BOOK CLUB Guidelines

1.   Introductions if necessary.

2.   Name club

3.   Kinds of books to read

4.   Frequency of meetings

5.   Dates of meetings

6.   Contacting members

7.   Club journal?

8.   Dues/buying books

9.   Selecting books

Basic Ground Rules

1.  Members who haven’t read the book. Come anyway. Not everyone can finish every book, but non-readers may still have valuable insights.

2.  Disagreements about the book. Be gracious! There is no one way to experience or interpret a book. In fact, differing opinions are good.

3.  Members who prefer to socialize. Be gentle but firm. Insist that discussion time be limited to the book.

4.  Dominating personalities. Never easy. “Let’s hear from some others” is one approach. Some clubs pass an object around the room; you talk only when you hold the object.

5.  Avoid "like" or “dislike.” Those terms aren't very helpful for moving discussions forward, and they can make others feel defensive. Instead, talk about your experience, how you felt as you read the book.

6.  Support your views. Use specific passages from the book as evidence for your ideas. This is a literary analysis technique called “close reading.”

7.  Take notes as you read. Jot down particularly interesting passages: something that strikes you or, maybe, that you don't understand. Take your notes to the meeting.  Using post it notes is a good shortcut.