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I am a member of the Iris Book Club. We are a girls-only club that meets on the first Sunday of every month to discuss a book and our lives. Our membership currently sits at 7 with 3 others who show up on occasion. If we had to describe why our club is successful we would say it is because it is a fun social gathering that members show up to even if they haven't finished the book.

The idea for our book club was first mentioned in March 2003. Our sorority alumnae association had just been chartered and we were looking for ideas for potential interest groups, when one of our members suggested a book club. Everyone thought it was a good idea so we set our first meeting date for April and chose "The Lovely Bones" as our first book. The meeting was a hit and four years and XX books later, we are still at it.

Most people will tell you that starting a book club is easy, it is keeping it going that is hard. Well, they are definitely right but here are some tips that made our book club successful and will hopefully help you with yours!

Plan meeting dates and books up to a year in advance. It helps to ensure attendance especially when meeting dates jump around in the summer. This also allows members to reserve their books at the library so they will have them in time.

When choosing books, make sure that the books are available in paperback, and at all of the local libraries. Your members can't read the book if they can't get a copy. You should also consider assigning each member a month to choose a book. This way everyone gets involved and you will get a diverse selection of titles.

Avoid January meetings. The holidays are usually a hectic time, and reading is the last thing on people's minds. Instead, choose a longer book or compare and contrast two books to discuss at your meeting in February. If you still want to meet in January, you can always meet up to watch a movie of one of the books you have read.

Start a book club blog to keep your members up to date. Blogs are easier to update than websites so you can make sure it is always current. You can post your previous selections and upcoming meeting dates and books. You can also use your blog to post reviews of books your members have read on their own.

To improve discussions, make sure to use a reading group guide. These are available online or in the back of some books. Having a list of questions will help spark interesting discussion and will keep slow discussions moving. Also, if you know that a number of your members are having a tough time getting through a book, consider renting the movie and watching it at book club. You can then compare the movie to the book.

To spice up your meetings, consider the following: Celebrate your member's birthdays with cake; Have themed summer reads like a Summer of Mystery that involves reading suspense novels in July and August; Choose one month in which you give back by having your members bring new children's books to donate to your local library or hospital

Learn more about this author, Tracie Parker.
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