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Four simple things that can make or break a book club. A monthly book club meeting can be a fabulous way to discover new books and have great discussions about them. Over the past ten years I have been part of several groups. What I know so far:

Size Matters

Fewer than four people and the group can be awkward and quiet. On the other hand, more than 10 people can mean too many competing voices. It’s hard to find a window of quiet to pose your questions or express your thoughts when there are that many participants. The less bold members of the group will not be heard from much in this dynamic, and often they have very profound thoughts to add.

Great Expectations

Some clubs are very casual and the book is used as an excuse to socialize; having read the book may actually be of little importance. This is fine and can be fun if you go into the club knowing this is the case. If you are a serious reader who was hoping for deep discussions a social club can be downright disappointing.

During meetings of my current book club, the person who has chosen the book of the month raises questions and usually has prepared some rough outlines of topics to examine during the meeting. Attending these meetings without finishing the book would let the group down.

Exhilarating Reads

Generally Book Clubs work well if everyone has a say in the reading picks to some extent. Having a start up meeting where all members can present a couple of books they are interested in, is a fair way to choose the reading list for the year. It lets everyone participate and usually a book list will be created that is varied. There is nothing worse than having to read one Shopaholic book after another when you are a serious Douglas Copeland fan. A start-up meeting can avoid making a commitment to an inappropriate group for your interests.

Purse Strings

Books should only be chosen if they are available in soft cover or at the library. I once belonged to a club that required buying a $30+ hardcover every month and that can really add up. I’d much rather use that extra money to buy a nice bottle of wine to share at the meeting. And, you never know the financial situation of others, better to be thoughtful right from the start.

Starting a book club is really quite easy if you follow these rules. Online book clubs are also readily available. Check out www.booksprouts.com for everything you need to know about book clubs, they even have reading suggestions and guidelines.