Ten Changes in My Bookish Life Since 2010

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

In celebration of the Top Ten Tuesday linkup turning 10, we're revisiting a topic we missed the first time around (or want to redo). I skipped this one last year, and it seemed particularly appropriate for this 10-year anniversary celebration: How has my bookish life changed in the last 10 years?

1. I started using Goodreads.
I had held out for several years because I had all my books and reviews on another site and I thought it would be a pain to switch, and then that site shut down and took all my data with it! So I set myself up with a Goodreads profile and since then have rated and reviewed just about every book I've read in the last 7 years — over 800 reviews!

2. I joined several different book clubs, two of which I'm still part of.
About a year after we moved to Portland, I read the book MWF Seeking BFF, which made me think to start seeking out book clubs for a first time. I tried out several local ones through Meetup before settling on one that I've been part of ever since, and I simultaneously found an online book club that I've also been with for the past 7 years. I've been part of a few others throughout the years that have formed and then disbanded, but these two have been constants. I try to never miss a meeting and to always read the book!

3. I switched to digital formats for the vast majority of my books.
I talked about this way back in 2014, and since my son was born in 2015 my opportunities to read hard copy books have been drastically reduced, so now the percentage of books consumed digitally (ebook and audiobook) is even larger. Thank goodness for OverDrive!

4. I started tracking and intentionally diversifying the books I read.
In 2014, I made an intentional effort to diversify the race, gender, and nationality of the authors whose works I read and the protagonists of the fiction books I read. This involved creating a spreadsheet to track these details from every book listed under my Goodreads profile at the time, which I've since added to as I read more books. It's been a good exercise in keeping myself accountable so that I'm not reading just book by and about white Americans.

5. I started this book blog.
A Cocoon of Books launched in September 2014! At the time I didn't know the blog would be almost entirely Top Ten Tuesday, Quick Lit, and Best of the Bunch linkup posts, but I'm OK with that — I knew I didn't want to post my book reviews here since I was already using Goodreads for that, so it's worked out well.

6. I started setting annual goals for my reading.
As part of Top Ten Tuesday — which used to have a topic at the beginning of each year to generate ten goals for the year, but hasn't in recent years — I've set goals around my reading life every year. At times these can feel constraining, but they can also push me toward books or genres I wanted to read anyway, get outside my comfort zone, and give me permission to read things I otherwise might not make time for.

7. I read tons of new picture books.
After my son was born in 2015, I got rid of a ton of old books on PaperBackSwap and used the credits to start filling his bookshelf. In addition to classics from my own childhood, I sought out books with diverse representation, most of which have come out within the last decade. For some of the more in-demand books that have long waiting lists on PaperBackSwap, I've put them on his Christmas and birthday lists. This has given me the opportunity to read lots of great contemporary picture books that I otherwise wouldn't have had reason to pick up!

8. I made my "to read" list less of a "to do" list.
When I realized that my to-read shelf on Goodreads was stressing me out, I stopped adding books to it and made a "might-want-to-read" shelf where I started putting everything. Just recently I moved a bunch of books from that original to-read list to my might-want-to-read list, so now I feel less pressure to read some of the books I was no longer as interested in.

9. I set up a special reading area for myself.
When we moved into a larger apartment, I wanted to make an area dedicated to reading. (I think I got this idea from a book, but I don't know which one.) I got an old stuffed chair my parents were getting rid of and decorated the wall behind it with bookish items — a poster, a shelf of our Harry Potter books, and a clock that says, "Too many books, too little time." The chair has an organizer over one arm where I keep my Kindle and my bookmarks. I don't get a lot of chances to sit and read, but it still makes me happy to have this special space for my favorite activity.

10. I stopped owning books I haven't read.
After clearing out many of my old books after my son was born, I was able to get my unread stack down to a manageable amount, which I read through over the next few years. I try very hard now not to add anything to my shelf unless it's a book I've already read and loved so much that I want a physical copy to be able to reference or lend to others.

