THE FIRST RULE OF BOOK CLUB IS "DON’T TALK ABOUT BOOK CLUB"

The title of this post is absolutely NOT one of the rules of book club. We don’t have any actual rules, but as a friend of mine is preparing to start her own book club, I find myself wanting to interject and say, “Well, that’s not how we do it in our book club.” I am holding back, because it’s her book club. She can do whatever she wants, and I am sure it will be great!

So the more I think about it, the more I realize that we do have some unspoken rules. And if you know me, I am all about speaking the unspeakable (not sure if that’s a good quality or a bad quality). I have decided to list the “rules” out here, so that future book club organizers might refer to them. However, I do feel very strongly that your book club should be your book club, and you can do whatever you want with it. This is just what works for our group.

In no particular order . . .
1) Meet on week nights only. Maybe this is because we started out as strangers. Now we do hang out on weekends, but just not for book club.
2) Always involve wine. Even if no one feels like drinking, there must at least be the opportunity to do so.
3) Have all meetings except the first one at someone’s home. You have to make sure people aren’t crazy stalkers before you invite them to know where you live.
4) The person who hosts is responsible for dinner.
5) All attendees should try to bring a bottle of wine, or some sort of snack.
6) The person who hosts also chooses the book.
7) Every effort is made to choose a book that no one has read, but since we are (look at me tooting my own horn!) reasonably well read women (look at me calling myself a grown-up!) it is not always possible to choose something no one has read and that is ok.
8) Read “fluff” near the holidays, and sometimes in the summer.
9) Meet every 4-6 weeks, depending on holidays, vacations, etc.
10) Women only, except honorary members who attended book club for 9 months while in utero. Once said honorary member is able to repeat what we say we may have to reconsider.
11) If you are next up to choose a book/host, try to have something ready at the current book club, or email out your selection as soon as you are able. (Hey, it takes some of us a long time to read a book).
12) We read some non-fiction, but we try not to read too much non-fiction in a row.
13) Try to choose books that are available in paperback or at the library.

Please feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments!

This entry was posted in Book Club. Bookmark the permalink.

3 Responses to THE FIRST RULE OF BOOK CLUB IS "DON’T TALK ABOUT BOOK CLUB"

  1. smiley9188 says:

    OOH OOH! I think you missed a rule! And no matter if you read the book or not, you have to go to bookclub. It’s really a wine club, with a sometimes brief discussion about the book we all should have read. We just want to see everyone!

  2. Kihei says:

    I miss book club so much! I had to ditch the philly one- it just wasn’t the same. I was spoiled by the best!! Happy Late Birthday! 29 was one of my all time favorites! So many good things happened that year!
    Miss you!

  3. Luke Henry Serignese says:

    I remember everything said while in utero and for the last 8 months. Pay up (toys only) or I start talking (when I start actually talking).

    -LHS

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