A month or so ago, I volunteered to lead the book club for the Officer’s Spouse Club (OSC) at our base. I thought, “Hey, I’m an English minor, I can do this!” Only two bases into my husband’s Air Force career and I’m volunteering for something I had no idea would be so painful. Brilliant!
So here I am, leader of the book club, perplexed: How do you organize a book club? How do I get people interested in the book club? How do you chose the book? Etc. Etc.
Literally days after I got the list of the first people initially interested, Brooke Reynolds of the fabulous blog inchmark posted this great guide: Books and Pie. So I drafted an email borrowing some of Brooke’s guidelines and asking the women for feedback and book choices:
- One book each month. You have to have read or know someone who has read the book before you recommend it. Also, try to pick a book that is easy to find (via Amazon, library, local bookstore, etc.). I suggested that the host chose the book.
- Meet the same day each month. Our location will probably be each other’s houses, however, this is all TBD and is based on how many spouses are interested, where people live, etc.
- Discuss the book. The book club leader will come prepared with a few questions on cards. Everyone will take one or two and when they think it is appropriate interject with their question.
- Keep refreshments low-key. Dessert and beverages.
And I haven’t heard back from a single person. Granted, one of the interested parties is one of my closest girlfriends here, but the other five women haven’t made a peep! I’ve decided I’m going to chose a book, time, location, etc. and send out an Evite with the details. However, now I have to decide on a book. I want something that isn’t a difficult read, but is still interesting and thought-provoking. I personally love novels and/or about family sagas, friendships, and women on the verge.
Here are some of my favorites and possible options (for full descriptions from Books•A•Millions’ website click on the book title). The first four I have read; the last four are ones I’d like to read. I’m hopeful some of the spouses are interested in one of these titles. If all goes well, I want to post a review of the book read every month after the we meet.
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Love this book, which is actually a short story about a woman and her awakening in the 1800s. This version is dirt cheap ($1.50) and it is short, so maybe book club members will be more likely to read it even though they are busy.
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
Summer Sisters is my absolute favorite book of all time. I read it in high school and have loved it ever since. I try to read it every summer. I really enjoy stories about friendship, especially those told over a number of years. This is an easy, fun read.
Truth & Beauty by Ann Patchett
This is a heartbreaking story of the author’s real-life friendship with a fellow writer. A tearjerker for sure. I read this while enroute to visit my best friends’ and I sobbed. Once I arrived, I hugged my friends a little tighter.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
This memoir is about Wall’s tumultuous childhood with nomadic parents.
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
This novel was written by a Parisian writer about the German occupation. Eventually, she was arrested and sent to a concentration camp; this novel was found 64 years later. I love fiction that takes place during World War II. I’ve read the first few pages of this book and think it sounds great.
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
A story about a family with a 1000 acre farm that is about to be left to the daughters’. Some of them want it, some don’t and their father does something terrible, causing a family drama to unravel.
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
I’ve heard lots of great things about this book – another one about women and friendship.
The Senator’s Wife by Sue Miller
Sue Miller’s works are well-known, her novel While I Was Gone was one of Oprah’s Book Club selections. This sounds interesting and focuses on a young wife who befriends a cheating senator’s wife.
So I am curious – are any of you in a book club? How do you organize your book club and/or decide on a book? Which of these books would you want to read with a book club? What would initially spark your interest in a book club?
Twitter: @lnrbailey
My book club is like my monthly haven from all of life’s nonsense!! (I reaaaallly like my bookclub!!)
Each month we read a book chosen by the next month’s host. Then we pick a sort of theme (sometimes loosely based on the book) for refreshments. Our club was based on wine and chocolate love so there is always plenty of that. So far it’s worked out really great. We’ve read some AMAZING books (I highly recommend the 13th Tale and A Reliable Wife) and I’ve made really awesome friends.
Twitter: @amiatead
you’ve chosen some awesome books! i love friday night knitting club. and summer sisters is one of my favorite books. some other choices for you to consider: judy blume’s wifey, angry housewives eating bon bons by lorna landvik, and anything by my all-time favorite womans-lit author, kris radish!
i wish i was in a book club. any chicagoans want to start up one with me?
My bookclub uses BookMovement.com to keep everything organized. We each take turns hosting, host gets to pick the book and the theme (usually revolves around the book) and provides the main course. The rest of us bring either dessert, beverages or a side dish. Since it’s only once a month, and we all take turns hosting it isn’t too much work and we have a blast! Some that we’ve done have been “Memoirs of a Geisha” (Sushi) “The Mistress of Spices” (Indian Food) and “Water for Elephants” (Circus related food) We just have fun with it!
Twitter: @bloggernextdoor
I just finished reading Friday Night Knitting Club and liked it. Mine had a reader’s guide in the back that’s perfect for book clubs. The last book I read that got everyone talking at our old book club was Middlesex… lots of discussion on that one!
.-= Abbie’s most recent blog post: To Craigslist Or Not to Craigslist? =-.
Do the Glass Castle, it is beyond phenomenal, one of those books you can read again and again!
.-= Stacy Marie’s most recent blog post: 3 Years =-.
I was involved with our OSC bookclub at our last military location.
Basically, our leader had a sign up sheet at our luncheons. Our first book club event we did not have an assigned book to read, rather we all brought two book titles we were interested in reading. As a group we decided our reading list. We started off reading one book amonth, but since our group really enjoyed reading, we bumped it up to two a month!
I am in a bookclub. At the start of the year we all nominate books which are then whittled down into a list for the year by our group organiser. Each month we all read the book and then meet in the pub to discuss the book. The organiser sorts out some basic questions to discuss but usually several people bring questions or issues they wish to discuss.
We also enjoy reading a book and then watching the film and comparing the two.
Twitter: @sillylittle
I’ve been in 2 book clubs. One devolved into what actor should play this role in a movie? The last straw was when one couple pushed for us to read their friend’s 800 page debut novel. It was rubbish and none of could stomach it. We stopped meeting rather than tell them it was terrible.
My second attempt was slightly better but people didn’t read the book frequently. We didn’t make that a requirement, so it became a girl’s night out group.
I encourage you to find books that can easily be read in a month. Find popular books that don’t have long queues at the library in case folks don’t want to buy them. And make a list of books a few months out. That way people can get started on next month’s if they’ve already read this months.
.-= Linda’s most recent blog post: Spice Rubbed Pork Chops =-.
I just joined a “book club” last month. We meet once or twice a month and play board games (cranium, apples to apples, etc.) The winner (or winners in a team game) get to pick the next book. During the game we talk about the book and just enjoy a girls-only evening! The host rotates and provides a light meal. :)
Twitter: @lauralpotter
I’m in a book club and I really love it. Although mine is a little funny. It’s almost all retired people. A man at my chruch started it, he is a retired English Professor. There are 15 people. I am the youngest, there are two men in their late 40′s and everyone else is retired. Three ladies are in their 80′s! But it’s really neat to have so many different back grounds and perspectives in the room.
We read one book a month and the host picks. We take turns hosting. One of the greatest things is when I think I’m not going to like the selection for the month, I have no interest in it and I never would have picked it up and it becomes one of my favorite books.
We just read the Glass Castle and really like it. I read Suite Francais last year, just on my own, and it’s really good but it is rather long and wordy. In ways it reminds me of Faulkner or James Joyce. But the story is really good if you can wade throught he descriptions.
I hope you first meeting is a success!