In our first meeting (July 2018) the group sketched out some reasons for wanting to be part of the book club and expectations they have. Here’s what we came up with:
1. Motivation. Why did people join this group? It will hopefully inspire all of us to read the classics!
2. Rant/Share. This should be a place where people can rant about books (or aspects of books) which they don’t like as well as share what they enjoy.
3. To Finish or Not to Finish… While everyone is encouraged to finish books before book club meetings, we also understand people have busy lives or may have lost motivation to finish certain books. Everyone is welcome, regardless of how far along they got in the book. Just don’t expect the group to keep quiet regarding spoilers!
4. Help. Another big factor in being part of a book club is the assistance we can offer each other in reaching a greater understanding of books, whether it be unpacking a complicated plot, understanding characters’ motivations, or delving into the themes behind a story.
5. Social/Talk About Books. A book club offers a chance to make connections with others. We want the chance to gather with others who enjoy reading and discussing what they’ve read.
6. Movies. We also agreed it is perfectly acceptable to watch the movie adaptations of books. Part of our discussions may even be about the differences between a book and its movie version.
7. Agree to Disagree. It is important that people can express their honest opinions about the books and the feelings they evoke. We must understand that we won’t always agree and that it is okay to have these differences of opinion.
8. Author Background. We also talked about the value of knowing some background about a book’s author and the possible motivations and context in which the book was written.
9. The Discussion Board. Members are encouraged to use the comments section on the meetup page in between meetings to ask questions, post links or videos, give insights about the author and the background of the book, and share observations and thoughts about the book.
10. The Meeting Space. As of this writing, our meetings have always been at one of the Johnson County public libraries. Know that you are permitted to bring food and drink, but the library does not allow alcohol or any kind of cooking.
Last updated 7/12/2021. For more information about the Classic Novels Book Club, go to the meetup site.
