Host a bookclub!
Hosting a book club can be a fun and meaningful experience, but it can also be challenging. Here are some tips and tricks to make your book club a success:
Choose your favorite LPP book: Those chosen book can attract the type of people you wish to include in your club. Pick the book that interests you, is thought-provoking, and likely to spark profound discussions.
Set a schedule: Consistency is important! Decide upon a day/time and frequency and then stick with it. Creating a schedule supports everyone in staying on track with reading and preparing for the book club.
Invite the right people: Invite people who are interested in reading the genres that you are interested in as you want lively discussions. Passion for the topic is always more fun.
Prepare question prompts beforehand: Prepare a list of discussion prompts to guide the flow of conversation. If you feel stuck on this, send out an email to participants and ask them to send you questions or discussion prompts that are important to them to include in the meeting.
Honor and be consistent with time: Make sure everyone has a chance to share and keep the discussion moving. Set a length of time for the meeting and be consistent with it. If it is two hours, then keep it to two hours. If it is one hour, one hour it is. Managing the schedule helps participants to return time after time.
Allow for other opinions: Not everyone will have the same perceptions about the book. That is one reason we have book clubs. So we can grow and expand how we think. As host, your role will be to encourage sharing without judgment and to hold space for everyone to be able to share their thoughts. Receiving different perspectives is a key benefit of partnering with others in a book club.
Fun is the reason: Remember, the intention of hosting a book club is to have meaningful discussions and have fun!
- In-person? Offer snacks: Food creates a social setting and sets the tone for openness and sharing. Providing drinks and easy-eating type foods launches a cohesive feeling of togetherness.
Variety is the spice of life: As time goes on, you might want to weave into the schedule activities related to a favorite book of the book club. A themed dinner party or a day trip to a spot that is linked to the book. Invite in an expert that you imagine a character might have talked to. Don’t be afraid to weave in those special events.
Reflection is key: After everyone leaves, take a moment to write down what worked and didn’t work. Use this information to adjust how the next club time is managed. Each time will be better and better!
Happy hosting!