Tag Archives: book club

Book clubs for readers who don’t like book clubs

Posted in books, reading by

20180325_122353

Book clubs can be a great way to read books you wouldn’t otherwise pick up, or to hear interpretations of books that are different from your own. But the traditional book club isn’t for every reader. Maybe you don’t want to read to a deadline, or maybe you find it hard to listen to someone tear apart a book that you absolutely adored.

If the traditional book club isn’t for you, but you still want to get together with other readers, here are a few ideas for different kinds of book clubs.

Book recommendations club

Get some readers together to share book recommendations (books you’re recently read or ones you read a long time ago and still think about).

#CurrentlyReading club

Gather around to discuss what each group member is reading right now (whether it’s a book you would recommend or not).

Bookish board games club

Meet in someone’s home to play a bookish board game or two. A few examples: The Great Penguin Bookchase, Bookopoly, and Paper Cuts.

Book swap

Instruct attendees to bring a book (or a few) to exchange for a book brought by another attendee. Note: This works best if you bring books you enjoyed and want to share with others, not if you are trying to get rid of books you couldn’t finish or hated.

Bookstore crawl

Get your bookish friends together to visit your favourite indie bookstores. Browse, grab that new release you have your eye on, or pick up a whole stack of new books (maybe bring a tote bag or two).

Literary event group

Check out event listings in your city for book events and organize a group to attend readings, talks, book sales, etc.

Silent reading party

Gather in a member’s home or a coffee shop/pub/park to read alone but together. This is a great option for readers who like the idea of a book club but who just want to read and not talk.

Do you have any other ideas for non-traditional book clubs?

Advertisement

4 ways to get more from the books you read

Posted in books, reading by
20170416_184342

The act of reading is a rewarding experience, but there are ways you can get even more out of any book you read, even after you’ve finished it. Here are a few methods I recommend giving a try.

Take notes

Keep some notes about the books you read in a journal. Write down your general impressions, any questions that were left unanswered, aspects of the book you particularly liked or hated–whatever you feel is worthy. Not into journaling? Underline or write in the margins as you read. Writing down your thoughts about the book can get you to articulate how you feel about it.

Write a review

Here’s your chance to elaborate on some of the notes you took. If you can get something published in an established publication, that’s great! But you can also post it on a blog/website or on a social media site, such as Goodreads. And you don’t have to publish the review if that’s not your thing. You can write it and keep it for yourself and still benefit from forming your thoughts into a review.

Read reviews

Book reviews are great for helping to choose what to read next. But reading reviews can also help you think about a book after you’ve finished it. You may or may not agree with the various comments and interpretations you’ll come across, but considering them can broaden how you think about the book.

Check out some book-industry publications, such as Kirkus Reviews and Quill and Quire, or read the books coverage in newspapers like The Globe and Mail and The Guardian. There are also lots of people posting reviews on social media sites, such as Goodreads and Instagram.

Join or start a book club

A book club doesn’t have to have a lot of members. In fact, a smaller group can lead to more in-depth discussion. Even if you’re just reading a book with one other person–a family member or a friend–it can be beneficial to discuss what you’re reading with another person.

Of course it’s nice when everyone loves the book so that you can gush about it, and it can also be fun when everyone hates the book, so you can all tear it apart. But it’s also great when there are differing opinions. It helps to see other perspectives, and it might make you appreciate that you book you hated a little more (or at least help you understand why someone else would like it).

So the next time you finish a book, don’t be so quick to put it back on the shelf. Think about if you’d like to spend more time with it first, because there are lots of ways you can.