What has changed for you in the last 10 years?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: The Warmth of Other Suns
Five years ago I was reading: The Miracle Worker, Angle of Repose, and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
Ten years ago I was reading: Everything Is Illuminated

Ten Books I Enjoyed but Rarely Talk About

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

This week we're talking about books we liked but haven't mentioned much. These are all books I rated 4.5 or 5 stars but haven't mentioned more than a few times on the blog.

1. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Coates is a modern-day James Baldwin, writing about racial identity (and its social and historical construction), police prejudice, and the ways in which his son's experience in today's world is both hopefully different and painfully similar to his own experience growing up black and male.

2. Feeling Good by David D. Burns
I expected this to be a hokey self-help book from 1980, but it's actually foundational for a lot of the work therapists do today to help with depression and anxiety. In clear language with occasional humor, Burns pinpoints common ways your brain will lead you astray and provides concrete exercises to bring those thoughts under control.

3. How to Stop Losing Your Shit with Your Kids by Carla Naumburg
I haven't had the chance to talk about this one much because I just read it recently, but it was a solid 5-star parenting book — concise, practical, and relatable. It's a guide to exactly what the title says, with the acknowledgement that you're never going to be perfect, but you can lose it less often and with fewer lasting consequences.

4. I Bring the Voices of My People by Chanequa Walker-Barnes
Aside from being my favorite read of January, I haven't had a chance to talk about this one much. Without mincing words, Walker-Barnes leads the reader through topics like gendered racism and the problems with racial reconciliation in the church. For all Christians and anyone else concerned with racial justice, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

5. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
It's difficult to classify this book, which may be why I don't bring it up a lot; it's like philosophy and poetry set within the framework of a fictional story. Each chapter of this book contains a short reflection on some area of life — love, friendship, work, religion — and while the ideas are perhaps not new, they are all phrased so concisely and beautifully as to make this book worth reading slowly.

6. Spook by Mary Roach
I enjoy Roach's irreverent scientific journalism. In this book, she takes a humorous approach to reporting on what kind of scientific experiments people have attempted to do to "prove" that there is or is not life after death. I read it almost a decade ago so I'm not entirely sure I would enjoy it as much today, but I liked it when I read it.

7. Still Alice by Lisa Genova
I'm surprised I haven't talked about this one more often, but it's been a while now since I read it. It's extremely well written and puts the reader inside the slowly deteriorating memory of a woman with early-onset Alzheimer's. I still haven't gotten to discuss this with a book club, but I think it would be an excellent pick for that.

8. Storytelling with Data by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic
This one I haven't really talked about on here because it's something I read for work, but it's a very good book! If you ever have to present any kind of numerical information, Knaflic has a practical guide to making your visuals as clear and uncluttered as possible so that your audience can absorb the information quickly. I would love if more people took her advice!

9. Stride Toward Freedom by Martin Luther King, Jr.
This was a fascinating first-person account of an event — the Montgomery bus boycott — that usually gets no more than a sentence in one's history books. Of course, it's also a carefully crafted treatise on non-violence intended to make King and his colleagues as sympathetic as possible to others during that time period. But I found it most intriguing for all the historical details I hadn't been aware of.

10. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
I found this account of the year after Didion's husband's death to be strangely relatable, even though her life was so much different than mine. I could envision myself reacting exactly the way Didion did to the circumstances around her, being at once logical and organized and also superstitious and thinking in circles. Seeing her grief unfold in all its peculiarities and minutia was captivating.

What good books have you not talked about often?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: When Broken Glass Floats, We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families, and Storytelling with Data
Five years ago I was reading: The Cricket in Times Square, Angle of Repose, and Finding Your Own North Star
Ten years ago I was reading: About Face

Book Lovers' Tag

It's been too long since I did one of these question sets! I couldn't figure out any way to fit with this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic on villains, so I thought this would be a good time to answer some reading-related questions. I found these questions at One Too Many Adjectives.

1. Do you have a specific place for reading?
No, I kind of read everywhere. BUT we just moved to a new apartment, and we've been talking about making one little area my reading area, with a comfy chair and a lamp and (hopefully) the prints mentioned at the end of this post that I'm asking for for Christmas.

