Oh, dread. It’s that time of year again: your turn to lead the book club discussion - not exactly something you relish. In fact, you’re beginning to lose sleep…you’re pacing the floors and pulling out your hair. Okay, not that bad, but still…you wish you could just pass on this one.
Relax. Leading a book discussion doesn’t have to feel like a root canal. There are lots of book club ideas and resources that can make the whole process less painful - in fact, you can actually come to enjoy taking the lead. Really. Spend a few minutes looking at some of these suggestions. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to master the process.
Display a prompt. A prompt is any object related to the book that can remind club members about some aspect of the story. Perhaps a map or photos. If it’s from another country, you might wear a costume or serve a national dish. Consider music or a DVD. Think of any particular item mentioned in the book - the idea is to put people in the mood and help stimulate conversation.
Do an icebreaker. Play a book club game to break the ice and get a discussion moving. Try “Grab Bag,” similar to the prompt above. But this time, instead of just one, collect a number of items connected to the story and put them into a shopping bag or a box. Give each member a turn to pull out an object and explain how it relates to the book. Be as creative or funny as you want. If you want to try other book club icebreakers, there are plenty more on the web.