It’s fun to read, but it’s even better when you have a bunch of friends reading together. Here are some ideas on how to expand on the basic book club get-together idea. A book club topic can be on anything that is related to reading and getting together with friends.
First, have a couple’s only reading group. You can read intimate poetry, or act out romantic plays or read some romantic romance novel scenes and then act them out.
Speaking of romance, you can get together and read some romance novels with your girlfriends or get together and discuss Cosmo’s magazine romantic tips. Many chick-lit novels discuss many relationships problems that would be great to expand on in a discussion
If you have some relationship issues you can have a relationship book club meeting where you can exchange relationship advice and read some relationship repair books.
Speaking of relationship read some book that uses the whole family in the novel. Read some books about sisters and then only have sisters involved in the group discussion. Danielle Steel even came out with a book named “Sisters.”
Have a book club based on the upcoming season. You can read some beach read themes, great holiday novels or novels to read while coped up for the winter.
You can read some parenting advice books. You can all subscribe to parenting magazines or read some parenting advice novels and then expand the advice on the experts. Discuss if the advice given it really realistic to your problems and life.
If you all a fan of history then make a book club based on history. You can read period pieces, war pieces, Holocaust memoirs or read some of many great speeches that reflect historical moments. If you are reading a book based the holocaust see if you can a survivor to discuss her experiences with you.
You can read some great historical biographies that you can compare to the way things are now. There are many great entertainment biographies that have been written. Your group can compare the way Hollywood was to how it is now. Maybe you can all read a 1940’s Hollywood legend’s book and then read about one of today’s Hollywood stars also. See if you can buy some older entertainment magazine on Amazon and then compare them to all the magazines we have now.
You can have political book club meeting. You can read the latest political pundits book or read a foreign policy book. There is so much interest in discussing politics because of the upcoming 2008 presidential election and Bush leaving office. You can have a Democrat or Republican book club meeting or if you want to have a political firestorm have both in the same book club. Your group can read “The New Yorker” magazine and then discuss some of the political themes.
The New York Times Magazine on Sunday has many great cover stories that can be discussed. Get together for Sunday brunch and discuss the magazine and the Week in Review section of the Sunday paper.
The New York Times has a bestseller list. Pick a book and discuss if it really is as good as all the hype.
If you enjoy going to the bookstore and library then see if they have a book club group.
Even your temple or church cans a group. A church doesn’t only have a bible study group. There many great Christian novels and other spiritual book by great misters that can be discussed. Have your priest or rabbi join a religious discussion group so they can give their perspective.
You can read a bunch of cookbooks or cooking magazines articles together. This is a great way to exchange recipes and tips. You can read some diet cookbooks or magazines like “Cooking Light” and then exchange your own diet tips too. You all read some health magazines like “Self” and then try out together as a group the magazine’s suggested exercise tips.
You can provide book club snacks based on the theme and period of the novel also.
You can have an Oprah’s book club or Oprah magazine reading club. If you go to Oprah online website you can print out questions related to her latest novel. You all join the online book club forum. Many magazines, morning newspapers like Metro and morning television shows like The Today Show offer book club suggestions also. If go online and visit some publisher’s websites you can download book club question also.
You don’t have read a novel but you can read a bunch of short stories. Try reading O’Henry or Virginia Wolf’s short stories.
You can read classic novel book club. Read all of your favorite author’s novels and discuss if all the author’s books are similar in style or not. With many novels being turned into movies you read the book and then watch the movie. For example, there have been so many Jane Austen’s Novels that have been turned into movies. Remember a lot of television shows have been based on novels. Sex in the City was a novel before it was a televise show.
If you like crime novel then host a crime themed book club. You can read great Mafia novels like the Godfather series or read some of Ann Rule’s books about real life crime. Ann Rule wrote a fascinating book based just on her experiences in working with serial killer Ted Bundy. You read some crime prevention novels like the Gift of Fear and you can all talk out to prevent crime in your lives. You can even try to get a guest speaker to talk about some crime prevention tips. Also, don’t forget to read the mystery crime greats like Agatha Christie or Sherlock.
You can have a travel book club group. Subscribe to one of the many travel magazines and then discuss some of their articles. Travel on a day trip or longer and actually see the places mentioned in the novels. Stop reading about the foods of Italy and go taste it for yourself. Let the book passages have alive visually for you and well as physically.
Let your imagination in deciciding book club themes go as wild as some of the books you are reading. Book club can be about anything you want them to be about. You can combine many great activities and have some great wine with friends while enjoying a great book.
