In praise of book clubs

Writing Life: 25

Over the last fifteen years or so, book clubs seem to have enjoyed a renaissance of sorts. Or perhaps they’ve always been this popular and I just hadn’t noticed—beyond the one my wife, Nancy and I belong to—until I wrote my first novel and started visiting other book clubs. As a writer and reader, I love book clubs.

Introducing the Well Read Well Fed Book Club

Nancy and I have been members of the same book club for nearly thirty years, yes, thirty years. It’s a big part of our lives. I remember in the early days taking our younger son to a book club meeting in his infant seat where he miraculously slept through the discussion—though he seldom gave us a good night’s sleep. Our sons will be 31 and 28 respectively this year. This group of friends is important to us. They are a wonderful and diverse cast who all share a love for literature. Nancy and I are honoured to have been a part of it for so many years, with more to come.

Our format

Here’s how our book club works. We meet the third Monday of every month except July. Each member in turn has the responsibility to select a book (usually a novel, but not always) and host the group for dinner (often related to the book, but again, not always) and a discussion. Our group is large enough that not every one gets a pick in the same year. At each meeting, we eat first, which often rivals the discussion as our favourite part of the meeting, and then we start talking about the book. What often kicks off the discussion is the simple question directed to the host, “Why did you choose this book?” And the conversation flows from there. When the debate is slowing, each person then rates the book from one to ten. The scores are compiled in an annual report of sorts (sometimes aided by PowerPoint and spreadsheets—thank you, Nicole!—presented at our Christmas party meeting in December. Think of it as book club analytics.

There’s no sanction for failing to read that month’s book. We all have busy lives. I’ve been a little delinquent on that front in recent years, but even if I haven’t finished the book (or in extreme circumstances, not yet started it), I still go to the meeting, just to see my friends and enjoy the conversation.

Some books chosen are polarizing, yielding widely varying post-discussion scores. One unnamed novel a few years back garnered a ten from one member and a zero from another. Other books seem to bring us together. I made the very fortunate selection one year of The Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. I loved it and so did the group. In fact, it became the highest rated book that year—not that I’m bragging. Okay, I was bragging a little.

We’re divided on one point. Do you read the book before you choose it to avoid picking what might be a dud? Or do you just read some reviews and select the book on that basis alone. I’ve gone down both paths over the years, but believe it’s safer and less nerve-wracking to read it first.

Pre-discussion dinner at a regular book club meeting in 2015. We were short a few that night.

Fellow book clubber Karla and I at a typical pre-pandemic meeting on the roof of a member’s condo back when my face carried less weight than it does now!

Of course, during the pandemic, we shifted—along with the rest of the world—to Zoom. It was a less than perfect, but safer alternative to meeting in person. We’ve just recently begun to gather again in the flesh as it were. And it’s been wonderful to reconnect without the distance a screen imposes. But meeting via Zoom was much better than not meeting at all.

Our 2020 virtual Secret Santa Christmas party.

The book haul from two pre-pandemic Christmas parties.

A shot from our 2014 Christmas gathering with our Secret Santa books.

In December, we don't discuss a book, but gather (virtually or in person) to exchange Secret Santa books with one another. As each person opens their book, they first guess who gave it to them—often not figuring it out—and then they read the first sentence of the book. It’s a fun tradition.

When authors come to our book club

We’ve been really lucky over the years to have had several authors join us to discuss their books, some for more than one of their novels. Andrew Pyper and Kim Echlin, two very accomplished writers, have visited us on many occasions, for nearly every one of their novels. We think of them as “friends” of the book club.

Andrew Pyper and Kim Echlin: “Friends” of our book club.

Here are some shots of other writers who have generously come to our meetings over the last three decades.

Lawrence Hill

A memorable book club meeting when Lawrence Hill joined us to discuss The Illegal. (I was there that night but must be in the kitchen fetching seconds!)

Michael Redhill

The night Michael Redhill joined us in our home for a Book Club discussion of his Giller Prize winning novel, Bellevue Square.

Cathy Marie Buchanan

A blurry shot of good friend Cathy Marie Buchanan when she joined us in our home to discuss her New York Times bestselling second novel, The Painted Girls.

Visiting other book clubs

Since my first novel was published in 2007, I’d estimate I’ve visited (virtually or in person) at least 100 different book clubs to talk about whichever of my novels they were reading. As is typical, most have been all-women clubs, but I’ve also joined a couple of all-men clubs and plenty of mixed groups. Some gatherings have been small—fewer than ten—while others have been quite a bit larger—more than thirty.

You might be wondering why I’d agree to drive a couple hours each way to attend a meeting of book lovers when they’ve already purchased the book. What’s in it for me? Well, I’m convinced that if authors say “yes” to visiting book clubs, and the members enjoy the experience and the conversation, they are much more likely to purchase your next book and appreciate it more for having met the author. So writers do have a vested interest in visiting book clubs, even when they’ve already bought the book. Writers are supporting their future novels by meeting with book clubs. In the last few months, I’ve visited four or five book clubs (mainly, but not exclusively, via Zoom). I enjoyed them all.

I don’t seem to have many photos of my book club visits, but check out one of my favourite memories below. The book club was about two hours north of Toronto, somewhere near Muskoka, as I recall. The house was the star of the proceedings, and featured the homeowner’s original cabin preserved inside the brand new home built around it. Very cool. All hail book clubs!

Some years back, I visited a book club north of Toronto with the most interesting venue. When the host built a new home, she left her original cabin right where it was. It’s now a lovely quiet sitting room inside her new house.

The biggest book club of them all

Back in 2011, I had the very good fortune of being involved in what may be the country’s largest book club. Yes, my first novel, The Best Laid Plans was a finalist and the eventual lucky winner of the 10th anniversary edition of CBC Canada Reads. Winning Canada Reads is such a blessing because the annual book battle sells more books in this country than anything else except for the Giller Prize. And I, somehow, was the lucky beneficiary of what they call the “Canada Reads Effect.” Sales skyrocketed.

(l) The launch of the 10th anniversary edition of CBC Canada Reads. (r) The lucky winner.

Wrapping up

Okay, I think I’ve prattled on about this topic for long enough. If you’re a big reader but are not a member of book club, you might consider joining one or even starting one. Our book club has enriched our lives enormously for nearly thirty years, and hopefully will carry on for many more to come.

Another blast from the past. A great event for book clubs as part of Kitchener-Waterloo’s One Book One Community program that selected The Best Laid Plans back in 2010.

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