Starting a Book Club:
We offer a 15% discount for book clubs on books ordered through the store. Read on for more information.
At Square Books we are happy to stock books for your book club and provide your members with a discount. Here’s how:
Write up the selection of books you’ll be reading each month, as far in advance as possible. Email your list to cody@squarebooks.com.
We’ll order in the books approximately one to two months ahead of time, based on when we receive your information, and place them on our Book Club section for your club members to purchase.
Book Club Tips
-How big should a group be? Try to keep it around 10-12 to ensure that there will be at least 6 at each meeting. The room should be small enough to be comfy.
-Keep selections diverse. Read works that one might not normally read.
-Try to get a variety of participants (age, experience, etc). Avoid groups that are too uniform in background and make-up. Invite members to bring their friends.
-Encourage interaction! Share contact information with each member of the group to enhance communication.
-Listening is as important as talking. A group leader can assist in allowing everyone to participate in a discussion.
-Everyone’s opinion is important. Try beginning with a ‘whip around’ question, to which everyone must respond quickly and spontaneously before settling into a more detailed discussion. Or, hand out paper and pencils and give a minute for participants to think about their answer before speaking.
-Ask participants to avoid using “I like” or “I hate” – a discussion should be an exchange of ideas, rather than emotional responses.
-Read only books readily available from the library or bookstore and try to stick with paperback editions.
-Utilize the library! Libraries are a great way to find information and recommendations, and librarians have ways of finding groups for individuals to join.
-Do you need a facilitator? A facilitator is not necessarily a part of the group, but exists to keep the discussion going smoothly and to bring in materials, which add to the discussion.
-Food is not necessary, but water is! If food is going to be a part of the meeting, set aside half an hour before or after eating and socializing. Socialization can be just as important to a group as discussion!
*Thanks to our friends at King’s English in Salt Lake City for sharing these tips with us.