Discussion ideas for book clubs

This may seem obvious, but it is the most important step, so it is worth stating. I started a book club in 2010, and since then, weve read dozens of books, classic and contemporary, short and long, fiction and non. Go ahead and take that train ride in disguise with your adult history book club, or pass secret notes at the coffee house without anyone seeing with other grownups of your spy novel club. Safe book club ideas in the time of social distancing.

Whether youre a school librarian or a teacher, allowing time for. It is a good idea to plan on finishing the book a little earlier than you might otherwise so that you have time to think about it and prepare before your book club meets. You could either create a book club entirely around a single theme, or use themes to narrow your focus for each month. In comes the letter writers alliance, a worldwide organization of letter writers that hosts broadcasted online. Use permanent vinyl decals which can be printed via an electronic cutting machine to spell out punny bookish phrases for. At classy, several of our departments participate in quarterly book clubs in order to.

You can have a good book club discussion about a bad book, but its always more fun when members connect to the material and in. Aug 21, 2017 ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book. The first two things are easy to accomplish just read anything by. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. Explore options for setting up and running a book club. Regular book club meetings help you stay accountable, keep you social, and broaden your horizons, not to mention sharpen your wine and cheese pairing skills. Work book club success stories the balance careers. Many libraries also stock book club bags with a discussion guide and multiple copies of a title. The deadline for your entries is wednesday, june 3rd at noon et. Feb 08, 2016 10 ways to make book clubs fun and not intense because were all already busy. Remove the pressure by trying some of these discussion prompts. Some of these were published in late 2019, while some arent released yet, so theyre split into sections by publication date. Most carry their own recommended book lists or lists of what other clubs are reading. But if you know youre going to be isolated from your fellow human beings for a while, consider.

This option is so obvious, you just might just overlook it. Use specific passages from the book as evidence for your ideas. Book club ideas that will totally impress your friends. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are openended and get people to. Even though there are many online book clubs on the internet, you can start your own online book club. The best books to start your club off right are those that are both nearuniversally beloved and able to inspire heated. One of the best book club ideas for how to get the conversation started is to go around and have each person share whether they liked the read.

Even with a great book its not always easy to get the ball rolling, especially if the discussion guide jumps right into the serious issues of a book. In a traditional book club, you probably wouldnt get together to read the book, just to discuss it. Need to lead your book club and want tips on how to promote a lively conversation. I have two cardinal rules in selecting the best book club books. Apr 10, 2017 ideas for how to do better book clubs in middle school april 10, 2017 april 10, 2017 pernille ripp in 2015, i wrote a post discussing how i was doing book clubs with my 7th graders and how their ideas had shaped our process to be more powerful. Each member or a team of 23 takes a card and answers the question. Take notes or mark passages that strike youpassages you find significant, funny, or insightful.

If you are starting a book club yourself, you may need some ideas for creating a fun group that people will come back to time after time. Apr 19, 2017 thoughtfully planned book clubs position learning in the hands of the students and provide discussion tools students can use as they work out their responses to the book. One of the best book club ideas for how to get the conversation started is to go around and have each person share whether they liked the read, plus one topic theyd like to talk about. The classroom book clubs method is more relaxed and less structured than many forms of literature circles, and its flexibility makes it. This list of book club books has nonfiction, chicklit, young adult and middle grade titles, history books and parenting books. As a member of not one but three ya book clubs, i consider myself an expert on what it takes for a book to cut it as a book club pick. As the facilitator, it is your job to recognize tangents and bring the discussion back to the book. Lets start off 2020 right with a selection of the best book club books. Ideas for how to do better book clubs in middle school april 10, 2017 april 10, 2017 pernille ripp in 2015, i wrote a post discussing how i was doing book clubs with my 7th graders and how their ideas had shaped our process to be more powerful. Book club ideas that will totally impress your friends riveted. Is the group on a roll and ready to tackle that long thick book youve been talking about for months. We meet in a private facebook group and chat about a new book every month. Book clubs whether you are a current book club member or are looking to start a book club of your own, this is the place to go for great book recommendations your club is sure to enjoy. Ideas for how to do better book clubs in middle school.

