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Original poster

Those of you who have/go to a book club...

15 replies

ALovelyBunchOfCoconuts · 08/09/2013 19:46

How did you find it? Was it created from a circle of already like minded friends?

I would love to be part of a book club but none of my friends enjoy reading as much as I do so I don't think I could just create one of my own. I really don't know where to look.

OP posts:
tillyfernackerpants · 08/09/2013 19:54

The woman that organises our book club put posters up around the town, so I emailed her from that. But I know my library has a list of book groups so maybe yours does too?

Or you could have a look at this directory, maybe there's one near you that's listed.

Good luck, I hope you find one Smile

Original poster
ALovelyBunchOfCoconuts · 08/09/2013 19:59

thanks for speedy reply Smile

im planning on popping to the library one day this week so will ask there.

the link you gave was helpful but unfortunately my town isn't listed.

OP posts:
CircassianLeyla · 08/09/2013 21:29

I responded to a poster along the high street. I have just taken over running it.

A book club is really easy to set up. If you can't find one, just pick a book print a few basic posters stick them up, find a cafe/quiet pub to hold it in and then just wait. Ours ranges from 5-20 people.

craftycottontail · 09/09/2013 09:45

might be worth checking out facilities at your library, mine has a list of local book groups and has a list of all books that the county has 15 or more copies of. They also do a reading group card which allows the group an extended loan period.

There are loads of resources online for discussion questions which you could have to hand in case discussion falters.

my local group was set up by word of mouth and through our local social networking site - you could get the word out on Twitter or Facebook etc as well as ads on local notice boards etc.

DuchessofMalfi · 09/09/2013 11:10

I belong to online book groups on Goodreads, but none that meet in person.

lottiegarbanzo · 09/09/2013 11:19

Mine meets in a pub, always open to new members. It was started by someone putting up posters round their workplace. I like that it's a group of people, of different ages, I wouldn't know otherwise.

I think try any in your area, see if they suit and if not, set up your own, with a few posters and web listings. Each group operates a bit differently, think about what you want - how you choose books is crucial and varies wildly, strongly determining the dynamic of the group.

BaconAndAvocado · 09/09/2013 18:30

I started ours by pooling friends and friends of friends.

You could maybe put a poster up at your place of work? Or DCs school?

LauraChant · 09/09/2013 18:38

The one I went to in London was mainly publishers. A friend mentioned it, I said that sounds nice, and she asked if I could join. Then she left, hopefully the two were not linked!

When I moved again a new friend said she went to one, I said that sounds nice, and again she invited me to join. It is mainly school mums.

If you talk about books to everyone you meet I find sooner or later someone says they are in a book group and when you express interest you are in!

Rufus43 · 09/09/2013 20:00

Hi, I have started two book clubs. Both started with 4 people and gradually got bigger (then one got smaller and smaller and then poof!)

I asked people I thought maybe interested and kept it local so we could meet up in each others houses, people asked other people and we have decided that the 8/9 people we have now is just right

Even if you just ask one person it will get bigger

Good luck

Iamcountingto3 · 09/09/2013 20:07

I'm a member of two - plus run one for my kids & their mates too. One was started after a chance conversation at an NCT meeting - a few of us fancied it, so advertised in NCT mag & then as people have 'turned over' we're recruited friends/neighbours. There's only me left of the original group, altough a few of the other old members come along very occasionally. My other one is a work group so a bit different.
I've also been asked to join one that was school mums from my dds class.

I'd defn try library - or ask your local coffee shop/pub if you can put up an ad and start one there.

DizzyPurple · 09/09/2013 20:13

I'm in one. We meet in a local pub once a month. Heard about it on Netmums! (I know not supposed to say that) We also advertise in local NCT group. There are about 10 or so members but a regular core of 3-4 that go to most sessions. We have a closed Facebook group too which is good to chat on in between times and tell those unable to make it what the book is.

exexpat · 09/09/2013 20:15

A group of us in Bristol started one through MN local over a year ago - still going strong.

Are you in an area where there are likely to be other MNers around? Libraries and bookshops often run bookgroups too (eg my local Oxfam bookshop has one) but I'd guess they would mainly be more serious and less social - in my opinion, bookgroups work much better when there is at least some Wine involved.

lottiegarbanzo · 09/09/2013 20:55

Yes, I think a crucial decision to make is whether you are going to be a wine bookgroup, or a cake one.

The first is compatible with being a 'public' group anyone can join like mine, either with meeting in people's houses (I understand the cake making can get competitive though!). I think too, there's a risk with 'friendship groups' that it's easier to drift into other chat and spend less time on the books.

Then there's how you choose the books:

  • Everyone piles into a discussion about the next book at the end of the meeting.
  • One person brings a short-list of suggestions and others choose.

(Both these give you 'safe middle ground' choices usually, with extremes being excluded and potentially, some people feeling their interests are always over-ridden by louder voices / the majority)

  • Each person chooses one and that's that.

(We do this for the year, so we have the list well in advance. It means you get some outliers and read things it would never have occurred to you to read, which I think is part of the point of a group, along with hearing different views but places more 'responsibility' on the person nominating. We've wised up about nominating books we love and feel a need to defend and often choose things we haven't read yet either. Also, after a while, we have a sense of what might interest the group - though members change gradually based on whether new ones feel we're right for them too, so there's gradual change).

BaconAndAvocado · 09/09/2013 21:05

lottie Grin ar wine or cake group!

In my book group we usually spend the first quarter of an hour discussing the book ad the rest of,the time eating food and discussing food.

joanofarchitrave · 09/09/2013 21:43

Mine was originally (11 years ago Shock) one set up by an interested person at the local community centre under the community association's aegis. It has morphed away into a core group that now meets in each others' houses - and someone else has started a new community centre one...

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