Formula for a Successful Book Club

Summer means finding that perfect book for the beach . . . or the mountains . . . or just sitting by the pool. Hold on to those great ideas and suggest them to your book club. Yes, in spite of -- or, perhaps, because of -- the fact that e-readers (like Kindle, Nook and iPad) have exploded onto the market, books clubs across America are going strong. I've been an active part of two book clubs; my favorite was called Virtues 'n' Vices.

We met monthly to discuss novels or works of nonfiction suggested by our members. Our group never had an issue with book selection. We simply allowed those who wanted to suggest a book offer it to the group for consideration. Those who had a strong opinion about any of the options up for a vote shared their thoughts. We voted on our selections a couple of months prior to the required reading time to allow members enough time to make their purchases.

But what makes a book club successful? The groups that do best and stay together the longest adhere to a specific formula. Here it is.

Designate a moderator. This can be the same person month after month, usually chosen for a year-long stint. Or, members could rotate this job so that everyone gets to take a turn. For groups that struggle to keep members involved (or simply read the monthly selection), this option provides built-in accountability.

Choose a meeting location. As with the moderator, the meetings could be held in the same place (a tea room, a small conference room at the local library, someone's home, a church) or members can rotate homes. All offer advantages. You just have to determine what's best for your group.

Determine how you'll choose which books to read. As mentioned, these can vary:

* Individual group members make suggestions--in a sense "pitching" their idea to the group.

* Follow bestseller lists--Check a source you trust or have an affinity for and go by what they suggest.

* The leader or moderator selects books--It's a good idea to rotate this job on a quarterly or annual basis so that members are exposed to a variety of books.

Be a book club. Groups that try to be other things (a social club or prayer group) struggle. People join a book club because they get to read and discuss books.

Follow a specific format and formula.

* Choose books.

* Assign them to members early enough for them to purchase and read selections well in advance of the discussion date.

* Determine who will lead the discussion (aka The Moderator).

* Decide how you'll discuss your selections. Will you use the questions at the end of the book? Will you let the designated leader draft her own questions?

Finally, may I suggest a couple of amazing books to get you started?

* Mary DeMuth's Life in Defiance trilogy

* Anne Mateer's Wings of a Dream

And if you can start or participate in a book club right away, read these authors anyway. They're my critique partners, so I can promise their books are well edited.

Now the burning question really is, what are you reading?

Leslie co-authored A Scrapbook of Motherhood Firsts, which released in April 2012. To thrive it up, visit her website and blog at www.lesliewilson.com.

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