions and answers and suggested titles. It can also be used to find new books through Author Read-Alikes and similar subject headings.

Canadian Book Clubs
An incredibly rich site with information on "How to Start a Book Club", "How to Join a Book Club", "Sample Discussion Questions", "Do's and Don'ts", and "Reading Lists".

Book Spot
This huge site includes reading lists for specialized book clubs and reading groups, award lists, genre lists, and reviews.
Mostly We Eat
This wonderful site is maintained by an existing book club and offers many links to other online resources, reading lists and how to's.
Reading Group Choices
This site includes tips for starting book clubs, finding members, leading discussions and reading lists.