Here's How You Can Start Your Own Bookclub Just Like Oprah's

From Oprah Magazine

Settling down with a great book allows you an escape—and the space to contemplate ideas that might have never crossed your mind had you not chosen the novel in the first place.

But while reading a new story solo is often a great way to relax, sometimes you just want to discuss what you've read with another person—or two—to bring those ideas off the page and into the world. If you've ever had the urge and are curious about how to start a book club—just like Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, and Jenna Bush Hager—it's easier than you might think.

"The thing a lot of people are hoping to get out of book clubs is a sense of community," says Carly Gorga, Penguin Random House's director of special events and a key organizer of the publishing house's new community book club, Sofa Stories. "The books are the anchor for that community, but ultimately it's about finding people who have a shared interest and making sure everyone feels included."

To find the easiest ways to start your own book club with friends, OprahMag.com spoke to Gorga, Random House publicity assistant Emma Thomasch, and the New York Public Library's manager of reader services, Lynn Lobash, for their expert advice on finding and creating your own social literary hub, even if it's online.

First, find members.

When you begin searching for your inaugural book club members, Gorga recommends that you look in the places in your life that feel most natural to you. To start, reach out to your existing friends you know love to read, or the co-workers you actually wouldn't mind spending time with outside of the office. Then, maybe it's posting a notice on the bulletin board of your local library or book store or even chatting up an acquaintance during yoga class. Gorga also points out that if you're looking to "get a range of perspectives" from your club, you may want to consider looking for a diverse array of ages, genders, and ethnicities who can bring their varied world views to discussions. Word-of-mouth helps as well!

If you're open to a more digital-friendly approach, Thomasch says you should always keep social media in mind. Put the word out about your new club with a tweet, Facebook status, or Instagram story.

"It's a good way of interacting with your wired network to figure out what your taste is and if people are responding to that," she says. "You may get some people that aren't necessarily in your day-to-day interactions, but would be interested in joining your circle."

Set some group guidelines.

In order to make sure your new group is all on the same page, take the time to discuss what you want to get out of regular club gatherings before your first official meeting. Will your time together be spent largely focusing on the novel at hand, or will camaraderie and refreshments ultimately be the most important?

"There's the typical friends gathering at someone's apartment and having cheese and wine approach," Lobash explains. "But oftentimes, people will be frustrated because they just turn into a social event rather than focusing on the book."

Thomasch echoes this sentiment, saying that while enjoying stimulating (non-book) conversation over a couple bottles of wine is in no-way ill-advised, not everyone who signs up for a book club may be willing to ditch their novel for a glass.

"There are some book clubs that are made of truly self-identifying 'book people' who just want to get into the pages and discuss," she says. "There's probably going to be some tension if you don't all get on the same page about how dedicated you want to be to the discussion versus social time—or some blend thereof."

Pick your book.

This may seem like the trickiest part, but in order to take the stress away, Lobash suggests looking out for a few key factors.

"Books that work really well are ones that allow you to reflect on self," she says. "They have a lot of entry points for people so they probably have a good setting. The pacing is solid. There's great character development and the language doesn't get in the way of the story." Choose something with that criteria, and you can please all kinds of readers because people have different ideas of what makes a book good, she says.

She explains that you can never go wrong with candid memoirs to get the ball rolling, and buzzy book roundups, or trusted sources like the New York Times bestseller list, includes novels that will appeal to an array of people. And when in doubt, you choose a theme to help you narrow things down. Focus on a genre like romance, mystery, or fantasy. Picking a specific author can work, too. (In fact, there's a club in Modesto, California dedicated to Jane Austen novels.)

And OprahMag.com just happens to have a diverse roundup of the best book club books that you can check out right now. Here's a sneak peek of four of our favorites below.

When it comes to who picks the book, Lobash suggests letting members rotate who gets to choose the new story each cycle.

Brainstorm discussion questions.

OprahMag.com has a nifty, detailed guide that'll help you come up with questions depending on your book's genre: fiction, nonfiction, self-help, mystery and thriller, romance, or memoir. To give you a preview, here are the top 5 general questions you can start out with.

• What was your favorite part of the book?

• What was your least favorite?

• Did you race to the end, or was it more of a slow burn?

• Which scene has stuck with you the most?

• What did you think of the writing? Are there any standout sentences?

Decide where and when your book club will meet.

As far as the frequency of meetings, that schedule is up to you and your members to determine what's realistic—plus how long it will take to complete the book. It comes down to preference, but Lobash says she's "never known a book club to meet more than once a month."

Now: about location. If you're able and comfortable, meeting up at your home is always an option if your group would like a bit more privacy during sessions. But don't feel obligated to act as host. Lobash explains that meeting at a "neutral space" like a bookstore, library, or bar can ease the pressure of entertaining.

And know it's OK to host your book club online.

If you're unable to meet each other in-person to talk about your latest pick, no worries. The show can still go on digitally. As Thomasch suggests, your book club community can exist on social media.

Creating a private (or public) Facebook group is a simple and accessible way for members to communicate with one another about upcoming novels, discussion topics, meetings, and you can even conduct group polls. Goodreads is another great source because after creating an account, you're able to make your very own online group that allows you to moderate conversations, notify others of events, and digitally keep track of all your reads.

As far as meeting one-another, video chat services like Skype, Google Duo, and Zoom all allow multi-user calls, making them ideal for a virtual book club happy hour.

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