Have each person bring a personal calendar and some book suggestions.
3.
Points to consider—schedule, location, refreshments, choosing titles, leading
the discussion.
Setting Up a Schedule
1.
Allow at least a month for reading.
2.
Select a day and time that works for most of the people in the group and be
consistent.
3.
Begin and end promptly. This will help in preparation and in pacing the
discussion. (1 – 1˝ hours)
4.
Plan 4–6 months at a time, if successful, try planning a year at a time.
5.
Take summers and holidays into consideration. You may want to take summers off
or allow more time around the holidays.
Choosing a Location
1.
Some groups rotate meetings among members' homes.
2.
Others choose the same location all the time, like a room in a church, library,
or school.
Refreshments
1.
Decide whether you'd like to have them or not. Refreshments are enjoyable, but
can be distracting during the discussion. Perhaps you can plan them for before
or after the discussion.
2.
Determine who will be responsible for providing them.
Deciding on a Leader
1.
A leader facilitates the discussion by:
Reading the book twice—the second time looking for aspects of the book to
discuss
Formulating questions to stimulate discussion
Keeping the discussion focused
2.
One person could do it for a set period of time, such as several months or a
year.
3.
The responsibility may be rotated among members and assigned at the planning
meeting.
Obtaining Books for Your Group
1.
Each member may buy his/her own copy. This allows members to underline, make
notes, and turn down corners of pages.
Check with bookstores. See if they offer discounts to a book group buying a
number of titles in quantity.
2.
You might borrow the books from the library.
We have sets of
books that can be checked out together for book groups.
Popular titles (bestsellers, "Oprah" selections, books made into movies) may not be available when you need them.
Older books may not have a waiting list, but the library may have only 1 or 2
copies of them.
You might find them at other libraries inthe area.
You can request the title on interlibrary loan, although the arrival date
cannot be guaranteed.
Tips for Choosing Books
1.
Books with complex, interesting characters are easier to discuss than books relying on action.
2.
What you read for discussion is not necessarily the same as what
you like to read for entertainment. Books that are "light" and "fun" might not
provide enough substance for a discussion.
You might branch out and choose titles that have won literary awards.
Are there certain types of books that you want to include like mysteries,
classics, romances, humor, biographies, nonfiction?
Do you have a theme that you want to carry through your schedule, such as
relationships, aging, or self-discovery?
3.
While not necessarily the deciding factor, consider books in the
200–300 page range.
4.
During the holidays or any busy time, plan to discuss a shorter
book, a short story, or even a children's or young adult title. You might
consider a book with a holiday theme for December.
5.
Consider a book you've read recently, especially if you found yourself thinking that you'd like to talk about it with someone.
6.
Gather suggestions from friends, an author interview you may have
seen on TV, or a review in a magazine or newspaper.
7.
If the idea of creating discussion questions seems intimidating,
choose a title from the list of books for which
discussion material is available to work with in the library.
8.
Remember, a book that you don't particularly like can provide the
basis for a great discussion.
9.
If you come up with more titles than you need, don't throw the
unused suggestions away. They might be used when you have your next planning
meeting.
