Chick Lit isn't for everyone - so if you find a friend or two who love it, why not start a book club? Get each friend to find another friend or two who can also join - think of it as a great way to meet new people who you will have a common interest with. Don't worry if your group is small to begin with - new people come into your life all the time, and what a fun way to start a new friendship off than to ask someone to join your book club!Once you have your core group of fellow chick-lit lovers, set yourself a regular time when you can meet up. Don't make it too often, because you want everyone to have a chance to read the set book. Make it a regular thing, so that the club members can have that specific day or date in their mind and set it aside - eg the third Sunday of every month.
Pick a meeting place - totally up to you where. At someone's house can be fun, because then it is a more relaxed atmosphere. Try a different person's place each time, and ask everyone to bring some food or a drink. Otherwise, meeting in a restaurant could also be a nice change - although keep in mind that you will be in public, and may have to keep the noisy discussion down!Discussion - If you pick a bestseller as your book, often you will find discussion questions on the internet specifically designed for a book club. As an alternative, you can view sample questions about another book, and ask each group member to come armed with a similar question for discussion. If there are only a few members in your book club, come with two or so questions each.
Some example questions that can apply to many books:
- Which character did you most relate to and why? (This will really get the discussion going!)
- What was unique about the setting of the book and how did it enhance or take away from the story?
- What specific themes did the author emphasize throughout the novel? What do you think he or she is trying to get across to the reader?
- Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
- How do characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story? What events trigger such changes?
- Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?
Discussion will often end up about your own life experiences - especially with the chick lit genre. The main point is that you have fun, so don't be too 'Monica' (Friends) about following everything like clockwork.
Don't worry if some people drop out of the book club - everyone has different schedules and it might not work for them long term. Always keep your eye out for new members.
