So what happens in a book club?

[deaconblue]

Want to start a book group. I have 4 interested friends but no idea how to proceed. I assume the host chooses the book but what then? Do I make suggestions for discussion in advance or should it be more free flowing discussion? I like discussing structure, style etc but don't want to put off the others by being too English-teachery (I was one Pre dcs). All advice on how to make it a success gratefully received.

My book club is 6 weekly. We drink lots of wine. We discuss book for ten mins then talk about dc inevitably!!
But it's great fun.

Ok lots of wine :) do you have any structure for the discussion? Am worried I will say 'so what do we think of the book?' and there will be resounding silence

We talk about any particular poignant parts personal to our feelings. Some things about writing style and it's effectiveness. (3rd person etc). I usually google bookclub comments for the book so if discussion gets intellectual, I'm prepared. But we're just a group of friends with similar values so often its
I liked part x because it made me feel y

You know your friends pitch in, see how they respond!

I usually google the book and find discussion questions, we eat cake and drink wine. We always host at the person's turn for choosing and take it in turns. Love it, have read some blinders (except Crime and Punishment), and yes, 30 mins book talk, then general chit-chat

We have 10 in our group - we meet every 6 weeks and usually about 6 or 7 can make it. We take it in turns to chose the book ( we do it alphabetically with our names)

15 min book talk

3 or 4 hours eating and drinking wine

I thought it was only my old and much missed book club that did the short chat then drinking.

Oh no, I can assure you it's not kreecher

I used to belong to a very 'intense' book club before we moved - LOTS of discussion and not much wine drinking/merriment - it was like taking an O lever every time!

level

What happens in Book Club, stays in Book Club

Oh yes - how could I forget the number one rule?

My book club sounds very similar to above. There are 7 of us, we meet every 6-8 weeks. Whoever chooses the book hosts the night. We chat about the book for maybe 15-30 mins, then gossip & catch up.

We also give the book a score out of 10, and keep a note of all the books and their scores in a little note book.

We'e been going for nearly 4 years now, and I LOVE it. it's the best way to ensure that I keep in touch with all my mates on a regular basis, and also it makes me read some books I would never actually choose myself, but many of which have turned out to be brilliant.

Over the years the nibbles have turned into a full on buffet, or even fajitas or a lasagna. So, we also have a meal together.

Did I mention I LOVE it?

I do too - love it I mean. And we also have full on buffets and meals out too. I love the fact that it's a sacred event on the calendar every 6 weeks that I HAVE to attend!

I'm thinking about joining one. They meet in bars/pubs. Is that unusual? Most of you on here seem to take it in turns to meet at members' houses.

We meet at each other's houses to keep the cost down. No, not unusual to meet at pubs, takes the pressure off feeling you have to host as well.

Also I guess in a big city, it's fairer to meet somewhere central so everyone has to travel, rather than me people resenting having to travel to deep dark south fecking London wherever. Although I find most pubs a bit noisy and would worry about not hearing/making myself heard. I'll go along to the first meeting of this one (in a pub) and see how it goes, I suppose. I do love the idea of just having a license to talk about books.

Lady is it an 'open' club or friends? If it's an open one I imagine it's held in pubs fore safety reasons. We were friends/aquaintances (sp) so safety wasn't an issue.

I'm not sure ? I've been invited by a friend of a friend, on Facebook, and don't know what the relationship between everyone is. That'd make sense though, if it's an open group full of randoms like me!

Oh just go and see if you like it, and if not, start your own!

for obviously - tired today!

Ours sounds pretty much like everyone else's. We talk for a short while and then gossip. We sometimes meet in pubs which is nice as otherwise I'd never get to go out [hgrin]. If you host you get to choose the book, although you don't have to, and we meet every month.

We meet once a month at a local bar (Monday night -very quiet). We pick a different theme each meeting and everyone brings a book suggestion the following month to fit the theme and then we vote on it to see which book we'll be reading that month. Theme suggestions can be normal... Romance, historical, contemporary classic, novel set in China etc to slightly bizarre 'body parts' (farewell to arms), creepy crawlies ( lord of the flies) or if we are all completely brain dead, we've always got the 'author beginning with T' option.

No one has to lead it. We just go where the discussion takes us but we do score the book out of 10 . There's usually about 8-10 members at any one time, but in the 4 years i've been going, those members have left, been replaced, come back, left again. It's very fluid and informal and new members are by invitation. Works for us.

My book club is utterly wonderful too.
The food is a BIG part of the evening, usually a cold selection of picky bits and sometimes cake etc.
We've been going for about 3 years now and its really really special to me.
We also have a Christmas meal out where our Book Awards take place - very exciting!!
We find that some books produce quite lengthy discussions, others just don't.

Ooooooooooooo LOVE the idea of book awards - am going to suggest it at our next meet!

I love the idea of book awards too but fear that I would do a Carmen Calil and take offence at someone's nominations, shoot my mouth off and alienate everyone. Well, I would if someone suggested giving the award to Philip bleeding Roth. Or Ian 'over-rated, much?' McEwan.

Oh God, I LOATHE Mr Over -rated McEwan too!

Our club is quite lively - I often shoot my mouth off about crap books , then have to back track with lots of "Oh it wasn't that bad, quite liked it really"