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What is the first book you fell in love with while reading? Maybe it was “The Fault in Our Stars” or the entire series featuring Nancy Drew. Whatever your literary taste, you can probably remember the magical feeling of curling up on the sofa with a good book in your lap. But according to Book Browse, 56 percent of surveyed American women are taking their love of books even further by falling in love with book clubs.
How can you find a book club as addictive as your favorite book? Here are five tips to get you started!
Picking out a book club should be like picking out your next car, apartment or even significant other. Consider your priorities before starting your search. Don’t know where to start? Here are some questions that can help clarify what the “right” book club means to you.
Use this list as a springboard to explore your own priorities. Once you have a clearer picture of your perfect book club, you’ll know what to search for!
Once you know what you’re searching for, let the Internet – and the magic of Google – do the rest! Cheat Sheet suggests using Meetup.com to find book clubs near you. Meetup.com, as the name implies, lists a variety of different social activities, but book clubs are a popular enough trend that you can find plenty of options. On Meetup.com, you can find a description of each club, read reviews from members and see a list of past meetings (and books read). Most listed clubs also indicate the genre of books read and some include notes about age demographics and gender, which can help those seeking to socialize with a younger crowd.
You could even use the online book club directory on My-Bookclub.com. You can filter searches according to country, location, keyword, distance, age range and gender – which makes the directory another great tool for narrowing down your book club options.
If you’re the kind of woman who likes reading – and researching – offline, Cheat Sheet also suggests checking out your library and local bookstores. Besides exploring book club options at your local library, you can ask about library events throughout your city. One of the bonuses of library book clubs? You can save money by checking books out of the library rather than buying them.
Many local bookstores also offer book clubs run by the owner or an employee. Talk about having a book expert close by during discussions! Because you’ll likely buy books for the club at the bookstore, you can also feel good about supporting a local business.
Can’t find the right book club within driving distance? Try going digital! Many of you probably remember the headlines Emma Watson made when announcing her feminist book club, but there are online options for every kind of reader! According to Bustle, five of the best digital book clubs to join include the Bustle Book Club (for nostalgic readers), Women’s Lives Club (started by writer Rachel Syme and enjoyed by women all over the world), Our Shared Self (Emma Watson’s club!), RW Book Club (led by Reese Witherspoon and driven by social media) and Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 (re-launched after 2011 and featuring a reading list of 70+ books). For even more choices, search the thousands of book clubs on Goodreads.
… or start your own! If the right book club for you doesn’t already exist, Real Simple provides a short checklist for creating your own. The basics? Decide on the tone and genre of the club, spread the word, coordinate a convenient meeting time and location (if you don’t go the digital route) and establish ground rules and a book-selection procedure.
Then, all you have to do is grab a book, find a cozy chair and fall in love with reading all over again!
