How I Started a Bookclub
At some point I started reading. I don’t mean as a child, I mean I REALLY started READING! I read multiple books and would share laughter with a friend until one day we both decided to read “around the world” in a book challenge. PLOT TWIST we failed BUT we would later decide to start a bookstagram and call ourselves DA Lit Mamas. Our goal has always been to read what you love AND encourage other adults to read! While child literacy is important as well , WE just personally feel that some adults need a… little encouragement. I usually can get 2 books in a month and D’Linda averages around …12 so we have a variety to recommend each month. So thats the short version and well … here is how it really went down!
Let’s set the scene…
The year is 2020, and the month is September. The world as we know it has been completely ripped to pieces by this crazy viral infection known as CoronaVirus. Are you having flashbacks yet? I’m talking about the burning masks, 6 feet apart, no toilet paper, and above all else, gas prices were down! So the virus ransacks our country, and all the while, little ole me is sitting in Orlando, FL, working away at the food bank, when I decided to STOP listening to podcasts and try a book. I popped open the Libby app (if you don’t use Libby in 2023, what are you even doing? Shout out to Josh for getting me started years ago.) and scrolled to find a book that had been highly rated on the app. That book was none other than The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory. Also, it should be noted that until I was an adult, I had stopped reading for fun and only read books if I had to for school, personal development, biographies, or work. As a 30-year-old woman, I had never read a book with a … spicy scene. 50 Shades of WHO?
We don’t know her! Partway through the book and after many moments of smiling to myself, I sent a message to my friend D’Linda and told her that she needed to pick up this book but to listen to it on audio. SHE WASN’T READYYYYY… we giggled over this book, and I was immediately excited to hear from another. I would then be wrecked to my core by listening to A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum. Recommended to me by D’Linda … this time, it was I that wasn’t ready. Devastated, I cried in the office and told D’Linda we should try this Pinterest Challenge, where we would read books from around the world. D’Linda didn’t know that SHE would be embarking on that journey alone as I THOUGHT I would love it until I realized just how boring those books were.
I didn’t pick up another book until 2021! I had relocated back to Missouri, and it was around September when I decided to explore reading again. After much persuasion, I would get D’Linda to start an Instagram page with me where we would post about our books. I thought the page was more for her as she would breeze through books and tell me all about them. But I knew her thoughts needed to be shared with others, and I would enjoy having more books to add to my never-ending TBR list.
So what’s our name?
Graphic made by Art By Toni
We are the DA Lit MamasWhat started in 2021 would carry over to a first anniversary!! Now in 2023:
So how did we start the book club?
If you want to know how to start your book club, it’s best to have a few things ironed out first! So here are 5 things you need to start your book club:
Do you want to do a virtual or physical book club?
There are so many ways to host a book club. You can meet and discuss your book in person if you have a local coffee shop or library. This is an excellent opportunity to support a local place. If you want to host a virtual club, many apps can help you host or book club. For example, we use the bookclubs app.
What is your cadence going to be?
How often do we meet monthly, and to some extent time to a little Make you pe yourself ee to read and not provide a ton of pressure to rush it? Remember, This d to be realistic, and something works for your group.
How will you communicate with your group, and how often?
This one time into the virtual vs. not virtual a little bit. Using the bookclubs app has allowed us to send messages directly to our group and converse with one another. But, of course, you can also use Facebook, Instagram, and any group messaging platform.
Deciding on what you will read?
Having social media has helped us. We have our Instagram page where we will host a poll on. We also have our app that we will simultaneously host a poll and total up the numbers. We also have pre-selected the themes we will be reading.
Have questions prepared for the meeting?
Come to each meeting prepared with questions but also be prepared for your group to decide to navigate the conversation in a different direction. We try to meet for about an hour and usually will come with 5 questions. Sometimes we hit them all, and other times we hit 1 and then move through different conversations.
I hope these tips help you out. An honorable mention should be that, of course, you will need a book club name (However, I think that is one of the easier parts). What have you found helpful if you have a book club or are considering starting one? It truly is crazy how this all comes full circle here. We are halfway through the year of our book club, and we couldn't be more satisfied with the success that it has had and the community we have built. We love to promote reading to adults because we 1000% think that that is important. We find ourselves drawn to reading based on our mood, but that doesn't stop us from challenging ourselves to read outside our bubble.
So, if you want to pick up a book and read something new, I highly encourage you to stop by our Instagram page, follow us, and maybe you'll find something you love!
