Choosing which books a reading group will focus their attention on is an essential part of planning a book club. Here's some tips to make the selection process easy.
An important part of planning and organizing a book club is deciding upon selections that will be entertaining and thought-provoking for all members.
Considerations for Book Club Selections
- Type of Book. Book clubs need to decide whether they want to focus their selections on novels, short stories, poetry, anthologies or drama. The possibilities are endless and the type of book any group chooses should be based upon a general consensus as to what the majority of the club enjoys.
- Classics or Contemporary. Modern masterpieces or classic literature, which does the group naturally gravitate to? Consider if the group wants to stay inside its reading comfort level or venture into something different for its selections.
- Scholarly or Easy-reading. As with the classics or contemporary decision, another similar choice needs to be made between between the reading level of the selections. This is a particularly challenging when trying to decide which books to pick. Hopefully the club already consists of members with relatively the same reading level which will make it easier to gauge the general reading level of the group as a whole.
- Subject Specific or Anything Goes. Does the group want to stick to a particular subject (bestsellers, contemporary female fiction, science fiction, memoirs) or mix a little of everything into the repertoire?
Methods for Choosing Book Club Selections
- Member Nominations. Some book clubs like to operate in a strictly democratic method. By relying on either member nominated picks or a majority vote, reading group members choose their own selections. This allows all members to have input into what they would like to read and introduce other members to.
- Popular Reading Group Picks. Many reading groups like to follow popular book clubs, such as Oprah's Book Club, and read along with their selections. This is a good choice for readers who like to read what everyone else is reading. Benefits of choosing a book selection that coincides with popular reading group picks include: reading group guides that accompany these books and more discussion about these books in the media.
- Library and College Recommended Reading Lists. Libraries and colleges offer readers a wealth of book lists, often available to anyone seeking them out on the internet. This is a great starting out point for locating a more diverse selection of potential book club picks. By simply searching "reading list" or "recommended reading", reading groups can get tons of ideas for future selections.
Every book club is different and needs to take into consideration all of the members who compose the group. By thoroughly acknowledging the needs of the group, the club can have the most engaging discussions possible.
The copyright of the article Deciding on Book Club Selections in Book Clubs is owned by Lisa Rufle. Permission to republish Deciding on Book Club Selections in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