Organizing a book club is a great way to build community and strong friendships. Litcourse 3 has a good discussion of close reading. Thoughtfully planned book clubs position learning in the hands of the students and provide discussion tools students can use as they work out their responses to the book. Some of these are the best book club books from my own book clubs over the years and others are ones i wish my book club had read. If youve been struggling to find some good questions, we have ideas for that too.

However, be careful of letting your common sense tell you any of the book club ideas are too youthful for grownup book clubs, if thats what youre dealing with. Our ideas can help you lead a discussion, find helpful resources, and be a. Mar 06, 2017 in my monthly book club, we often have a hard time selecting our next book because there are so many to choose from. But it can be overwhelming to find great book club ideas. Sep 19, 2018 i have been a part of one or more book clubs for over 20 years, and i have learned a few things about what makes a book club successful and how to get your book club talking.

Have a good topic of discussion to start the conversation and make sure to have some more ready to introduce if the conversation flags, goes off topic, starts to repeat itself or gets uncomfortably contentious. And what if youd just rather be at home in your pajamas. Mar 25, 2020 my longtime book group had a very successful zoom meeting a couple of nights ago. The best book club discussion rises above each group members likes and dislikes, instead seeking to understand the book on a deeper level. We provide approaches to professional development that bridge theory and practice to generate solutions that work for a multitude of schools. It is more often called simply a book club, a term that is also used to describe a book sales club, which can cause confusion. Our latest prize book is ask again, yes by mary beth keane, an extraordinary novel that is now available in paperback. It must not only be entertaining, but should provide natural discussion topics. Book club central will be a repository of resources on book clubs from tools to start and maintain your club to recommendations on books, as well as fun ideas like food pairings for your book.

Cozy up with your gals, a bottle of vino, and a few bookthemed pillows. You can have a good book club discussion about a bad book, but its always more fun when members connect to the material and in these times, who wants to invest energy in a book that. I thought narrowing the field might help so i brainstormed some monthly book club theme ideas. Find ideas for discussions and activities your book club will enjoy. Sep 05, 2016 having great book discussion questions is essential to leading a successful book club, and now that i run an online moms book club i use this lesson to avoid awkward silences yes they can happen online and create a lively, engaging book club meeting each month. Non fiction book club questions westfield memorial library. Perhaps you use cultural heritage months, and read. If the book youre discussing has one its certainly worth printing it out. My longtime book group had a very successful zoom meeting a couple of nights ago. This is a literary analysis technique called close reading. Book clubs are popular not only because people like to read, but also because they are great social outlets. Whether your book club is a few close friends or a larger group, hosting a book club party still takes some amount of planning. We looked into some different ways to revive, or start an entirely new club, and have compiled a list of ideas for you.

Dec 14, 2017 in one of my past book clubs, we literally only read books that included discussion questions at the end of the book because we wanted to be certain wed have a meaningful discussion. With these questions in hand, all you need is a good book, great food and a lively discussion. The best book club questions for every kind of discussion. A book discussion club is a group of people who meet to discuss a book or books that they have read and express their opinions, likes, dislikes, etc. Maybe january can be a mystery, february is historical fiction, and march highlights local authors. During this time, you can also support groups who struggle with valuing diverse ideas, referring to their books for evidence, or focusing on the discussion. Book clubs by genre different genres every month, your patrons can read a book of a different genre. We have 7 tips to help you lead a great book club discussioneverything from book. Ive been looking for ways to make book clubs less static and academic. A little off topic conversation is fine, but you also want to respect the fact that people have read the book and expect to talk about it. Many books suitable for book clubs have discussion guides.