2. Bookmarks or a random piece of paper?
Bookmarks! I have a collection of favorite bookmarks that I use for hard copy books. Plus bookmarks are sturdy — I feel like pieces of paper inevitably fall out or else flutter to the floor the second you open the book. Or else they contain valuable information that you lose because you forget you stuck the paper in a book.

3. Can you just stop anywhere or do you need to finish a chapter?
If finishing a chapter seems within reason in the amount of time I have, I will definitely read until the end of the chapter. More often than not, though, I'm reading in little snippets when I have time, and I don't have the luxury of picking a stopping point.

4. Do you eat or drink while reading?
So much of my reading is on the go (listening to an audiobook while I run, reading an ebook on my phone while standing in line, etc.), but when I actually have some free time in the evening after the little one's in bed, I will often make myself a cup of tea or bowl of ice cream before I sit down to read.

5. Music or TV while reading?
Never! I can't focus on the words if I'm hearing something else at the same time. The only time I turn on music while reading is when I'm trying to block out something else (like people around me having a conversation), which is when I put in my headphones and crank up an instrumental-only Pandora station.

6. One book at a time or several?
Definitely several. I'm usually in the middle of three books — an audiobook, an ebook, and a hard copy book.

7. Do you prefer to read at home or elsewhere?
I mean, in an ideal world, I would read at home in a perfectly quiet space, but that is a rarity in my real life. So I prefer to read wherever, whenever I can.

8. Read out loud or silently?
For as much as I talk to myself while I work, I almost never read out loud. (For my own books, that is; I read aloud to my toddler constantly from his collection of five favorite books.) The only time I try reading aloud is when I'm majorly struggling through a dense read and my mind keeps wandering because I don't understand what I'm reading.

9. Do you read ahead or skip the pages?
I try not to — for print books, my eyes will sometimes skim ahead involuntarily if I'm trying to figure out if something's going in the direction I think it's going. But I only ever skip pages if something is really gory/gruesome.

10. Breaking the spine or keeping like new?
Hard to say, because I rarely read new books. A large portion of what I read is digital (audiobook/ebook) to begin with, and then most hard copy books I read are from the library. If I own a book, it's probably a used one from PaperBackSwap. But if it's brand new, the spine will probably stay intact since I use bookmarks and don't lay it open face down.

11. Do you write in your books?
No, not since freshman year of college. Once I realized they lost their buyback value, I immediately broke that habit and haven't picked it up again. PaperBackSwap also requires clean pages, and of course most of my hard copy books are from the library anyway. (PSA: Don't write in library books!) I love Kindle books because I can highlight things I like and add notes, mostly where I feel obligated to call out something inaccurate or inconsistent. (Editing habits die hard.)

Share your answers in comments, or post a link to the answers on your own blog!

Top Ten Bookworm Delights

I'm linking up with The Broke and the Bookish for another Top Ten Tuesday.

This week's topic is about book-related experiences in our life that make us happy. Here are ten of mine!

1. BOOK CLUBS
I'm in two book clubs. I used to be in four book clubs but two of them stopped meeting. I have to prevent myself from joining more book clubs because I will never have time to read what I want to read otherwise. But I love talking about books so much! Unless you read a super-popular book, it can be hard to find other people who've read the same book you just finished and want to talk about it.

2. Being asked for book recommendations
I love giving people recommendations. I prefer when they have a specific genre in mind, because otherwise I end up going, "Here are 15 of my favorite books!" because hey, I don't know which ones they've read before or what they're going to be in the mood for! Being the go-to person among my friends for recommending good books makes me super happy. More than one person has told me that books I recommend always go to the top of their to-read list!

3. People following up later about books I recommended
Even more than recommending books, I love when people already read the books I recommend and then tell me what they thought! It's nice to have that follow-up anyway, and then we can actually discuss the book (which is my favorite — see #1). Even if they didn't like it as much as I thought they would, talking about it lets me know how to better recommend books to them in the future.

4. Getting a personal book recommendation that is actually spot-on
I read a lot, and so I know that the range of books that other people love and want to recommend can fall anywhere from true love to utter hatred for me. People have such different tastes that I can be skeptical about getting recommendations from someone who doesn't know my reading style that well and just thinks I'll like what they like. That's why it's such a joy when someone personally recommends a book to me and it turns out to be one that I love!

