Plot a book club success

Most book clubs get started when a couple of friends —- usually women —- start talking about a book they both read. Then conversation moves on to books in general. What they liked. What they hated.

From there, in the electric moment of discovering a kindred spirit bold enough to agree that, for example, “The Secret Life of Bees” may be a tad overrated, the idea of a book club takes hold. The next step is often a mass e-mail to friends who might want to join.

Some book clubs just work. They find the right chemistry, the ideal meeting time and the perfect meeting place. They come up with a method of selecting books that everyone can live with and strike a balance between discussing the book and catching up on each other’s lives. Members form friendships that endure through marriage, divorce, childbirth, illness and the empty nest years.

Other clubs fizzle. Members move away, get busy or get bored with the selections.

Marge McDonald, an Ansley Park bibliophile, belongs to three book clubs.

Her first tip for anyone thinking of starting a club: “Make sure all asked to join are readers, or you end up with members who come just to belong to another group for social reasons.”

McDonald recommends a dozen to 15 members, with eight to 10 attending each meeting.

Good club is hard to find

Because book clubs are informal gatherings, it’s impossible to know the exact number.

“There are millions of people in book clubs,” said Ann Kent, a California bookworm who founded Book Group Expo, which sponsors book events around the country. “It’s a great underground community.”

The clubs can be more appealing in tough economic times. Books are easily acquired through friends, the library or club members who read fast. Reading is a chance to escape from an uncertain present, and the meetings offer a chance to connect with others.

A few clubs gather in public places like bookstores or online and are open to all. But most meet in members’ homes.

Because of the intimate setting, it can be hard to find a club to join. Many are cautious about new members, fearing a disruption in chemistry. And people don’t feel comfortable letting strangers into their homes.

Also, it can be tough to find the right fit. Book selections are personal, and someone who wants to discuss “The Age of Innocence” isn’t likely to enjoy a club that’s reading “Love the One You’re With,” a book club favorite by Atlanta author Emily Giffin.

Successful clubs

Thriving clubs tend to have structure: a method of selecting books, guidelines on what types of books they want to read and a specific day of the month when they meet.

The Unbearable Lightness of Reading, an intown book club that has been going strong for 14 years, developed detailed guidelines that spell out criteria for new members, meeting structure and book selection. For example, books should be 500 pages or less and must be available in paperback.

Selection of new members is the most difficult aspect, says Susan Wietsma, a founding member. No one wants to turn down a book lover in search of a club. “We decided to only add members at the end of the year so they can come to the December meeting to pick books,” she says. “As many of us work, and with Atlanta traffic, we needed to make sure that everyone lives within a certain area; we decided on 10 miles. This helps with attendance a lot.”

For Bonnie Holler, finding members was easy. Most attend Oglethorpe Presbyterian Church in Brookhaven. (Churches and subdivisions provide fertile ground for book clubs.) The group, known informally as the OPC Book Club, faced two organizational dilemmas: how to pick books in an efficient manner and how to manage discussions.

Members appointed a committee of five to select books for the next six months. And for discussion, members download questions off the Internet. Each question is placed in a cup, which is passed around. Says Holler: “Each member in turn takes a question and reads it for discussion.”

HOW TO GET STARTED

> Decide what kind of club you want to belong to, and build your membership around others who want the same types of club. Will you read serious books or light fiction? Will you discuss the book in depth or allow time for socializing?

> Build membership gradually. Recruit a few friends and ask them to recruit a few friends who share a love of reading. Be specific about what type of club you expect to be during the recruiting phase.

> Consider networking through the libraries, bookstores and other places where book lovers gather. If you’ll be meeting in a public place, it’s fun to have members you don’t already know well.

> Spend the first meeting getting to know each other, discussing possible selections and figuring out how the club should operate. Where will you meet? When will you meet? How often? How will you select books?

> Come up with a name for your club. It doesn’t have to be clever, but it will give you a sense of identity and purpose.

> Dive into your first book, knowing your club will evolve. During the first year, talk about what can be improved. Should an appointed person lead the discussion? Do you need a set time for stopping the chatting and starting the discussion?

> If you started the club, be prepared to provide leadership, especially for the first year. Most clubs need someone to keep everyone on track.

> Keep your club fun by inviting authors to chat with your group by phone, meeting at restaurants that match the setting of your book or planning a junket tied to the book’s theme. Have a book swap night or spend a day volunteering for a literacy cause.

Source: Metro Atlanta book clubs and Book Group Expo

BOOK CLUB FAVORITES

Here are some books local club members rave about:

“Loving Frank,” by Nancy Horan

“Pope Joan,” by Donna Cross

“What Is the What,” by Dave Eggers

“The Road,” by Cormac McCarthy

“Three Cups of Tea,” by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

“Suite Francaise,” by Irene Nemirovsky

“Revolutionary Road,” by Richard Yates

“Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,” by Barbara Kingsolver, Camille Kingsolver and Steven L. Hopp

“The Yiddish Policemen’s Union,” by Michael Chabon

“Under the Banner of Heaven,” by Jon Krakauer

Source: Metro Atlanta book clubs