Book Clubs
Finding, starting, and participating in book discussion groups
Book Groups at the Library
The Friends of the Library currently
sponsor three book clubs at Memorial
Hall Library. The clubs meet
monthly September to June. New
members are always welcome.
Resources for Book Group Readers
Starting a book group doesn't take much--just interested participants and good reading material. It's a good idea, though, to think about what you and your fellow readers would like to get from the experience, and plan accordingly. Memorial Hall Library suggests the following books and Internet sites to guide you in your group's development:
Books
Sites
-
Book Group Corner
This site, created by Random House
Books, offers good advice on how to
start a book club.
-
Reading Group Choices
This web site offers tips on starting
and running a book club, book
suggestions, and more.
The Book Club & the Library
Memorial Hall Library is happy to help
you obtain copies of a title for your
book club. Here are a few tips to keep
in mind when choosing a book for your
group:
- When choosing a book, check the
library's catalog to make sure there
are plenty of available copies in the
consortium.
- Each book club member can reserve
their own copy of the book by using
our online catalog system, either in
the library or on the web from our
online catalog. Or, book club
members can call our reference desk at
(978) 623-8401 ext. 31 or 32 and have
us reserve a copy for you.
- Avoid choosing a brand-new book, a
book on the bestseller list, or a book
that's currently very popular. Chances
are there will be a long list of
reserves on that book, and we may not
be able to secure copies for all your
members in time.
- The Merrimack Valley Library
Consortium provides a collection of
Book Club Kits, a tote bag that
contains fifteen paperback copies of
the same title, a discussion guide,
and if available, a large print
copy, and a DVD or video that
relates to the title. Kits can
be reserved up to three years in
advance by contacting Gerry
Deyermond or Nancy Richards at
978-623-8400. Kits cannot be
requested through the library
catalog. For a list of Book Club Kit
titles click here.
Book Reviews & Author Info
It's easy enough to find criticism on
classic literature (see our page on
Literary
Research), but where do you go
for reviews of more recent works? Here
are a few good starting places from
Memorial Hall Library's computers and
online:
-
Amazon.com
Amazon.com does more than just sell
books. Generally, a listing includes
short reviews from magazines like
Booklist and Kirkus Review.
-
The New York Times Book Review
The New York Times offers citations to
its book reviews back to 1980. Use it to
locate a review, and ask a librarian to
help you with New York Times microfilm
to locate and print it. NYT is one of
the best places to find lengthy,
thoughtful reviews.
-
The New York Review of Books
The NY Review of Books offers
citations to reviews back to 1963,
and full text of those published
after 1996. Especially good for
non-fiction works.
Book Discussion Guides
Book Club leaders generally prepare a list of questions or "talking points" to get a group started in its discussion. Here are a few Web sites offering sample discussion guides:
-
Amazon.com Reading Group Guides Discussion guides organized by book type
-
Reading Group Choices This site offers suggested titles for book clubs, a searchable database of discussion guides, and advice for starting and leading your own reading group
-
Reading Group Guides This site offers reading suggestions and discussion guides, and ideas and advice for starting and running a reading group
-
W.W. Norton Reading Guides Discussion guides for various W.W. Norton titles
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