Might I suggest a literary society?

I love books and reading, but it wasn't until I moved to England that I joined a book club for the first time.  I wanted to meet people, and I love talking about books and stories, and those two things seemed to go hand-in-hand.  I was so happy a group of readerly ladies welcomed me into their midst in North Yorkshire.  

It's a little addicting having people to talk about books with, and I was thrilled when another lady in our church here in Paris decided to organize a group last spring.  But instead of organizing a club where we all read the same book, she had the great idea of us each choosing different books that we could discuss and exchange.  The main drive for doing this was to share English books amongst ourselves.  

Each month we choose a theme.  Some of our themes so far have been Bestsellers, Young Adult, Memoir/Biography, Middle Ages, Mystery, A Book with a Pretty Cover, A Book Set in a Country You've Never Visited, etc.  Each of us chooses a book that fits the theme, and we read it and bring it to the next meeting.  We each get a few minutes to share what we read, what we thought about it, and a little bit about the story.  Then we draw a name out of a hat and take that person's book home with us to read that month.  We choose a theme for the next meeting, and the process starts over again.  So each month, you read one book of your choosing and one chosen by another member of the group.  

I think it's a fabulous way to have literary discussions with your friends that enables you to read what you want but also be exposed to books you wouldn't have picked up, too.  I highly recommend it!  

A few months ago we decided we needed a name, and one of our number came up with a great one:  The Multifarious Novel & Tea Society.  I didn't realize how fitting it was that she called us a society instead of a book club until I was listening to Episode 166 of What Should I Read Next?, and the guest explained that she was part of a literary society and NOT a book club because they didn't all read the same book; it was similar to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.  

So, be fancy and start a literary society!  I think it would be a fun thing to do even with one friend you see regularly.  Pick a theme, read a book, and exchange.  Easy as that. 

"There's always time to read."

- Susanna Kearsley, The Winter Sea -