https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:20:36 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-started-a-book-club#post-2053006 Tue, 03 Feb 2015 18:46:04 +0000 Cole 2053006@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsPastryLady: that makes perfect sense and sounds way less stressful than hosting, cleaning the house and preparing a bunch of food!</p> <p>@Anya: I have checked in the past to see if the library had a list like that, they don't unfortunately but they do have a board where I could post a flyer which might be a good option. I really want to find more moms who are nearby and that would be a good way to start looking for people super nearby as opposed to spread out around the area. Thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-started-a-book-club#post-2052965 Tue, 03 Feb 2015 18:15:55 +0000 Anya 2052965@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cole: if you are open to including people you don't know yet, I would check with your local library. Mine keeps a list of local book clubs, their theme if they have one, the current book and contact person. If yours does something like that, you might get some bites and you'll know they're readers! </p> <p>I am in a group that has been really successful (not started by me). The woman who started it sent out an email to her friends with what she had in mind and asked then to forward to anyone they know who might be interested, which is how I got in the loop. There are about 20 people on the current list and about 6-10 show up to any given meeting, I'd say about half being the core regulars and then others who cycle in and out. Most have 1 or 2 degrees of separation from the original host. The group meets at a cafe either once a month or once every 2 months depending on the time of year (less often over the summer and during the holidays). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-started-a-book-club#post-2052955 Tue, 03 Feb 2015 18:06:37 +0000 MrsPastryLady 2052955@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cole we did it in the evenings, but no kids came. We structured it like a girls night. Usually everyone would bring a snack/app and we would have wine and heavy snacks. The hostess would provide the wine (and sometimes an app if she was feeling up for it). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-started-a-book-club#post-2052945 Tue, 03 Feb 2015 18:02:12 +0000 Cole 2052945@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaBehr: Ooh I like the restaurant idea! I was fretting about what time and whether I would be basically signing up to feed a bunch of people dinner!</p> <p>@MaryM: I checked meet up and didn't find anything similar to what I want but it might be a good idea for me to put it on there. I like the use of a poll to find a good time and day, I am flexible but I have friends who really aren't due to childcare, nursing at bedtime etc. </p> <p>@Anya: This is my biggest worry! It's part of why I am thinking articles. Plus I really want to focus on parenting things and that makes the pool of interested candidates even smaller.</p> <p>@MrsPastryLady: 6-8 sounds like a good sweet spot. Since you rotated houses did you guys serve food? Was it around a meal time? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-started-a-book-club#post-2052931 Tue, 03 Feb 2015 17:51:48 +0000 MaryM 2052931@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with @MrsPastryLady: on size. More than 8 or 10 people, and you start having more than one conversation going on. And that's awkward for the people sitting in the middle wondering which side to jump in on! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-started-a-book-club#post-2052915 Tue, 03 Feb 2015 17:45:09 +0000 MrsPastryLady 2052915@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did a book club. I love the article club idea and brought it up to my book club when it started to fall apart, but nothing came of it. </p> <p>I recently started a knitting club and we are still going strong. It's just a fun time to catch up. we meet once a month and IMO its better with 10 people or less. For book club i'd say 6-8 is ideal. We generally would let the person that's hosting the next time pick the book and we would rotate houses every time. </p> <p>both the knitting and book clubs were just with my friends. Usually there are a couple people who know someone else who would be interested in joining. I've met 3 new people from our knitting club. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-started-a-book-club#post-2052897 Tue, 03 Feb 2015 17:36:05 +0000 Anya 2052897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes and it was a bust. I don't know enough people who actually read :bummed: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-started-a-book-club#post-2052819 Tue, 03 Feb 2015 16:48:35 +0000 MaryM 2052819@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Have you checked meetup.com to see if there already is a group meeting?</p> <p>I haven't started a book club, but I did start a sewing circle of sorts. I started out by attending other similar meet ups, but there wasn't anything as inclusive as I was looking for (I was interested in knitting AND crochet, and at the time all groups were one or the other).</p> <p>I learned from the groups what people liked and didn't like, and what types of spaces worked best, etc. </p> <p>Then when I started my own group through meetup, I included a poll when people joined that included things like their preferred location and time. </p> <p>But things like that do cost money, so if you know enough people to start one through Facebook, that may be easier. But it might not be as easy to meet new people. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-started-a-book-club#post-2052776 Tue, 03 Feb 2015 16:20:15 +0000 MamaBehr 2052776@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I did!<br /> We started off with 5 members, and I don't think all five of us came one month for the first year. I invited my three close friends, and someone who I wanted to be friends with. We always had it at 7 or 7:30 on a Thursday, and we met at a different restaurant every month. This way it was pretty late, maybe even possible to put the kids to bed first, and not a date night. I just moved away, but before I moved, I created a facebook page and put our book club out there. I had all these people claim they were interested in the book club, but never came. So, be prepared for people to say they are interested, but never show up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-started-a-book-club#post-2052702 Tue, 03 Feb 2015 15:38:25 +0000 Cole 2052702@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My mil had a parenting book club when her kids were little and I love the idea. I want to start one but I am intimidated! Who do you invite? How do you use it to expand your social circle? I am not sure all of my parent friends will even be interested. I may start with articles like this post suggests: <a href="http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/search?q=Article+club" rel="nofollow">http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/search?q=Article+club</a></p> <p>So what should I consider? How many people is ideal? What time/days are best for moms with little ones? </p>