Saving this post to dig into more! On January 1, I decided ENOUGH IS ENOUGH... I’ve been dreaming of starting an in-person book club for long enough. I sent one simple text to have one friend buy in and then posted on social media. I even sent a note to my son’s daycare owner and she shared it with daycare parents. In two days, I have 15 interested participants! So many have said, “I’ve been looking for this for so long but haven’t been able to find anything!” To keep it simple, I picked the 12 books for the year and we’ll meet the last Thursday of the month at a local brewery/coffee shop/restaurant. Here’s to hoping even one person shows up to chat books and connect! ❤️
Wow, nice work! I love that you just picked the books and the plan and made it super easy for others to join. I'm a fan of the "plug and play"... I support your effort to reduce decision fatigue for others. Way to be a great host!
These book club guides are AMAZING! 🤩 I invited myself into a book club recently, and I’m hosting this Monday night. This says a lot about my personality. 😅
Tell me more about this!! I feel like I’ve gotten a few loose invites (“you should join us at book club” or “I think you’d enjoy our book club”) but no legit date/time/book sooo yeah tell me how you finagled your way in haha!! It’s hard to join an existing group. Have fun hosting!
I recently re-connected with someone I met years ago, and we discovered we’ve read and loved many of the same books. I asked if she was in a book club, and then I literally said, “can I come?” 😆 You should totally reach out to whoever is giving you loose invitations and ask for details on the next meet-up! I think people often give vague invitations because they don’t want others to feel obligated to come. I bet your friend(s) would be delighted to have you!
Amazing! You are so right. Most of the people I’m aware of in the group don’t have kids, and I do so I definitely think there’s a bit of an assumption that I don’t have time situation going on. But, I love reading and talking about books. Thanks for sharing and the encouragement!
I LOVE your book guides!! They are beautiful! I went to Target with one of my two friends. She doesn’t read. She can though. So that’s a start. And she agreed, she wants to start reading. When she leaked this information, I asked if she wanted to start a book club and she told me it was just what she’d been thinking! And then we forced two other people to join who don’t know each other! SO this could be totally fun or a total disaster! I’m excited!!
I’ve been in a book club for about 7 years, and it is one of my very favorite things! We meet the last Thursday of every month. One thing we do quarterly is have “book pitches” where everyone picks 1-3 books to recommend to the group for a future meeting, and then we each pitch out picks. Then we vote on our favorites, and the top choices become our books for the next several months! We end up with pretty diverse books this way, and it keeps things fun.
I love that pitching idea, Erin! Sometimes if our host doesn't have a particular book chosen, she'll throw out a few options and we vote. We try to pick books none of us have read, but that's hard because we actually all read quite a bit 😜
this is such wise advice, Ashlee! I've been wanting for *years* to start a no-book book club (as in, everyone shows up and talks about something they've read/listened to, whether it's a book, article, podcast) and have not actually done it, for a variety of reasons. I think having a co-hosting buddy might be the key--you've nudged me one step closer to actually getting this idea off the ground!
This is a hilarious concept, Nancy. Love it. We didn't talk about a book at our holiday soiree, but we did make the Time article about Taylor Swift our topic for the night 🤣
I'm in two book clubs because I'm a crazy person 🙈 But they're both quite different! The one is a mix of 30s to 70s women and we meet every other month. The discussions are so rich, I think in large part due to the wisdom and perspective years bring. The other is 20s to 30s and tends to pick more contemporary/buzzy books. We have wine & fun convos! Book club has truly been the highlight of my last few years ☺
One - this is SO fun! I've been leading or co-leading a book club for almost 3 years now, and it has been an incredible way to build connection within my Army chaplain wives community. Book clubs also brought a former small town of mine together monthly, with 25-35+ people of all ages showing up at the library once a month for a rousing and delightful discussion!
One tip: conflict and different opinions are a good thing in book club. Even if everyone hates a book, they all hate it in different ways. I don't know if it's human nature or not, but I've noticed people tend to be able to say more about what they don't like in a book than what they do. Second to that is if the book makes them unsettled or question something. And if they all love it, then that does bring a welcome sigh of relief!
Another (final) tip: if you need to get discussion questions off the internet (esp. with fiction), consider looking at many, many sources. A lot of book club guides copy and paste from one another and ask yes-no questions or questions that dead-end the discussion. But if you find some lists that have questions that really make you say, "huh!", then you've probably found a winner!
I joined an existing book club (a spin off from a larger regional Moms Facebook group) in 2020 when I needed something. The group has started meeting on zoom, and we have continued to do so (every 2 months, usually the last Thursday of the month also!). What we have rolled in is periodic in-person hangouts at the fancy mall food court that is fairly central to everyone. We calls those “MAMHO” for middle-aged mom hang out 🤣 I didn’t know any of my book club friends prior and now am grateful for this regular opportunity to think critically, listen and offer my perspective.
