What to expect at the book club
Going to a new book club for the first time can be a little daunting sometimes. It can feel a little overwhelming if you’re trying something new on your own, or even with a friend. Some of us might feel a little nervous about meeting new people. It’s that fear of the unknown isn’t it?
What if I don’t know anyone? What if nobody speaks to me? What if I don’t have anything to say? What if I say the wrong thing? What if they know loads of things about literature and I don’t? What if? What if? What if?
If any of these questions have swirled around your brain, please know that you are not alone. We have felt that way too.
Trying something new can be daunting, overwhelming, or even just a little uncomfortable for some of us. Those worries, those feelings, they sometimes get in the way of us trying something new. Those thoughts can sometimes stop us from doing the things we would really like to try.
So with that in mind we wanted to share a few tips and outline what to expect at The Nookery Book Club. We hope that with a little information beforehand you can feel more at ease when joining the book club and ready to make the most out of your experience.
How the Nookery Book Club works
Arrival at book club
When you get to your book club venue head to the bar to get yourself a pot of tea, or glass of wine, or a soft drink. We like to pick spaces that offer a variety of drinks to suit all tastes.
Some venues offer a table service via a QR code if you would prefer that.
Next head to the space as directed in the welcome email. There you will find your book club host ready to welcome you and get you signed in.
Find a space at one of our reserved tables. If you are early you may be one of the first, so you might have to be brave and sit at the table on your own to start with. But soon enough there will be more book clubbers joining you.
Starting the conversation
On each table you will find some printed ‘conversation starters’. These are a list of questions you can pick from to ask each other at the beginning of the book club session.
The questions are designed to spark conversation and find general bookish things to talk about. As well as a chance to start getting to know your fellow book clubbers.
The book club chat
Once everyone has arrived and settled in we usually start chatting about the book of the month. There are discussion points and questions on a handout on every table. We take the time to create a list of around 15 to 20 questions about the book to help aid the discussion.
We use this as prompts throughout the chat. Although often we find the conversation can meander onto other topics, we do love a good tangent.
In general we are a laidback kind of book club with a big focus on community. This isn’t about deep academic dives into literature as much as groups of people who read a book and just want to chat about what they liked, disliked, or have further questions about.
Book club score
Towards the end of the evening the host will come round to each member of the group to ask what they scored the book out of 5. We also allow/encourage half points if you like. The host will then add up the score and find the average score for the book to share with the entire group. It’s a nice bit of fun and usually shows the general consensus of the book club.
So far, in our experience, the scores vary rather widely. This just goes to show just how different all our tastes and perspectives are, which in our eyes, is one of the best things about book club.
Optional extras
Some of our book clubs have started to do book swaps. Each member brings a book they have finished reading and ready to pass on.The host will set up the book swap table and members can leave their books there. Halfway through the evening members will head over to pursue the table and select a new secondhand book to take home and read.
After the book club
Book club isn’t just about the night itself. During the month we like to chat with our fellow community members in our exclusive whatsapp group chat. It’s a nice way to continue getting to know one another. Plus, any extra social events will be organised there.
The chat is a great way to share any other books you are currently reading, and if you aren’t able to make the book club one month you can still share your review and score there to be included.
Join the club
Overall, The Nookery Book Club is a relaxed, informal, welcoming, and inclusive style of book club. We want to provide a space for you to meet people in real life, connect with members of your local community, have an evening out once a month that is all about your interests, and ultimately find a few hours away from screens to chat about stories.
If this sounds like your cup of tea we would love you to join one of our book clubs. Otherwise, we do hope some of these ideas or tips help you pick out a book club or community meet-up that suits you.
Happy reading!