| Selecting books - it’s what book clubs do, | | | | websites, periodicals and newspapers. |
| isn’t it? Books are what you’re all | | | | DO set some limits. If you establish a few practical |
| about, so you should be pretty good at choosing | | | | rules up front, you can avoid problems down the line, |
| them. But let’s be honest - book selection | | | | particularly when it comes to the cost of books and |
| time isn’t always the happiest moment for | | | | the length of reading assignments. Some groups |
| everyone in your book club. | | | | choose only books that are issued in paperback, |
| Some members come away feeling frustrated, hurt | | | | considering hardcovers too expensive. Other clubs |
| that none of their suggestions were chosen. Maybe | | | | limit the page number to around 400 or some to 700. |
| some are tired of shelling out $34.95 for the new | | | | If they decide to choose especially long books, some |
| hardcover. Or maybe the page assignment is too long | | | | clubs will break it up into two meetings. No one |
| - 800 for the next meeting. (Hey, pal, I gotta a | | | | should feel like the book club is a burden, financially or |
| life.) | | | | timewise. |
| By following some fairly simple DOs and | | | | DON’T choose for the whole year. Many clubs |
| DON’Ts, you can help make your book | | | | do so, but it can be limiting and inflexible. If a book |
| selection process run a little more smoothly. These | | | | comes along that’s particularly exciting, it has |
| ideas won’t unruffled everyone’s | | | | to wait till the following year. And choosing once a |
| feathers, but they can go a long way to making | | | | year can be unfair if you have to miss that one |
| everyone feel a little less picked on. | | | | meeting. |
| DO consider monthly rotation,. Many clubs use the | | | | DO choose 2 or 3 books at a time. This gives |
| voting method whereby members suggest books, | | | | members a chance to read at their own pace. For |
| followed by a discussion and then a vote. It’s | | | | those out of town for a month or two, it provides |
| a good method and a common one. But it can leave | | | | the chance to read ahead for the next meeting |
| people out - shy people, or those unskilled at the art | | | | they’ll be able to attend. |
| of pitching, the ones who simply aren’t | | | | DON’T read one type of book. Try to vary |
| persuasive enough at convincing others that their | | | | your selections - not just contemporary fiction, heart |
| books should be chosen. | | | | - rending stories, or light - hearted ones, romances or |
| Try rotating your book selection on a monthly basis | | | | mysteries. That can lead to boredom or burnout. |
| so that each member gets one month to choose a | | | | Vary your choices - read some lighter fare
or |
| book. Okay, so you may end up reading something | | | | something heavier than normal. Try reading older |
| you would never have chosen for yourself, but | | | | classics, a short story collection, a play, humor, |
| isn’t that the point of a book club - to expose | | | | biography, current events, or history. Variety is the |
| you to a variety of reading experiences
i.e., get | | | | spice of
. well, you get the point. |
| you of your rut? | | | | DO consider themes. It can be interesting to devote |
| DON’T select favorite books. We all want | | | | two or three months to a single topic/theme like |
| everyone to love the books we love, to feel the | | | | travel or stories based in India, say Slumdog Millionair |
| same way we do about our favorite book. But be | | | | (Swarup) or Midnight’s Children (Rushdie). |
| careful - reading tastes vary widely, and some people | | | | Maybe you want to compare childhood memoirs, like |
| will absolutely despise the very thing we adore. So | | | | The Glass Castle (Walls), Don’t Let’s |
| don’t choose someone’s favorite | | | | Go to the Dogs Tonight (Fuller) and The Life and |
| book; it can only lead to hurt feelings (ouch!). To | | | | Times of the Thunderbolt Kid (Bryson). Or try |
| avoid this, some clubs have a rule that no one can | | | | reading books by the same author, like Jodi Picoult or |
| recommend a book they’ve already read. | | | | Khaled Housseini. |
| That’s going a little far - it’s a bit rigid, | | | | Book clubs should be a special time and place, where |
| I think. The best solution is to stick to books | | | | all of us feel wanted, heard, and appreciated - where |
| recommended by neutral sources: librarians, book club | | | | our ideas count and where we feel we matter. |