5. Finding someone who shared my feelings (love or hate) about a book
When I finish a book that I have strong feelings about, I need the validation of knowing that I'm not the only one who feels that way. Goodreads is great for getting that validation, but even better is finding someone in person who's read the book I'm talking about and knows exactly what I mean about it.

6. Finding someone who likes the same lesser-known author I do
Do you know how excited I was the first time I found someone else who not only knew who David Eddings was but was a fan of his books? As much as I love introducing people to a great author they've never heard of, it's even better when I find someone who already shares my love for that author's work.

7. Getting my library to buy a digital copy of a book I want to read
Reading in digital formats has caused me to read way more than I did before, and I'm more likely to start a book if I can download it. When I discovered that OverDrive has a feature that allows you to recommend which books your library should have in its digital collection, it was basically life-changing. They don't buy every book I recommend (obviously), but they've bought almost 90 different books because I recommended them, which is amazing!

8. Finishing a book in the nick of time
I squeeze a lot of reading in around the rest of my life, but it's so frustrating when I only have a few pages left in a book and I have to stop reading. On the flip side, it's satisfying when I have only a few more minutes and then find myself on the last page of the book — then I can leave the world of the book behind and focus on what's next in my day without wondering about how everything ends.

9. Reading every book on a list of recommendations
It was fun to finally check off the last book on the list of classics I'd had since middle school. I haven't found another list on Goodreads or List Challenges where I've read every book, but on many the only ones missing are on my to-read list, so I'll get there eventually!

10. Fan art about reading or favorite books
Sometimes you just have to share your love of reading with the world. Some of the things on my birthday list for this year are this custom ideal bookshelf print (assuming I can confidently settle on the list of books), this Borges quote T-shirt, this "I Heart Books" T-shirt, and this Dillard quote poster. So fun!

What delights you as a bookworm?

Why Making a Public Commitment to Read Diversely Isn't a Bad Thing

I've been thinking about a recent article from the often-controversial Jezebel titled (sarcastically), "Damn, You're Not Reading Any Books by White Men This Year? That's So Freakin Brave and Cool." I can't promise that this post isn't at least partially a defensive response in light of my year of intentionally reading diversely (2014). But it got me thinking more generally about why we read, why we set goals, and why we talk about our goals, and I wanted to share my thoughts.

The writer makes two main points, as I understand it. The first point is that while there is a definite problem in the publishing world of things skewing white and male (and straight and able-bodied and so on), these resolutions tend to be more about the person making them and how they as an individual will be changed by the experience. The second point is that when you do things that are good for you, you should not publicize them. In other words, you should privately start reading a more diverse selection of books, and then simply let that inform the range of books you mention, recommend, etc.

To the first point, I say, yes, that is true. Resolutions are about the person making them. But... is that a problem? There is definitely a need to push back against the norms of publishing, such as by supporting organizations like We Need Diverse Books. But the major way an individual pushes back is in the books they choose to read, buy, and recommend. If that comes about only a consequence of more people making a personal commitment to broaden the scope of their reading... I'm not sure I'm seeing the part where this is a bad thing.

And maybe it is just about the reader personally feeling more educated and open-minded as a result of reading these books. Isn't that much of the reason we read, period? Certainly there is an element of engagement and entertainment, but a reading diet that includes at least a handful of "literary" type books is going to challenge and educate the reader. There's a reason researchers often tout the benefits of what fiction does to your brain, such as improving empathy. We as readers want to be stretched and to glimpse what it's like to be in someone else's head, and we can then go out and be better friends, spouses, neighbors, parents, coworkers, and citizens.

But what if you find that you — yes, you personally — have been limited in the fictional (or autobiographical) heads you've explored? That was the case for me in 2013, when I undertook an extensive project to categorize the gender, race, and nationality of the authors and main characters from every book I'd ever read (excluding most picture and chapter books I read as a kid for sheer number and lack of records). I found that, as I expected, they skewed very far white American, and more male than female.

