Tag: Book discussion groups

How to Nurture Your Love of Reading During National Reading Month

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment

I realized only recently that March is National Reading Month, a month-long celebration of reading and literacy. Inspired in part by the author and cartoonist Dr. Seuss (The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham), whose birthday is March 2, the event is sponsored by the National Education Association to encourage people of all ages to develop a love of reading.

According to literacy experts, reading has numerous benefits, including:

  • Building your vocabulary
  • Improving writing skills
  • Helping us understand the world we live in
  • Improving our mental well-being and reducing stress
  • Keeping up with current events
  • Sparking creativity and imagination
  • Developing critical thinking skills
  • Developing empathy for others and emotional intelligence

    With so many benefits, it’s a wonder more people aren’t in love aren’t in love with reading. One statistic I came across noted the average person reads only 12 books a year. Meanwhile, the top 1% of readers consume 80 books per year. I’m lucky that I’m usually able to read 30-35 books a year, or roughly 2-3 per month.

There are several ways to develop your love of reading:

* Increase the amount of time spent reading
* Increase the number of books you read in a given year
* Share your love of reading with others
* Ramp up the quality of your reading experience

I’ll tackle each one of these in detail.

Increase the amount of time spent reading. I get it. Life gets busy. There are too many responsibilities and obligations getting in the way of valuable reading time. If a hectic schedule limits your reading time to only two hours a week or less, consider ways to increase that time. It doesn’t have to be significant either. Even an extra 15 minutes a day can bring you some of benefit. Start by bringing a book with you wherever you go so you have something to do while you wait for your ride share driver or sit in a waiting room for a doctor appointment. If you take public transit, sneak in some reading time instead of staring into your phone. Or start your day with a brief reading session while you have your morning coffee or tea. If you look carefully enough, you may find openings in your schedule to enjoy a little reading break.

Increase the number of books you read in a given year. This might be harder than it looks. Again, hectic schedules often get in the way of our reading intentions. If your current reading number is the average 12 books per year, how can you increase that by one book? You may find that by squeezing in those mini reading breaks I mentioned above, you can add that one extra book to your annual total without much stress or fuss. Another option is listening to audio books. This might be especially beneficial if you travel by car or take public transit. 

Share your love of reading with others. It’s fairly easy to find other bookworms who share your reading interests. Check with your local bookstore or library for book discussion groups that focus on a specific author or genre. So if you love cozy mysteries, you might be able to connect with a group that loves those types of stories.

Or consider joining a reading club, which is often confused with book discussion groups. (This post by Dany Books blog does a nice job of explaining the difference.) Reading clubs don’t have a set author or genre. Members get together periodically to simply read together, usually a book of their own choice, followed by a social hour where they enjoy refreshments and talk about the books they’re reading. Check out The Silent Book Club, for example, which caters to the more introverted readers among us. The focus of reading clubs is on the reading experience, while book clubs focus on the book they’re discussing.

Ramp up the quality of your reading experience. This might seem a more nebulous task. Rather than increase the number of books you read, try improving the quality of the experience. Maybe it’s finding a quieter, more solitary place to read or lighting a candle to read by. Maybe it’s sipping your favorite beverage while you read, or reading alongside a best friend who also loves to read. Maybe it’s focusing on one favorite genre, say memoirs or graphic novels. Only you know what will enhance your experience of reading.

While National Reading Month might take place during a single month, the love of reading can be nurtured all year round.

How Book Clubs Can Enhance Your Reading Experience

~ The Regal Writer ~ 1 Comment

woman reading harry potter book
Photo by Dids on Pexels.com

Our February theme continues: “For the love of books”

Many years ago, I wandered into my favorite local bookstore called Transitions Bookplace & Café (which sadly, has since shut down) where they were hosting a book discussion meeting. I can’t recall what book they were discussing – something about mental health and relationships, I think – but the discussion drew nearly 50 people, far more than the store management anticipated. The group leader had difficulty keeping the conversation on track, and in fact, one particular man monopolized the conversation by talking about his own personal troubles. With so many people in the room, it was difficult to hear what individuals were saying. The group leader tried on several occasions to get the discussion back on track and to get more people involved in the conversation. Out of frustration, I finally left.

Other friends of mine have had more positive experiences with book groups. The key is to keep the group small, at least eight members and no more than 15, say experts, so it will be much easier to manage the discussion.

Starting a book discussion group can seem like a daunting task. Sometimes it’s better to simply join one. Whether you start a club or join one, think about all the different ways a book club can enrich your life and your reading experience. In addition to providing a means for socializing, a book discussion group enables you to:

* Learn about new authors. Joining a book club opens up opportunities to read works from authors you may never have heard of. Or maybe you have heard of them but never read anything by them previously.

* Become familiar with different genres outside of your own interest. For example, if you don’t usually read nonfiction books, book club members may decide as a group to read two or three nonfiction books per year. As long as you’re open-minded about reading non-fiction, the experience can broaden your literary knowledge.

* Hear and discuss opinions and perspectives from other members. When you give everyone a chance to express their opinion, you learn to be more comfortable discussing complex and controversial subjects. Hopefully, you also learn to be more patient to give each member a chance to speak. You learn to listen, and though you may not agree with others’ opinions, you hopefully learn to respect their differences.

* Improve your capacity for literary analysis. When you’re part of a book club, you read books differently with an eye on discussion points. You might still enjoy the book, but you’re not reading just for pleasure anymore. You may also take notes while you read so you can prepare to discuss the book more thoroughly. It forces you to think more critically.

* Improve your ability to articulate ideas. Book discussion groups provide an outlet to test out ideas and formulate opinions. Book worms aren’t necessarily comfortable speaking their minds or sharing opinions. But with practice, more shy types can feel more confident in presenting their views in what they perceive to be a safer environment.

There are numerous sources online to help plan and participate in book discussion groups. Bookbrowse.com offers advice for starting a group, leading meetings and choosing books to read. The American Library Association offers tips for managing a book discussion group and provides some suggested questions in instances where there is no discussion guide. Also check out Bookmovement.com, which helps book clubs organize their book reading lists, maintain contact with their group members, and help clubs learn what other groups are reading. Reading Group Guides, a sister site to the Book Reporter, provides their own review guides for current releases which you can access by book title, author name or by genre.

With so many resources available and so many books to read, you’ll never run out of topics for discussion for your book group.

The key to a beneficial experience is to commit to the group experience. Going just for the food, drinks and socializing isn’t enough. Be on time, show up and stay engaged. Most important, be open to reading different authors and genres, participate in the discussions, and enjoy the camaraderie with friends over a shared love of books.

Readers: Are you involved with a book discussion group? What has been your experience?