How To Organize A Book Club
You and your friends want to put together a book club, and you want it to be enriching and fun… You know you need to start with a book and some wine, but how do you choose and get everyone on the same “page” for a successful first gathering?
STEP 1: Create a private community on Get Assist for your book club members and invite the participants.
STEP 2: Start a discussion in your community and collectively decide on a date for the first book club meeting and schedule it on your community calendar. Be sure to ensure enough time to purchase the book and read it before you come together.
STEP 3: Decide on a book.
This can be the hardest part to organizing a book club. Are your participants like-minded in what they like to read? Start a Discussion in your Get Assist community and get a consensus on the genre of the first read.
Once you have zeroed in on the genre, you can hone in on your book choice. Everyone can pick a different search technique and post their results to see if many of you found similar works of interest. Narrow it down from there.
Here are some book search sources:
- Amazon Best Sellers list
- New York Times Best Sellers
- Book Review Sites – www.kirkusreviews.com, www.goodreads.com, artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com
- Check with your local library on the new books it has brought in and what are the most popular books checked out in the genre you are looking for
ADD A CHAPTER TO YOUR FIRST MEETING: Do a google search for local authors in that genre – this can add the extra wow factor to the event if you can get the writer to attend that night to speak about their creative process and answer questions you have about the book. If you can’t find someone local, many authors are willing to Skype in too. You will need to decide beforehand as a group how much you are willing to pitch in to pay the author for their time, as it is customary to offer a gratuity.
STEP 4: Pair your chosen book with wine or a cocktail and great appetizers.
Post pictures of your ideas for food and libations on your community Bulletin Board and decide who will make what.
Here are a few fun examples of great book/drink pairings to get you started:
Vivian In Red by Kristina Riggle paired with your red wine of choice, or gin and tonic as many of the characters of this 1930’s historical drama liked to sling back.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, paired with Champagne of course.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway paired with a Mojito, a Cuban drink for a Cuban tale.
For more, there are many websites offering advice on book choice and drink pairings:
http://flavorwire.com/330501/10-great-novels-and-the-cocktails-you-should-pair-them-with
http://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a60609/booze-and-book-pairings-you-need-to-try/
STEP 5: Come together and kick off the most epic book club ever!
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