So I spent 2014 not just trying to regain some kind of balance but also learning about my own tendencies that led to this skewing in the first place, which — as much as I would like to lay it at the feet of the publishing industry — had as much to do with my own habits and thought processes as anything else. I discovered that certain past experiences (like having to read The House on Mango Street in school twice, and disliking it both times) had implanted in my subconscious brain the idea that I "didn't like" Latin@ literature, something I only discovered by consciously pushing up against it.

Although I didn't announce my goal at the outset (simply because my blog didn't exist yet), I did write a reflection post on the year, which brings me to this article's second point. It would be wonderful if we lived in the kind of idealistic world the writer depicts, wherein we read books for their own sake and they just happen to fall across a diverse spectrum of topics and demographics. But until we live in that world, why not talk about how we don't? Why not admit that you are making a conscious effort to diversify your reading because you've recognized that, on your own, that doesn't happen?

I understand the point that resolutions don't always pan out and that it's crappy to make these kinds of public resolutions if you're just doing it in an attempt to show how "social justice-minded" you are or what a good "ally" you are. I get that. But it seems like most of the people she's calling out are people who already have platforms and audiences and write things about themselves, so why avoid mentioning this specific thing?

For the past two years I've shared my reading goals for the year (2015 goals, 2016 goals). Is there something permissible about saying I want to read more graphic novels or books about World War I that does not extend to wanting to read fewer books by white Americans?

The reasons for sharing the resolutions are the same: First and foremost, I want to hold myself accountable by publicly sharing my goals (and then, later, reflecting on whether I accomplished them). And secondly, I want to challenge other people to be self-reflective about their own reading habits and whether they've been intentionally or unintentionally avoiding books in certain genres or, more uncomfortably, by authors of certain ethnicities or nationalities.

This goes above and beyond just recommending books from my own diverse(r) reading selections, as the article suggests. As I said above, before I intentionally set out on a journey to broaden my reading, I wasn't aware that I was discounting particular book recommendations as "books I wouldn't be interested in." Sometimes someone else's personal challenge, made public, can inspire others to — if not do the same — turn a critical eye on their own thoughts and behaviors.

Two final thoughts:

I saw some responses to the Jezebel article that said simply, "Read what you want!" Which, to me, just underscores why it's so important to have these conversations, not just about what we're reading, but why. I don't think people realize the origins of what they "want" to read until they stop and think about them. As my own to-read list ballooned to 300+, I started being more mindful of what I added to the list, and why. Before a book gets added to my list now, I generally have to see it recommended multiple times in multiple places by people or publications I trust, and check with myself that I really do want to read it. However, if a book falls outside my own "default reading scope" (i.e., the books I naturally gravitate to), I am more likely to add it to my list after just a few recommendations. This is my own way of ensuring that the books I read continue to expand my mind rather than keep it running in its existing, well-worn circles.

Secondly, if you are considering your own resolution to read more diversely, I would point out that there's a reason my personal tracking system (which I continue to use for my own accountability) looks only at author and main character demographics. I cringe a little bit when I see book reviews that celebrate "diversity" on a surface level, as in, "This book is so diverse! There is a black character and a gay character and someone uses a wheelchair!" Google "tokenism" and read about the tendency to relegate non-white, non-straight, non-ablebodied characters to the role of "best friend" or "classmate." If you're a white person and your goal is to break out of your whitewashed reading box, then read books by people of color — of all genders — where the main character is a person of color. Don't be content to tick off that a book contains "diverse" people if you never get inside the head of someone different from yourself.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Have you tried to intentionally broaden your own reading in this way? If so, have you made this intention known to others? Why or why not?

Ten Books I'd Love to Read (or Have Read) With My Book Club(s)

I'm linking up with The Broke and the Bookish for another Top Ten Tuesday.

I didn't mean to take a long break there, but it turns out taking care of a baby takes up lots of time ;) Also I went out of town last weekend. Also I got sick. So, you know, life.

This week's topic is books I would love to read with my book club. As I've mentioned, I belong to multiple book clubs, each with a different focus. I'll share some books that my book clubs have read, some that I've suggested for future reads should my book clubs choose to vote to read them, and others that I think would be good for discussion.

1. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
Two of my book clubs have read this, although I missed the second one's discussion because I was sick. Not only is it an excellent book, but the variety of stories that interweave to make up this book mean that it's likely there will be something that resonates with each person. There are a lot of great themes to discuss: family, promises, class and privilege, culture.

2. Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
I haven't read this in a long time, but I loved it and I bet it would be great for discussion. It takes place in a small town at the turn of the 20th century, and the characters have interesting and complex relationships that would be wonderful to talk about.

3. "Does Jesus Really Love Me?" by Jeff Chu
This is a journalistic exploration of the many ways people have handled the intersections of faith and sexual orientation, from ex-gay therapy to celibacy, from mixed-orientation marriage to same-sex marriage. Chu manages to be (mostly) nonjudgmental, even when interviewing someone from Westboro Baptist, and this book helped me and the members of my book club be more open-minded to different people's life choices.

4. The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield
This is another favorite of mine somewhat similar to Cold Sassy Tree. It deals with some darker subjects (animal abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse), but it's actually a really heartwarming (and heartbreaking) story. I want to reread it, but I'd love to have other people to help process all the emotions this time around.

5. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
One of best books I read in 2014, this is a compelling story, plus one of the main characters is based on a historical figure (Sarah Grimké). The characters' choices would make for a great discussion.

6. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
This is my favorite book, and two of my book clubs have read and enjoyed this book on my recommendation. A surprising number of people felt deeply connected to the characters for one reason or other, and you can talk both about the characters' various decisions and about the larger themes permeating the book related to trust and family.

7. Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
I don't think anyone in my book club had heard of this book before, but they all said they liked it after we read it on my recommendation. Through Marcelo's experiences as someone who struggles with social cues, the reader is forced to question why we have certain unspoken social expectations, and whether doing the right thing is always as obvious as we like to think it is.

8. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
This is another book that deals with heavy subject matter — the narrator stopped talking after a terrible thing happened to her — but it is rich with opportunities for good conversation. Anderson's ability to steep the book in symbolism without it ever being heavy-handed was amazing to me. I'd love to reread this with a book club.

9. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
This was originally recommended to me by someone in one of my book clubs. I've shared my love for this book previously on here and have recommended it to more than one of my book clubs, but we've yet to read it as a group. After the Slate Audio Book Club had a great discussion about it, I'm sure it would be good fodder for any book club.

10. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
Another favorite of 2014, this book would be excellent to read with my book club that's made up of women in their 20s and 30s. Moriarty is the master of capturing the drama of everyday life, and this book deals largely with how relationships (marriage, friendships, family) develop over time, not always for the best. Big Little Lies would probably be great as well, but I'd recommend this one for discussion first.

What books should I recommend to my book clubs next?

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What Makes a Good Book Club?

Last week I wrote about my four book clubs and how they're organized. Before settling on these, I tried out some other local book clubs that ultimately didn't work for me. By now, I have some opinions on what makes a book club work well — and what makes me peace out after only one meeting.

Picking a good location
Finding the right location can be difficult, particularly if you have a large group. Many places with private rooms charge for the use of them, and you may not want to have to charge dues to members in order to afford use of the space every month. For my local book club who recently had to move after the restaurant whose back room we'd used for years closed down, one of the organizers negotiated with a local restaurant for use of their private space every month in exchange for a minimum $5 purchase from each participant. This is not ideal, but it's better than nothing. I've attended book clubs that just met in a regular restaurant and got a table for the 10-15 people who showed up, and it was so loud and everyone was so far away from each other that having any sort of coherent discussion was next to impossible.

I prefer having a consistent location for every meeting vs. meeting in a new location each time, but that may be because I personally find it stressful to go to a new place where I have to find my way, figure out parking, etc. It's also nice to find a place that has good, reliable service and not have to take a risk every time. After the one club's meeting spot closed down, we tried a new place a few times, but they were rarely ready for us, the service was slow, and the last time we went they charged everyone the wrong amounts. If we hadn't changed locations again after that, I was ready to quit.