I love this! Great advice. I too would love to start a book club, have tried in the past, but it didn’t work great. I love your tips, especially to find someone to co-host with and invite specific ppl.
Also, can you link the lounge wear set you put on the mood board for the minimalist book club guide?? So cute!!
I kid you not, Ashlee, I started a group text about a book club THIS WEEK because I was tired of wishing I was in one. I moved away from a beloved reading crew several years ago, and this post is making me so thrilled I jumped back in and took the lead. :)
I love this! Book clubs are so incredible. My friend started a theology book club last year and we work through a chapter of a book each month, really giving us time to linger and learn from each other. It’s a highlight of my month!
I love that The Measure was the book that inspired y’all to start! I’ve been in a book club for nearly 10 years and somehow about 5 years ago I became the one in charge - despite being decades younger than everyone else. We’re discussing The Measure this month upon my insistence because I too needed to hash that one out! Book Clubs are the best.
I live in a really small and isolated area. I had been traveling 80 miles to a book club for a couple years before 2020, then everything kind of fell off. So in 2022 I texted a handful of women who live nearby and said, ‘could we get together once a month for a glass of wine and talk books?’ Viola! We have a group text of 14 (though we’ve never been all together in one gathering). We take turns hosting. One of my favorite things is choosing what to read next, we all bring up a couple titles and read synopsis together. I always leave with more than one new book on my TBR. The friendships that have grown from acquaintances is by far the best part.
Thanks for sharing this, Ashley! My best friend and I were talking about our book goals for the year and then talked about how we both read your book club post, so even though we live states apart and have a two hour time difference, we’re going to start a virtual book club! Even if it ends up being just the two of us at least we get intentional time together!
Saving this post to dig into more! On January 1, I decided ENOUGH IS ENOUGH... I’ve been dreaming of starting an in-person book club for long enough. I sent one simple text to have one friend buy in and then posted on social media. I even sent a note to my son’s daycare owner and she shared it with daycare parents. In two days, I have 15 interested participants! So many have said, “I’ve been looking for this for so long but haven’t been able to find anything!” To keep it simple, I picked the 12 books for the year and we’ll meet the last Thursday of the month at a local brewery/coffee shop/restaurant. Here’s to hoping even one person shows up to chat books and connect! ❤️
I love this, Ashley!!! Way to go first!
Wow, nice work! I love that you just picked the books and the plan and made it super easy for others to join. I'm a fan of the "plug and play"... I support your effort to reduce decision fatigue for others. Way to be a great host!
Thank you! It's very unlike my normal state of being haha but charging ahead and hoping for the best!
These book club guides are AMAZING! 🤩 I invited myself into a book club recently, and I’m hosting this Monday night. This says a lot about my personality. 😅
this is actually my favorite thing about your personality.
😆😆 you’re the best, Laura.
Tell me more about this!! I feel like I’ve gotten a few loose invites (“you should join us at book club” or “I think you’d enjoy our book club”) but no legit date/time/book sooo yeah tell me how you finagled your way in haha!! It’s hard to join an existing group. Have fun hosting!
I recently re-connected with someone I met years ago, and we discovered we’ve read and loved many of the same books. I asked if she was in a book club, and then I literally said, “can I come?” 😆 You should totally reach out to whoever is giving you loose invitations and ask for details on the next meet-up! I think people often give vague invitations because they don’t want others to feel obligated to come. I bet your friend(s) would be delighted to have you!
Amazing! You are so right. Most of the people I’m aware of in the group don’t have kids, and I do so I definitely think there’s a bit of an assumption that I don’t have time situation going on. But, I love reading and talking about books. Thanks for sharing and the encouragement!
I LOVE your book guides!! They are beautiful! I went to Target with one of my two friends. She doesn’t read. She can though. So that’s a start. And she agreed, she wants to start reading. When she leaked this information, I asked if she wanted to start a book club and she told me it was just what she’d been thinking! And then we forced two other people to join who don’t know each other! SO this could be totally fun or a total disaster! I’m excited!!
LOVE IT. I bet it's going to be wonderful! No joke, I really think being 50% responsible and 100% invested is the perfect math.
I’ve been in a book club for about 7 years, and it is one of my very favorite things! We meet the last Thursday of every month. One thing we do quarterly is have “book pitches” where everyone picks 1-3 books to recommend to the group for a future meeting, and then we each pitch out picks. Then we vote on our favorites, and the top choices become our books for the next several months! We end up with pretty diverse books this way, and it keeps things fun.
I love that pitching idea, Erin! Sometimes if our host doesn't have a particular book chosen, she'll throw out a few options and we vote. We try to pick books none of us have read, but that's hard because we actually all read quite a bit 😜
I’m always scared to pitch a book I haven’t read because I don’t want the book to end up being a dud. :)
I get that 🤣
this is such wise advice, Ashlee! I've been wanting for *years* to start a no-book book club (as in, everyone shows up and talks about something they've read/listened to, whether it's a book, article, podcast) and have not actually done it, for a variety of reasons. I think having a co-hosting buddy might be the key--you've nudged me one step closer to actually getting this idea off the ground!
