Book Clubs – Redefined
Through the stories crafted by authors, we are filled with the desire to share our own memories and experiences. The words of authors from around the world and across time became even more powerful as those words drove us to connect with each other.
Choose a Book – Write in the Margins – Share the Book.
This book club concept is not just a conversation about a book in common. It is a sharing of visceral reactions to characters’ experiences: sharing that tears were shed or giggles laughed out loud as we read.
How does it work?
Choose a group: who do you want to know better, stay in touch with, or connect with across distance?
Choose a messaging tool (I’ve used WhatsApp & Facebook Messenger) and include all members.
Each person introduces themselves and chooses a unique ink color.
Each person chooses a book. You can set a theme (for example, a book set in a place you’ll visit, found in a little free library, or set in a coffee shop).
Rules: No one in the group has read the book, and it should not be from the middle of a series.
Before reading, write in the front (in your ink color): Date, why you chose the book, what interests you, what you expect. Sign your first name.
While reading:
Write in the margins, underline, react, and respond.
Share thoughts, emotions, memories, and connections.
As you read: Share photos and updates in the group chat.
After finishing, write in the back:
Date, your thoughts, favorite or relatable characters, reactions (A character you identified with? Were you shocked? Did you cry? Did you laugh?) Would you read another book by this author? Would you recommend it? Sign your name.
When ready, trade books with another member by mail (media rate is cheaper but slower).
When you receive a new book:
Repeat the process. Add your pre-reading notes, annotate while reading, and write final thoughts at the end.
The more people who have read before you, the more “conversations” you’ll find to add your own comments to.
Continue rotating until everyone has read all books, then return each book to its original owner.
The best part: reading the collected notes. You’ll discover unexpected insights about each other.
Enjoy!
What if connection did not require gathering in the same room, only entering the same paragraph?
The final book is no longer written by one author. And in that way, it becomes something more than a book.
Often it is easier to open up in the context of someone else’s story. For many it is easier to express deep feelings with a pen than it is to share hopes, dreams, and fears aloud. Sometimes the most honest conversations happen in ink.
Through this experience we are not only given the opportunity to read books. We read each other. We ask the tough questions: “Do your friends know how much you love them?”
Give it a try, and let us know how it went. I can’t wait to hear about your experience with your own From the Margins book club.
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