Actually discussing the book
This is the No. 1 reason I haven't gone back to several book clubs I tried. If I take the time to read a book in order to discuss it, and then commit an hour or two of my time to a book club meeting, I want to talk about the book! Yes, it's nice to get to know people, but once everyone's settled there needs to be a call to order and an intentional start to the discussion. I went to one book club meeting that was almost two hours long (from the time I sat down until the time I paid my bill and could leave) and we spent 5, maybe 10 minutes of that time actually talking about the book. Other than that, it could have been any happy hour get-together, with people talking about their lives, their favorite places to eat, and so on. If I wanted to make small talk for two hours, I would have sought out some other social group, not a book club.

Having a discussion plan
Some books are going to lend themselves to immediate discussion topics, but most will need a kick to get the discussion started. Hearing everyone's initial reactions (which could be as simple as "would recommend"/"would not recommend") is a good way to make sure everyone gets to contribute, and also lends itself to follow-up questions about specific elements that people liked or didn't like. A good organizer will have some discussion questions ready to throw out if needed and will also know when the discussion has been exhausted and it's time to wrap up.

Maintaining good communication outside of meetings
There are a lot of tools for organizing a book club (two of mine use Meetup.com and two use Facebook groups), but the main thing is that needs to be one place where people can go to find out 1) what the group is currently reading and 2) when the group is meeting to discuss said book. Whether books are selected by a group vote or a executive decision by the organizer, it should be clearly communicated so new members know how/when/where they can suggest new books to read and whether there are any restrictions on the genres or number of pages the group will read. Also important to communicate is if the group meets at the same time every month or if that month's meeting time is decided by consensus (or if the group meets more or less frequently than once a month), and if people needs to RSVP in order to attend.

These are the main attributes of a quality book club, in my opinion. I want clear communication about what we're reading and when we're meeting, I want to meet in a place that is conducive to conversation, and I want a facilitator who's going to get everyone talking about the book and keep the discussion moving.

How does this fit with your experience? What would you add?

Four Ways to Structure a Successful Book Club

I belong to three book clubs. (I sometimes attend a fourth if they're reading something interesting or something I've already read and enjoyed.) I've tried and abandoned at least two more, and one I joined never got off the ground.

It never occurred to me to join a book club until I read MWF Seeking BFF and realized that it was the most obvious possible way for me to meet people. I love reading and I love talking about books, and if I'm looking for someone with common interests, where better to find them?

So I tried out a few local book clubs and found one I liked. Shortly thereafter one of my online communities decided to start a virtual book club. And then, a few months ago, the local chapter of an organization I'm part of decided to read the executive director's book and discuss it, and we liked doing a book discussion so much we've been doing it every month since.

Being in multiple book clubs is feasible for me because I read 2-3 books a week, so I'm able to get through all my book club reads plus some of my own picks every month. I like that book clubs introduce me to books I probably wouldn't have read on my own, and hearing other people's perspectives on a book helps me to see it from new angles. I also like having the chance to introduce other people to some of my favorite books and hearing their thoughts on it (though this can be really nerve-wracking!).

My three book clubs (plus the fourth I sometimes attend) are all structured very differently, so I thought I'd give a brief overview of each of them for anyone looking to create one of their own or evaluate their available options.

Book Club #1:

• Group makeup: This book club has been in existence for probably over a decade now, so we have members who have been coming for years but always have some new faces every month. Most of the members are older than me, but lately we've had more folks in their 20s and 30s attending.
• Organization and meeting setup: The book club is organized via Meetup.com. We meet at the same time the last Sunday of every month, in the same location, although we recently had to move after the restaurant whose back room the club had been using for years closed down. We usually have 10-20 attendees. It takes about half an hour for everyone to get settled and get food or drinks ordered, and then we spend about an hour discussing.
• Selecting books: Every two months the organizers open up a forum thread on the Meetup site for book nominations, then close it and open up a poll where everyone can vote on the next book to read, with the top two vote-getters as the picks for the next two months. It used to be that the only rule was that you could nominate anything but romance novels, but recently a new rule was instituted that books need to be around 350 pages or less because people were having trouble getting through super-long books in a month. We sometimes have special themes, like July is Classics month, and for November everyone gets to bring in two favorite books to share, which you then pick from for your January read. Also there used to be a rule that you couldn't nominate a book you hadn't read, but that has since been abandoned.
• Discussion format: After one of the organizers gives a brief introduction, we go around and introduce ourselves. Then the person who nominated the book starts off the discussion by saying why they nominated it and what they thought of it, and then we go around the circle so everyone has a chance to share their thoughts. After that, if there's time remaining, we open it up to general discussion.

