We have all been more cooped up this past year than we were ever used to before. Even
those of us that didn't get out much before were feeling it. But that doesn't mean that we can't do many of the things that we did before. We just have to do them a little differently for now.
Take book clubs for instance. The traditional book club has a group of people, often friends and family (or those that will soon become so after a few sessions) that you don't otherwise see on a daily basis, sitting around a coffee table with appetizers or snacks and coffee or wine, talking for hours usually about a shared book and getting off topic on various tangents both relevant and not. Arguments, talking over one another, and lots of laughter also often accompany these discussions. Occasionally there is also some political or theoretical debate.
Obviously it can be difficult and/or impractical to host a physical book club right now, especially when being in close proximity to people you don't live with is currently frowned upon, as is being maskless and sharing food from the same dish. But for a traditional book club, these would seem to be requirements. Luckily we are getting closer to being back to that possibility, but until then we have to figure something else out.
Some people have tried taking their book clubs outside, social distancing across the length and with of a backyard. But we live in Wisconsin. It can be a little hard to meet that way in the middle of winter. Even fall and spring can sometimes pose a challenge. Then you also have the chance of bad weather or of other commitments getting in the way of everyone meeting in one place.
Not so with the virtual book club. With the virtual book club, all you need is a time set aside for discussion and either a phone or internet connection, and you're good to go. If wine, coffee, or something to eat is a must, you can serve yourself. If seeing their faces while you talk makes your meeting, consider meeting over Zoom, Discord, GoToMeetings or one of the many other virtual platforms. Many of these digital platforms allow some level of free access at least for a certain number of minutes per meeting.
Making sure everyone has a set of the questions to be discussed and/or how you have your book club formatted, i.e. everyone scores the book at the end or brings their own questions to the group, help tremendously in giving you the form and function of an in person meeting.
Often you don't even have to come up with your own questions. Many books either have questions created by the publisher for this purpose or sites around the web that have already come up with some. If not, try a generic question.
Have issues even deciding on a book? There are websites, books, and even helpful librarians just itching to give you a suggestion. I always keep the following in mind when selecting books for our book club: What types of books are your members interested? Is there a way to stretch that interest into something unexpected? Is the book you want to use so popular it will be hard to get enough copies? What about the reverse (too obscure or old to get enough copies)?... I also have to be aware of formats available for the book as our group has individuals who only handle specific types.
I usually try to find books that were insanely popular but now are two to five years old so don't have quite the audience they once had. I try to find books that seem to speak to what society has recently been dealing with or discussing, books that people might be able to
bring inferences from outside of the book into the discussion. If it already has discussion questions, all the better. But I don't let it rest on its laurels. I make sure to come up with at least a few of my own questions as well and, since my group tends to cover far more territory than they think they do, I try to have far more questions than they can cover (A typical book club might only have 11 or so questions. I make sure I have 15-25). Finally, I look for titles that in some way speak to me. Am I willing to invest the time and energy necessary to read it? If not, it might be challenging to get someone else to. If there are other specifics to consider for your book club, this is the time to do it. And I know some book clubs pool several titles and then put it to a vote. Whatever works for you.
Bottom line: These days we have options that allow us to still be a community or family, to continue doing what makes us happy, whether we are together or not. Don't let something like a pandemic stop you from enjoying human company. Just be smart about it. Try virtual. Look for outside resources too. Oh, and if you want a little help, ask a librarian. It's what we're here for.
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