Starting a Book Group

By Vali Stone

I ask myself what my passion is.  Reading, of course!  When I pick up my book I handle it gently, remove the cover, open it to the first page and savor the sweetness and the anticipation of a new adventure.  When I read, there are certain paragraphs and pages that I contemplate, reflect and study, characters that I can’t shake and situations that I weigh or brood over.  There are some books that I can’t separate myself from, wishing I had someone to discuss them with.

Because of my love for books, I decided that sharing the gift that each book can bestow upon our intellectual, physical and spiritual self was important. Explains my co-worker, Jacqui Woods-Powell, “The book is a disseminator of social, cultural and political ideas; the text is a filter; the reading group is a modern day necessity.” I began a book group so that we could all share our experiences, opinions and expand our vision and understanding of humans and society.

So where does one begin?

Finding members

You can’t just stalk random people on the street and ask if they’re interested in joining a book group, but you can try some of these ideas to help you find members:

• Put the word out to friends and relatives and asked them to pass it on
• Speak to individuals from other groups you belong to
• Invite co-workers
• Advertise in your local bookstore
• Put an ad in local newspapers
• Put up notices in public places
• Check with local organizations such as churches, charitable groups, writers’ groups etc.
• Check with people connected to schools and use their bulletin boards

Screen your potential members.  Each one should be committed, enthusiastic, articulate and able to listen attentively.

Place and time

The majority of groups meet once a month during the week at either a private home on a rotation system, or outside a home in places such as bookstores, places of worship, libraries, schools and even restaurants.  Choose to hold your meetings where it is agreeable and convenient to most.

Food

Many groups chose to serve food or beverages at the meeting.  If you conduct the meeting in a private home, you can serve coffee and desert after the meeting is over, or a lunch or dinner.  Some groups chose a dinner theme according the book they are reading.  When one book group member, for example, held the group at her home the night they discussed The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, each person brought their favourite Indian dish for a potluck.

Some groups meeting outside the home bring in coffee and cake. Others finish their discussion and meet afterwards for a social evening at a local coffee shop or – my personal favourite – at a pub.

Administration

Appoint an administrator, someone who is patient and organized.  The administrator’s duties might include organizing and keeping a member’s list; distributing the list of selected books to members; determining the meeting place, time, date and book for each month; ordering the books; perhaps collecting a fee each month to pay for the books; and keeping order at the meetings.

The discussion

We each bring a very different perspective to the text with a strong association with our own lives or someone close to us. In a group you work together and share as a team, combining all your areas of knowledge, experiences, expertise and strengths to become a much more informed and effective group.

Be respectful during a conversation.  All views are acceptable but the speaker must be responsible for the way in which they are expressed. If there are problems, the administrator may step in to guide the conversation in a more positive direction.

Keep in mind that group discussions are meant to allow members to explore human nature and meaning in life; examine human motivations and how others respond to external and internal situations; enhance the understanding of the book; and appreciate the art of writing. Through such discussions we expand our awareness of the world around us and hone our intellectual abilities.

Finding the right book

Look for books that are well written, educational and entertaining.  Mostly, choices may be a trial an error process.  Some book groups allow each member to choose one book. Others have an administrator that does the research and holds a group vote.

For variety, choose from different categories, including Pulitzer Prize winners, nonfiction historical works, foreign authors, biographies and autobiographies, short stories, classic or contemporary settings, novellas, poetry, prose, essays, plays and films.  You may also want to concentrate on a particular theme such as books about women, men, cultural perspectives, age perspectives, New Age, Love, and perhaps International or even Regional.

Discussion topics

Discussions in a book group usually revolve around:

• Characters and the story line
• The Characters’ actions
• Social Implications
• The author’s purpose
• Social Implications
• Symbolisms
• Member responses to the book
• Was there a resolution?
• Member personal reference to the book [Need to clarify this]
• Assessing the book’s literary merit
• Comparing the book to other readings
• The narrative (Who is telling the story and why?)
• The theme, point of view, style, setting, and time period

My passion for books has allowed me to feel a wonderful sense of freedom and to discover more about life and the answers that can come from a truly intellectual discussion.  Reading and sharing has taught me about how others live, think and feel and how they have discovered their own rich and fulfilling lives. I have also learned that certain emotions and reactions are ‘normal’, that we can challenge our belief system and stretch our limits of creativity and imagination. And this feels great!

Posted March 4th, 2009 in Resources