Book Club #2:

• Group makeup: This book club has been around for a little over a year now. Because of the online community it came out of, we're all in our 20s (as far as I know) -- at least the people who have actually attended the discussions -- and almost all women. We have attendees from all over the United States, plus one in the UK and one in Ireland who sometimes attend.
• Organization and meeting setup: We use a closed Facebook group for organization and use Google+ Hangouts On Air for our discussions. The group went from Open to Closed because 1) we had a ton of people join and vote on books but never attend the discussions and 2) we had a person join the Hangout one time who just wanted to harass people and had to be quickly banned. Now you can join only if someone personally invites you to the group. We use a Doodle poll to find a time for our discussion each month, though we quickly narrowed the standard options down to the first two weekends of the month following when the book was read. Generally 2-4 people join the Hangout; I think 5 is the most we've ever had. The discussion lasts for about half an hour up to an hour.
• Selecting books: We have a document on the Facebook group that anyone can edit to add new books to the list. (We recently added the requirement that you have to put your name next to your nomination.) Every two months the organizer uses a random number generator to select five books from the list and puts them in a poll on the group page, and the top two vote-getters are the books for the next two months. We don't currently have any rules on what kind of books can be nominated, except that you can't nominate a book we've read in the past two years.
• Discussion format: After we find an agreed-upon time with the Doodle poll (which can sometimes be difficult with people who can't figure out how to calculate time zones), the organizer posts a Google+ Hangout link on the Facebook group at the appointed time. Once we're all there (or we don't think anyone else is going to show up), the organizer turns the Hangout "On Air" and we start the discussion. Generally we'll find a list of discussion questions for the book and, after everyone shares their initial thoughts on the book, we'll use the list for ideas about what topics we'd like to discuss.

Book Club #3:

• Group makeup: So far the meetings have consisted of only me and two other people. We are trying to get more people from the organization to join in, but it's only been a few months, so we're hopeful it will grow.
• Organization and meeting setup: One of us will pick a local restaurant we want to try (requirements: relatively inexpensive, has vegetarian options) and then will post a notice on our chapter's Facebook group with the date, time, location, and book we're reading. Since there's only three of us right now, we just get out our calendars at the end of each meeting and pick a discussion date and time for the next month, and then we Facebook message each other if we need to reschedule.
• Selecting books: We read books within a pretty narrow topic field. So far we've just thrown it open for suggestions at the end of each meeting and someone will recommend a book they've read or heard about in this field. We discuss and agree on what to read for next time.
• Discussion format: We have no specific format for discussion. Generally we end up discussing how the information or stories in the book relate to our own personal experiences, which can sometimes lead the discussion away from the book itself for a while, but that's OK.

Book Club #4:

• Group makeup: This group is part of a larger Meetup group geared toward young women seeking friendship in the local area, so it's all women in their 20s and 30s. This means it's the best option for me to actually make a friend, which is why I attend occasionally even though I'm not crazy about most of the books they pick.
• Organization and meeting setup: Meetings are posted on the Meetup page. The group usually meets at the same place every month, although they just decided to move to a new location for next month. Unlike Book Club #1, there are no pre-arrangements made for a separate room at the meeting place (a restaurant or bar), so it can be a little loud to have a good discussion. The few times I've gone there were about a dozen women there, so it was hard to hear people at the other end of the table.
• Selecting books: At the end of the meeting, the organizer asks for suggestions for books. Ultimately she decides what book will be read next and posts it with the meeting description. This usually means it's just a book she's been wanting to read, which is why I'm not always that interested in the selections.
• Discussion format: The meetings I've attended haven't had any specific format, although the organizer has a list of discussion questions to fall back on if the discussion peters out.

As you can see, there are a lot of different ways to put together a successful book club! Having experienced so many different ones, I have some opinions about what makes a good book club, but I will save that for another time.

Are you in a book club (or more than one)? In what ways is it similar to or different from these?