As someone who has been running a book group for just under (gasp!) 12 years now, I look forward to National Reading Group Month each year to get me re-energized.
I love my ladies and our book club (click here for details) but even I run out of ideas to keep us fresh and exciting. Thankfully, the partners and sponsors of National Reading Group Month are there to save me from the reading group blahs.
You can click through to see everything they have to offer, but I would begin with their annual list of Great Group Reads. The list features 20 titles. If you scroll down you will get a short annotation for each title as well as links to reviews and discussion guides.
Also, the NRGM has teamed up again with my friends over at Book Group Buzz, a blog that feature "Book group tips, reading lists & lively talk of literary news from the experts at Booklist Online." They will be running special posts for NRGM as well as presenting a special NRGM Webinar (details still pending)
Book Group Buzz is your best year round resource for all things book discussion related, from ideas on titles to read to tips on how to run your own group to dealing with awkward or difficult situations.
They even featured my book a few days ago as an option for reading groups who wanted to try horror. I never even thought of using my reading lists as a way to structure a horror themed book discussion, and I wrote the thing and lead a book discussion group! See they really are the experts.
October also marks the meeting where the BPL book discussion groups will be voting on their title choices for January through June. If you have suggestions for us to read, leave a comment.
Finally, if you need more advice on how to re-energize your book club, I am available to come to your book group to help. And if you live in Berwyn, it is FREE!! Contact me for details.
Thanks, I didn't know that there was a National Reading Group Month. I started a book club for people on my block 9 months ago. we are between 10-12 at each meeting. we love it! it is special, we use the format trading titles: each member bring a book they have enjoyed reading during the past month. we ask questions, and share comments when other members know about that book. we are both men and women, and we present books in all kinds of genres. see for instance the posts of that category to see what books we brought: http://wordsandpeace.com/category/book-club/.
ReplyDeletethe trading titles format is a great way to have men and women excited about sharing their readings.