Tips on How to Start your own Book Club by KitabNagri.pk

Imagine reading a novel. Think about why you liked it or not. Perhaps you told your best friend or partner what you read. And then what? Chances are you are taking on a different book.

Although sometimes it is important to slow down the time and preserve the impression of the reading. Not to run after the next book, but to stop and examine the text carefully. There is a way out, and this is a book club. It helps you work with the material you have absorbed. Analyze what is still living in you. Make reading mindful and sometimes therapeutic.

Today we will tell you how to create your own book club and which book communities to look into.

How to start a book club
We also have a book club at MYTH. For several years now, we have been gathering to discuss books - mythical and not only, share emotions and advise each other on cool novels. During this time, we realized that the book club is an unstable thing, it is constantly changing. In winter, meetings take place every month, less often in summer. Sometimes we get together to discuss a book and sometimes a topic. Sometimes we disperse in mini-groups, and sometimes we stay and discuss with the whole crowd :)

There are never enough book clubs. Some mythologists organize book communities with friends and even arrange book bets . Inside the MYTH, there are mini-clubs: sometimes the support team discusses books, and this summer the copywriting team talks about new book releases on Fridays. It turned out that it is not so difficult to create your own book club, and the effect of this event is very pleasant.


The first thing you need to start a book club is people. People who enjoy reading and are willing to do it regularly. Let's say straight away: we will only give advice for mini-clubs - those that you can organize with your friends or colleagues. Big book clubs are more difficult. Such meetings can be paid, there are more nuances that are enough for a separate material.

So people. Let's say you have found like-minded people - those who want to read and discuss what they have read. What's next? We need to think over the structure of the meeting. And find a leader: perhaps you will be.

1. Topic or book?
Agree on what you will be discussing: a separate work or topic. The formats can be alternated: this month, for example, everyone is reading and dismantling Machado 's House of Illusions , and next month they are talking about film adaptations of novels. There is no right answer here: remember that everything is interesting!

2. Information about the author
When we just read a book, we do not always pay attention to who wrote the book. But in vain! Be sure to find out what kind of person the author was, what views he held, when he lived, what moments in his work and personal life influenced him. This is an important part to help you gain a deeper understanding of the book.

3. Historical background, context
They say that you can read Anna Karenina whenever you want. But in order to understand Anna Karenina, it is important to know the context. The book looks different without it. Yes, the classics have an amazing feature of being always relevant. But when you find out what is behind the text, in what realities it was created, you see everything in real light.


4. History of creation
The history of the creation of many works is no less interesting than their plot. Some heroes may have real prototypes (like, for example, "Alice in Wonderland"), events - to reproduce what actually happened (like situations from Remarque's novels). Feeling the reality of what is happening turns fiction into non-fiction.

5. Visual: cover, illustrations
If you are discussing a comic book, then, of course, you can't go without illustrations. But if your choice is a classic novel? Sometimes a cover or illustration that an author has added to a book becomes an important part of understanding the text. The visual component is also the language in which the author speaks with the reader.

6. Key points
As you get down to the text itself, it is important to note the key points in the book. Think about why the hero made such a decision? Who influenced the formation of his personality? Why are some characters introduced? At what point does it start to go wrong? And why is this ending? Go through the text and find the highlights.


7. Other works of the author
Sometimes the early works of the author or, on the contrary, the later ones may contain hints to the desired text. So, the main characters can be found in the first stories of the author. Subtle storylines grow into great romances. All of this is incredibly curious.

8. Similar works
When you start looking for book associations, the result is unpredictable. First, you name works with a similar plot or language, but then things emerge from your subconscious that complement the novel from unusual sides. The brain draws unusual parallels, and it is very interesting to observe it.

It is better to organize a book club once a month. The key word here is regularity. Try not to miss appointments or break the rhythm. If you are meeting online, carry paper books to the screen, make a list of quotes from books and share them with participants. Fill the meeting with anything related to your book or topic. If you are holding meetings live, then you can safely bake a cake and make tea.

Disputes about the book (it happens that they flare up oh-oh-very much) should be carried out in the correct manner. Try to treat the participants with respect. Do not Cry. Any opinion can have a right to exist. Even if it doesn't match yours at all. Make the book club a pleasant place for everyone to speak up.