Book clubs and meetings

Here in Bangalore, we have a book club to discuss what we read. While we have only a few colleagues participating and the meetings are not that regular, they are real fun and informative. Depending on how people drive it, the meetings can turn into heated debates or hilarious discussions. It is here I observed that despite the proliferation of new media, almost all people have a soft corner towards books and reading. You get to know ardent book-lovers in such meetings. In addition, people who are otherwise silent can easily open up here.

Recently a friend of mine asked my suggestions to coordinate a book club of his own. Here are some possible discussions that we took up that he would want to look into.

1. First decide on how we want to organise the Club, how often to meet, what we want to read, etc. Other topics:

2. What do you plan to read in 2005?
3. Do you have a list of books you want to read?
4. What were the best books you read in 2004?

5. Have some book categories (or genres). I have these:
Biographies & Memoirs, Business & Investing, Children's Books, Computers & Internet, Food & Cooking, Health, Mind & Body, History, Home & Garden, Literature & Fiction, Reference, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology, Sports & Games, Travel, General, Mathematics, Language, Books & Reading, Romance & Relationships, Humour and Philosophy.

A site such as amazon.com can have an exhaustive list. Find out who is interested in what topic. It will be amusing (& amazing) to know that people have varied interersts.

6. Each one of you can discuss or talk about the book that you've just read.

Have the meeting informal and provide snacks and drinks. You can have the meeting at any frequency, but we find it convenient to have it every fortnight.