Read up on some older recommendations for bonus ideas. When professionals get together to discuss a book they. Heres a list of ya books with reading group guides available to take the burden off you in those quiet moments. Ask your group if they think people should judge the book by its cover. Therefore, it is oftentimes necessary for a book club to create its own set of questions for discussion. Whether you are a current book club member or are looking to start a book club of your own, this is the place to go for great book recommendations your club is sure to enjoy. That might be one of the reasons business book clubs are on the rise. The book clubs are also a way for associates to have funthey get to know people in other areas. Finding the right book club book is easy when you follow these helpful tips. When breath becomes air by paul kalanithi this memoir published after the authors early death from lung cancer will basically rip your heart out, but also make you so glad to be alive. A book club can be a great way for your staff to push themselves to continue to learn. Discussion questions you can use with any book morristown. In the past, weve done family reunion book clubs and if we did another one, this would be in my top three book club suggestions for sure. Book club ideas kid through adult great group activities.

Book clubs are a great way to engage students with reading and help build a reading culture at your school. Keep the mood of the club in mind when selecting the book. What follows are ideas for managing and planning, as well as guidelines for the groups leader and prompts students can use to move book conversations forward. Sure, they come for the joy of talking about the tigers. Sep 11, 2019 the perfect book club is made up of three key things. I may be biased, but moms book nook is the best online moms book club youll find. After the book clubs are over, associates will refer to stories from the books in meetings and talk about whether we can approach challenges in the same way. Jun 08, 2018 8 creative book club ideas everyone loves a book club, but sometimes even the most wellattended group can start to feel stale. If youre like me, an introverted former english student, you may have an aversion to book clubs because they still feel too much like class, except they have wine. The classroom book clubs program is a variation of traditional literature circles in which groups of students read the same book and have weekly meetings to discuss their thoughts and feelings about the book. Its also helpful to have one person designated as the leader to keep the discussion flowing and make sure everyone who wants to contribute gets their chance. Or, is the team struggling with the last few books youve read.

Book club parties are a good way to get friends together and have great discussion over appetizers, drinks, or brunch. Want to see these questions in action, and join a fun monthly online book club no awkward silences, promise. Here are some general questions and conversation starters that can be catered to fit nonfiction titles. Make every book club discussion a meaningful one with these simple.

Monthly book club theme ideas how to start a family book club great. What follows are ideas for managing and planning, as well as guidelines for the groups leader and prompts students can. Cozy up with your gals, a bottle of vino, and a few book themed pillows. Ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book. What was the purpose of this book eg, to teach, to entertain. The perfect book club is made up of three key things. This bets on pick is a gorgeous and generous portrait of the daily intimacies of marriage and the power of forgiveness, as two families try to stay afloat amid a resounding tragedy. I have been a part of one or more book clubs for over 20 years, and i have learned a few things about what makes a book club successful and how to get your book club talking. We announce the book selection on the first monday of the month and discuss on the last monday of the month at. As joseph addison said, reading is to the mind what exercise is to the brain. Aug 08, 2019 book club central will be a repository of resources on book clubs from tools to start and maintain your club to recommendations on books, as well as fun ideas like food pairings for your book. Now that everything everywhere happens over the internet all the time, says zach zook, an coordinator for the small indie shop bookcourt in brooklyn, were seeing a real desire from customers for faceto face interactions. Other frequently used terms to describe a book discussion club include reading group, book group, and book discussion group.

We did a test run early in the week, used the leader who was scheduled to lead the discussion in our regular in home meeting format, and talked for over a hour about the amount of time our normal meetings last, minus some social time. My current book club group is much more casual, but perhaps too much so. We all love our book clubs, but there comes a time when even the most ideal group think stimulating novels, insightful members, priceless wines, organic caviar, a live harpist in the corner who strums ethereal notes after every comment gets a little stale or a little intimidating to outsiders. Starting a business book club university of michigan. Book discussion groups home libguides at american library.

Successful groups select good books, have interesting discussions, and foster community. When you sell a man a book you dont sell just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue you sell him a whole new life. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction. Choose one question at a time and toss it out to the group. See more ideas about book club books, book club parties and book worms. Looking for book club questions that will get the conversation going. In fact, participating in a book discussion increases our retention by 70%. These book club ideas will have everyone you know clamoring to join your club and read along with you.