This is a hilarious concept, Nancy. Love it. We didn't talk about a book at our holiday soiree, but we did make the Time article about Taylor Swift our topic for the night 🤣
I'm in two book clubs because I'm a crazy person 🙈 But they're both quite different! The one is a mix of 30s to 70s women and we meet every other month. The discussions are so rich, I think in large part due to the wisdom and perspective years bring. The other is 20s to 30s and tends to pick more contemporary/buzzy books. We have wine & fun convos! Book club has truly been the highlight of my last few years ☺
You are a book club connoisseur! I love that they each serve different purposes. Both sound great!
One - this is SO fun! I've been leading or co-leading a book club for almost 3 years now, and it has been an incredible way to build connection within my Army chaplain wives community. Book clubs also brought a former small town of mine together monthly, with 25-35+ people of all ages showing up at the library once a month for a rousing and delightful discussion!
One tip: conflict and different opinions are a good thing in book club. Even if everyone hates a book, they all hate it in different ways. I don't know if it's human nature or not, but I've noticed people tend to be able to say more about what they don't like in a book than what they do. Second to that is if the book makes them unsettled or question something. And if they all love it, then that does bring a welcome sigh of relief!
Another (final) tip: if you need to get discussion questions off the internet (esp. with fiction), consider looking at many, many sources. A lot of book club guides copy and paste from one another and ask yes-no questions or questions that dead-end the discussion. But if you find some lists that have questions that really make you say, "huh!", then you've probably found a winner!
Great tips, Laura!
I loved every word of this! My book club has been such a gift to me. We’re on year six!!
Amazing!!
I joined an existing book club (a spin off from a larger regional Moms Facebook group) in 2020 when I needed something. The group has started meeting on zoom, and we have continued to do so (every 2 months, usually the last Thursday of the month also!). What we have rolled in is periodic in-person hangouts at the fancy mall food court that is fairly central to everyone. We calls those “MAMHO” for middle-aged mom hang out 🤣 I didn’t know any of my book club friends prior and now am grateful for this regular opportunity to think critically, listen and offer my perspective.
MAMHO! Obsessed.
"fancy mall food court" for MAMHO. love that so much.
What is everyone's favorite book club reads?
You Could Make This Place Beautiful sparked the best discussion in ours, I think!
We had great discussions in my book club about Anxious People (Bachman), Homecoming (Morton), and The Midnight Library (Haig).
Sea of Tranquility is a good one!
I love this! Great advice. I too would love to start a book club, have tried in the past, but it didn’t work great. I love your tips, especially to find someone to co-host with and invite specific ppl.
Also, can you link the lounge wear set you put on the mood board for the minimalist book club guide?? So cute!!
Oh gosh, I actually found that image on Pinterest 😜 I think it was from Amazon but I don't remember the brand!
I kid you not, Ashlee, I started a group text about a book club THIS WEEK because I was tired of wishing I was in one. I moved away from a beloved reading crew several years ago, and this post is making me so thrilled I jumped back in and took the lead. :)
YES! Way to go first!!
I love this! Book clubs are so incredible. My friend started a theology book club last year and we work through a chapter of a book each month, really giving us time to linger and learn from each other. It’s a highlight of my month!
Love that, Jessica! I like the slow reading approach ❤️
I love that The Measure was the book that inspired y’all to start! I’ve been in a book club for nearly 10 years and somehow about 5 years ago I became the one in charge - despite being decades younger than everyone else. We’re discussing The Measure this month upon my insistence because I too needed to hash that one out! Book Clubs are the best.
Elise hosted that one and made spaghetti to stay on theme 😜
I live in a really small and isolated area. I had been traveling 80 miles to a book club for a couple years before 2020, then everything kind of fell off. So in 2022 I texted a handful of women who live nearby and said, ‘could we get together once a month for a glass of wine and talk books?’ Viola! We have a group text of 14 (though we’ve never been all together in one gathering). We take turns hosting. One of my favorite things is choosing what to read next, we all bring up a couple titles and read synopsis together. I always leave with more than one new book on my TBR. The friendships that have grown from acquaintances is by far the best part.
Love this, Shaya. And agreed, my TBR list is always growing from the group recs!
Thanks for sharing this, Ashley! My best friend and I were talking about our book goals for the year and then talked about how we both read your book club post, so even though we live states apart and have a two hour time difference, we’re going to start a virtual book club! Even if it ends up being just the two of us at least we get intentional time together!
I love this! Three of my closest friends live all over the country in different states. Sometimes you gotta work with what you have ;)