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How To Start A Book Club In Six Easy Steps

I was sitting at the pool reading Little Mercies when a friend of mine stopped to chat with me at my table. She asked me about the book and I gave her a high-level recap and of course, she became instantly intrigued.

How To Start A Book Club In Six Easy Steps

Next thing you know, two more friends popped over and we sort of got back onto the same topic and it struck me – I need to start a book club. We have all become so digital these days and the meetups we grew up on have simply STOPPED.

If you are interested in figuring out how to start a book club, I figured it would help if I wrote down all the steps I went through to get one going in my town.

Book clubs are so much fun and a real HOOT once they get off the ground. If you are LOST about how to start a book club, fear not!! We have step by step instructions below.

How To Start A Book Club In Six Easy Steps

Before I get into the nitty gritty of the post, let me tell you a little bit about Little Mercies. Here is the official synopsis (releases in stores on June 24th):

In her latest ripped-from-the-headlines tour de force, New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf shows how one small mistake can have life-altering consequences…

Veteran social worker Ellen Moore has seen the worst side of humanity—the vilest acts one person can commit against another. She is a fiercely dedicated children’s advocate and a devoted mother and wife.

But one blistering summer day, a simple moment of distraction will have repercussions that Ellen could never have imagined, threatening to shatter everything she holds dear, and trapping her between the gears of the system she works for.

Meanwhile, ten-year-old Jenny Briard has been living with her well-meaning but irresponsible father since her mother left them, sleeping on friends’ couches and moving in and out of cheap motels.

When Jenny suddenly finds herself on her own, she is forced to survive with nothing but a few dollars and her street smarts. The last thing she wants is a social worker, but when Ellen’s and Jenny’s lives collide, little do they know just how much they can help one another.

A powerful and emotionally charged tale about motherhood and justice, Little Mercies is a searing portrait of the tenuous grasp we have on the things we love the most, and of the ties that unexpectedly bring us together.

If you are going to start a book club, I suggest that you start off with THIS BOOK. Let me make it nice and easy on you. The first month is DONE. 🙂 Now onto how to start a book club.

Related: 20 Of The Best Book Discussion Questions To Get The Conversation Going

How To Start A Book Club In Six Easy Steps

How To Start A Book Club In 6 Steps

How To Start A Book Club In Six Easy Steps

(1) Pick 12 friends and form your group (including YOU). Step one is easy enough, right? Now, let me say this. There are fun reasons to get together. Bunko. Bowling. Pampered Chef parties.

I know – I get all the invites. But think about who you want in your book club. You want people who are actually going to READ the book and who are going to bring something to the table other than a bottle of wine. Although… a bottle of wine is always welcomed. 🙂

(2) Assign a month of the year to each of the 12 women. This will ensure that everyone knows what date is their month. I would suggest that you all agree on a particular DATE of the month right off the bat.

For EXAMPLE: the third Thursday of the month.  This will allow everyone to schedule in the meeting ahead of time. No questions asked.  You can – OF COURSE – have more women in the group, but they will never host which is unfair.

The host will pay for all the food for that month. It evens out at the end of the year with 12 women. If extra people are involved, then some get a free ride and that’s how friendships END PEOPLE!

(3) Host picks the book!!  Boo-yah!  No questions asked. This will give everyone a chance to read some titles they wouldn’t have otherwise. The next month title gets announced at the end of the meeting with a big reveal.

(4) Host serves light appetizers, drinks,  and desserts. A full dinner is not included. Put that expectation in place. We don’t want this to be a $500 affair. But at the same time, don’t just throw some peanuts out and call it a night. You are having a party… so have a party.

(5) Consider books that have online book club kits attached to them. Little Mercies happens to have one. A simple search online will provide this information. If you can’t find questions to print, be sure to tell guests to come with a few in mind.

Believe me, Google is a powerful tool. You will probably find a handful of pre-made questions for almost any book.

(6) Have a discussion about what you liked and didn’t like about the TYPE of book post-event. Was it too deep? Not deep enough? Too long? Too fluffy? Not enough vampires?

It will take a few meetings to get into the right groove with your group of friends, but it will happen! Some of my favorite books came from previous book clubs I joined. Have fun with it all!

Want more information about Little Mercies?

How To Start A Book Club In Six Easy Steps

So, what do you think? Are you going to give this all a try? Do you think you can grab a few friends together now that you know how to start a book club? Would love to know!

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