Book Club: Books to Help Get Started

Hey Everyone! So you have either decided to go ahead and start planning a Book Club, or you are interested to know what books you should read next. In either case, I’m glad you are taking the time to read this third part of the Book Club blog posts! (If you missed the first two, check them out!)

Choosing a book is so hard to do. With so many options, how does one possibly decide on a genre, an author, and once you have those two figured out, an actual book. If you need some basic suggestions, check out our previous blog post “How to Love Reading Again.” Here, we will offer sources to help find the first starter book for your club. Or, even better, check out our book page! We have read so many books, but we only choose the best books that make good, in-depth questions. So check those out :D 

If none of those titles appeal to you, we do have some tips that will for sure help you out! Our first tip is to find a general theme/genre that everyone will be able to relate to. When we started our Book Club, The Dream Daughter was the book that we could all relate to, or had a story that would be intriguing for us all. We understand that this may be harder, especially in larger groups, but be open minded to 1-3 genres that you won’t mind reading and then choose the top genre with the most votes. Keep in mind that this isn’t always going to be the “go-to” genre, but it is a good place to start. 

If the first tip seems too daunting, then we recommend you resort to looking at best sellers. There are so many good, reliable sources that will help you get your Book Club up and running. Some of the great sites that we have used are:

1. Good reads: they have various ratings and recommendations that would help to narrow your search to find a starting book. The one thing that is great about this site is that your club can make an account, rate books and receive more options based on your ratings. This makes choosing a book so easy that you don’t even really need to stress about it. 

2. Heather’s Picks: based on her popularity and claim to fame, you know that you cannot go wrong from choosing a book that Heather has recommended. Visiting the bookstore and seeing the top picks, you are sure to find a book that is worthy of a read. Even after you read it, and perhaps didn’t love it, you can get a refund that you can put towards your next book. Heather stands by her picks, and we haven’t had the need to return a book yet! 

3. Reese’s Book Club / Oprah's Book Club: relying on various celebrity book clubs can be another way to find a book that you might enjoy. We often find that they choose some of the more unique books that leave you feeling so satisfied (you all know that feeling after a good book). 

4. Ask local bookstores, friends, and family: people are so unique and different. We all enjoy different things and therefore have various books that connect with us more than others. As such, asking for various people’s opinions on their favourite book that they have read takes the choosing out of your hands. You may find some hidden gems that you may not have discovered yourself. 

The whole purpose of a first book is that you get the group talking and discussing the book in great detail and connecting it to your own personal lives. We tend to enjoy a book more when there are parts that we can connect to, or are of interest. Even researching questions that go along with a book to see where the discussion may lead is another way to help choose your first book. Either method you choose to go with, the initial book helps to establish likes and dislikes, and begins to shape the book club experience. 

If you ended up loving a book, please let us know! You can tag us in your instagram photo with @anookofbooks_ so we can hopefully read and tell you our thoughts on the book too! 

Happy Reading!