Friendship is taken as read when you're part of a book club
When I set up a book club with my friends earlier this year, I romanticised what it would be like. I fancied that it would take on the guise of the French salons of the 17th and 18th centuries, where the reading of a book led to enlightening discussions on philosophical topics.
I thought back to the lectures of my English literature degree and how every sentence and paragraph of a text was open to interpretation. So much was implied. Words would be covert for an author’s hidden sexuality or love for another.
And if it’s good enough for Sarah Jessica Parker, who recently said books have been her ‘constant companions’ through most of her life, it’s good enough for me. Parker is honorary chair of the American Library’s Association’s newly created Book Club Central.
However, Kardashian gossip doesn’t equate to highbrow conversation.
While delving into literary conversation seemed desirable, it’s painfully obvious that the latest celebrity gossip is a hell of a lot more fun to talk about over prosecco and nibbles. This is why I have come to love my monthly book club meetings.
Don’t get me wrong, it is still all about the book. It makes me happy to see friends, distracted by children or busy careers, reading again, and reading one, sometimes two books a month.
The book club has become a definite date in the monthly calendar for us to catch up as a group. We discuss the book for the first half-hour or so, and then the next couple of hours are our time to talk about any and every topic that needs to be discussed, with just a sprinkling of Kardashians thrown in.
Reading may be a solitary act, but, through book clubs, it has become a social event. The book club has evolved and is about much more than the book. These monthly meetings, in somebody’s living room or the local bookshop or for Sunday morning brunch, are now a type of social gathering.
In 2015, Claire Moore, a member of the online social group, GirlCrew, revived her love of reading by setting up a book club group.
“I had lost the focus of reading, so I thought, by setting up a book club, it would help to motivate me to read more,” says Claire. “Being part of the book club meant that I was more accountable and would have to read to be able to contribute.”
The social aspect of a book club also enticed Claire. Instead of having the meeting in people’s houses, she united her love of food with books. And so, each month, the group chooses a different brunch venue in Dublin city centre.
“It’s great. We get to have a bit of both: good food and great discussions,” says Claire. “It’s interesting to hear other people’s views on books. Not everybody sees a book the same way and it can open your mind to hear another person’s viewpoint.” The GirlCrew meetings don’t just stop at brunch.
“Through their love of reading, the group held a fundraiser over six months and contributed cash and second-hand books to a local school.
“In the end, we were able to donate 200 books to a local school. They were overwhelmed. It was fantastic to be able to give the gift of reading to kids,” says Claire.
In Galway, Michaela McDermott took over as coordinator of the book club at Charlie Byrne’s bookshop, where she works. The group meet once a month, after the closed sign goes on the door.
“We can have any number of people join, from month to month. As we’re in the centre of Galway, we can often have visitors come who may have read the book we’re reading,” says Michaela, “so we have a very diverse group of people, from all walks of life, which creates great discussions.”
Having a group of people from different backgrounds and cultural upbringings is something that Michaela believes brings a special element to the book club.
“It can call for some intense discussions, especially when a book gets mixed reviews,” says Michaela. “When people have conflicting views, they have to explain exactly why they love it or hate it and this can make for a better conversation.” However, it’s not all about passionate discussions at Charlie Byrne’s. The group have brought the club out of the shop for outings, such as to the movie or play adaptation of a book.
“There is definitely a social element to the book club. People also just come for the chat. One of our members is an 80-year-old man who comes for the chats and company, which is great,” says Michaela. “I have made new friendships through the book club, too, and I see a lot of the women coming in an hour or so before the book club starts to have a coffee together. It’s all very sociable.”
Sam Blake, the bestselling author of Little Bones and In Deep Water, is a former book club member.
“Book clubs are amazing. They allow people to broaden the spectrum of their reading. Quite often, members end up reading a novel they never expected to read,” she says. “It can take them straight out of their comfort zone, which has massive benefits for them, as a reader.”
This is what happened to Blake. “We read Half of a Yellow Sun, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and it blew me away. It was the most beautiful book. Only for the book club, it would never have been on my radar,” Blake says.
As an author, Blake isn’t oblivious to how clubs can have a direct effect on the sales of books.
“It’s brilliant to have ten people reading your book at the same time. It’s a great feeling, as an author, to know that these people have chosen your book and are reading it to discuss later,” says Blake.
Blake is a strong believer of word of mouth as a marketing tool. “With a book club, you have ten people reading your book. Each of them is going to tell at least one person about it, and so on. I think they’re fantastic,” she says.
Blake had the pleasure of being a guest at a local club that read her book.
“I was delighted to be given the opportunity to meet with a local book club, who had read my book,” says Blake.
“It was great to chat with them and to get genuine reader feedback. It was so interesting to hear their views on the books.
“As it’s a trilogy I’m writing, it was fascinating to hear how they thought things should pan out for certain characters or what direction the story should go in. It was nice to get the views of people who aren’t related to me.”
It’s no surprise that Blake is a strong advocate of reading. This is why she believes that joining a book club can only be a good thing.
“Being a part of a book club allows you to enjoy the gorgeousness of reading.
“When you read a book, it takes you away from the real world, which is something we all need in our busy lives,” says Blake.
What’s truly magical about the revival of the book club is that reading is very much alive.
To escape to the world of our imaginations is a gift that is transported through the realm of books. Long may it last.
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