What happens at a Book Club meeting?

Whether you are new to the book club, or are chairing a meeting, these notes aim to help.

Once everyone has settled in, the Chair will steer the discussion as follows:

1. New members are welcomed.
2. The member nominating the book under discussion will be invited to give a brief outline of the book.
3. Book discussion questions might include:
   • How much did you know about the book beforehand?
   • Did the reading surprise you?
   • How many stars out of five would you give the book?
   • Did you have any problems with the book? Eg. format, subject matter
   • What do you know about the author? Is their background/expertise relevant?
   • What did you think of the writing style? Your comments might include imagery, tone, structure, or voice.
   • Does the style add or detract from your enjoyment of the book?
   • What were the themes? Were these relatable or challenging?
   • What did you think of the characters? Were they credible?
   • If you really disliked the book, name one positive thing about it.
4. The Chair will aim to:
   • Encourage everyone to have their say.
   • Maintain group-level discussion (eight is the optimum number for a group discussion, beyond this there is a tendency for the group to splinter into breakout groups).
   • Encourage everyone to read the nominated book.
5. The Chair will end the meeting by highlighting forthcoming events (with support from the Events Manager), a reminder of the next book to be read and the date of the next meeting.

New ideas for how we run the book club are always welcome, but please be willing to actively put your idea into operation.

Information for New Members

• Every member nominates a book. 
• Your nominated book must be available in Audible and print format
• Your nominated book must not have been previously read by the book club (see https://burtonvillage.org/category/book-club/ for previously read books)