Setting up RL book club

[mumdebump]

Some friends and I are setting up a RL book club and I was wondering how other groups organise theirs, in particular...

How many people make it work (can you have too few or too many people in a group?) Would you invite new members individually or as a group?

How do you choose your books (take it in turns to pick, or put nominations to a vote?)

How often do you meet, does it depend on length of book or do you go for a set timetable?

And finally what sort of books do you go for (are they all fiction or are some non-fiction/biographies? Do you choose books you have read and loved or books you have always meant to read? Classics or new titles?)

That's all I can think of to ask, but would love to hear about other MNers book club experiences. Thanks.

Hello
We set up one in our area a couple of years ago. There are about 8 members and we take it in turns to host it once a month and sometimes go to a restaurant.
Quite often people haven't finished the book and that's fine. People suggest one that they've enjoyed or want to read, sometimes we hit on one from the best sellers list, sometimes we do a classic. There is a slight issue with some people not wanting to do "intellectual" books but we try to do quite a variety. We don't get hugely analytical - it's social as much as anything.
However, from experience, I would try to make one suggestion, which is to find a way of saying that you are not meeting as a parenting group (unless you are...) There are a couple of members in mine who will turn every conversation to their children. Part of the reason the club was set up was to get some adult conversation! Hard to know what to do about it now...

We set 1 up a year ago in our village & neighbouring area. we have 13 memeber which is maybe a little large - ideally 10 would be better but having asked for interest in the local newsletter I couldn't really turn people down. Often there are 1 or 2 who can't make a session though so you get an adverage turn out of 10ish. We meet monthly - last Wed of the month.

We chose the books for about 5 meetings at one time so we can get free delivery from Amazon! Our rough idea is that it is a book that someone in the group has read & thinks it would generate some discussion. For our very firt ;'setting-up' meeting I printed of a list I found online (I just googled Redaing Grps)to give us some ideas of titles. In fact all of our books have been contempory but no real reason for this.

It is also worth contacting your local library. We can order free sets of 12 books from a very extensive list. They should be able to give you a list.

I have been part of a book group for about 7 years now.

We have 7 people and usually get 6 to a meeting - there's always someone working late etc

We take it turns to host - a loose rota - and that person provides wine, cheeses, nibbles etc and also suggests the next read. We usually have a short list of 3 or so which we read the back of to see if we fancy and then decide on one to read. We meet monthly.

We tend to read fiction - stuff people have picked up in bookshops, old favourites, book prize winners (and losers). We picked our last book based purely on the dishiness of the author! We are not particularly high-brow!

Oh yes we take it in turns to host & provide nibbles.

My mum alo belongs to a group. At hers it is the host who suggests the book & also has to read a poem!

Thanks for all your advice and info. (Claricebeansmum, who was the dishy author?)

Mumdebump, I'd be very interested in joining-it works well if its home based and has about 8 members as then its really cheap, not dry (wink) and the ratio of being a guest/ hosting is not too onerous.

Patrick Gale (Notes on an Exhibition).

Sadly for us he is gay...hey ho!

CRINGE I'm really sorry, I was searching for a message that I saw yesterday about setting up a south London one not in a library. Didn't mean to invite myself to yours!