Creating a community through a book club might actually be a great idea for many parents; especially full-time homemakers and stay-at-home moms. Whether you’re homeschooling or working full-time outside of the home, you can still experience loneliness. So, why not start a book club?
Reading is such an amazing gift. Reading gains you access to knowledge, entertainment, travel, adventure, imagination, and so much more.
Anyone can start a book club and each book club can serve a different purpose. I have been hosting a virtual book club with two of my closest friends for almost three years now. Our current book is, What Happened To You by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey.
Who Is The Book Club For & Why
The first time I really heard of a book club for fun (and not a school assignment) was with my aunt. She would talk about her and her book club here and there. I did notice this was going on for a few years. They even had matching tattoos.
Before you start or join a book club, you should consider the purpose of the book club and who it is serving. Work friends, school friends, spouse or partner, couples, kids, etc. Here are a few examples of book clubs that serve different purposes:
Young Readers Bookclub
This book club would involve the parents and likely be a read-aloud book club. Parents read aloud the book with their kids. There might be an in-person or virtual meeting with the other kids in which they get to share their favorite parts of the book.
Everyone could bake a meal or dress in a way to reflect the book. A host could have 2 or 3 open-ended questions prepared to discuss if needed.
Middle or High School Book Club
This group could use books to study certain topics instead of learning from basic and boring textbooks. It might be a nice idea for the readers themselves to come up with the books and the questions they want to discuss. Remember, intrinsic motivation is far better than extrinsic.
Young Adult and/or Adult Book Club
Now, book club doesn’t have to be for “school” or “learning”. However, I think when you read according to your own interests, the best learning takes place naturally. Again, this is your intrinsic motivation. I encourage every book club to include fiction, romance, mystery, etc. in its selection of books.
My favorite books have been the books on topics such as childhood trauma and romance. My favorite memoir was Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey.
The 3 Benefits of Book Club
So let’s talk about the top 3 reasons you should start or join a book club.
Reading
I loved reading as a child and recently in my adult life have returned to my love of reading as a hobby. A book club is a great way to get in the habit of reading on a more consistent basis.
Reading also increases your vocabulary. Trust me, when you’re home all day with toddlers, you start struggling to use your previous advanced level of vocabulary when you get with other adults. No, seriously, ha.
Did I mention reading was just pure fun? Oh, that’s next.
Fun and Entertainment
Getting lost in a good book is the best feeling. You engage your imagination and start to create an idea of what the characters in a book look and sound like. Try matching the setting of the book to your own environment. You can also match your mood to the tone of a book.
Reading a good book is honestly just as entertaining as watching a good movie.
Community and Relationship
Finally, starting or joining a book club is an opportunity to build a community and develop meaningful relationships. In conversation, you get to share your opinions and perspectives with others. You also get to hear opinions and perspectives other than your own.
My book club is special to me. It is made up of myself and two friends dear to me. Each of us brings a unique perspective and culture to our conversations. We also have two generations in our book club which is super cool. These ladies are people I feel safe with and free to be vulnerable with. We are already planning our first book club girls’ trip.
We are relational creatures, and we need community. Children as well. Starting or joining a book club can provide you with a beautiful appreciation for literature and community.
COMMENT
Have you ever been part of a book club? If so, what was your favorite aspect of being in the book club?
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