HOW TO HOST A BOOK CLUB MEETING
The host's job is to make everyone
feel comfortable and act accepting of ideas.
The host must make sure members who attend meetings have drinks, food, adequate
restroom facilities, pens, paper, light, and comfortable places to sit -- in a quiet
environment. The host should keep the
conversation moving and act as intermediary when conflict arises. The host should set the tone and make sure people
are not often interrupted, talked-over or ignored. The focus of the meeting should be on the books
and having everyone participate in the discussion.
1. Toss only one question at a time out to the group. who, what, when, where, how and why -- are the basic questions.
2. Select a number of questions
and write each question down on a piece of paper.
3. Perhaps use a prompt (an object) related to the story to get
people talking. Seeing props can help stimulate members' thinking about some
aspect of the story. It's adult show-and-tell. Think in terms of maps, photographs,
paintings, food, apparel, a music recording, or a film.
4. Pick
out a specific
passage from the book -- a description, an idea, a line of
dialogue --and ask members to comment on that passage. Consider how a passage
reflects a character...or the work's central meaning...or members' lives or
personal beliefs.
5. Choose
a primary
character and ask members to comment on him or her. Think about character traits, motivations, how
he/she affects the story's events and characters, or revealing quotations.
6. Play
a literary
game. Say words chosen from the book as a kind of "free association"
for the group.
7. Distribute hand-outs
to everyone in order to refresh memories or to use as talking points. Identify
the primary characters and summarize the plot.
Then ask for reactions.
8. Recite a review from the newspaper, magazine or on-line before
the discussion begins and ask members to accept or reject the review's point of
view.
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