At the beginning of last year, I sent two friends a relatable meme that went something like this: “I want to start a book club, but I want to pick all of the book… basically I want to tell my friends what books to read so we can talk about them.”
Then to my utter amazement, they responded, “Picking books is the worst part, I would join that book club.” What?! They wanted me to create Anne’s Bossy Book Club for them! Say no more. Within a week, they had their first assignment in their inbox.
Over the past year, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what makes a community, how people gather, and how I can create better gatherings. Beyond those initial two friends, the book club now has nine members, and typically, 5-6 of us can meet at a time. By chance, it seems like Anne’s Bossy Book Club stumbled onto something.
- Clear Participation Guidelines, and the expectations upon joining were clear.
- Thoughtful Hosting, because I don’t want everyone to quit, I try hard to be a thoughtful host and book selector. I choose books that people will enjoy but might not have picked up otherwise.
- Invite-Only Participation, so everyone who joins understands the first two points. As such, members have their own unique reasons for participating, but we have shared interest and reading ambitions.
Clarity + Alignment + Thoughtfulness
The logistics of the book club such as how often we meet, where we meet, and which days’ work best, have been a matter of learning as we go. White those elements are certainly important they are very negotiable. It is the clarity around why we want to gather that makes it warm and welcoming.
