Start a Book Club!

Have you ever read a book, and you were so excited about it that you couldn't help but talk about it to everyone you met?

But no one else cared. Not that they didn't care about you, but they had not read the book and didn't understand why you were excited.

I remember when I first discovered the fun of discussing books. In my teens, one of my brothers gained a love of reading. Both of us enjoyed reading classic fiction. When I saw my brother start to read a book, I would choose to read the same book just for the fun of discussing the book with him. Sherlock Holmes, Great Expectations and The Prisoner of Zenda still hold fond memories because of those book discussions.

I was fortunate enough to marry a man who enjoys reading. The joys of a book are double when shared with a good friend.

Last winter, a couple from our church asked if anyone would be interested in starting a book club. It took  about 15 seconds for Ed and I to decide to join and it has not been a disappointment.

Our book club is very loosely organized. We take turns choosing a book, which means we have all been stretched to read books outside of our normal comfort zone. We have one month to read the book and then get together for an evening to discuss the book.

Usually the evening's host or hostess prepares some discussion questions but since our group knows each other well, it doesn't take long and we are into a thick discussion, complete with lots of good natured disagreements, conspiracy theories and laughter.

If you have ever considered being part of a book club, go for it! Send out a couple emails and see if any of your friends have the same desire. Our group consists of couples, singles, males and females with a wide range of reading but you could narrow the focus of the group to only females, non-fiction, classics, or whatever. For Ed and I, it has been a fun date night and enjoyable way to interact with friends and grow.

Our group took a field trip to Johnstown, Pennsylvania after reading about the Johnstown Flood and ate homemade egg rolls when reading about the persecuted church in China. Be creative, have fun, and enjoy reading as a community activity. (The photos are of Ed and I at book club meetings. Sorry I'm not showing any of the other beautiful people in our book club. I want to be sensitive to those who don't like their photo on the web.)



Okay, if I read this post, I'd be asking, "so what books have you read?" Here is the list. We only meet in the winter for about five months.

Last year:
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Robe by Lloyd Douglas
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough
Safely Home by Randy Alcorn

This year:
These Strange Ashes by Elisabeth Elliot
Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Radical by David Platt
The Harvester by Gene Stratton Porter
Silent Tears by Kay Bratt

Have you ever participated in a book club?

This post contains affiliate links.