How to Start a Genre Book Club

Although book clubs can be a lot of fun and a great social or learning experience for many people, others avoid them like the plague because they prefer to choose their own books. One idea that can work to allow people to have the whole book club sharing experience, yet get to make their own choices, is to start a genre book club where people choose a different genre (mystery, historical, fantasy) to focus on each month. You can even make it really fun by dressing in appropriate costumes and serving themed foods.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Investigate a good mystery. First make sure everyone's on the same page (as it were) as regards the definition of "mystery," and talk about some of the different subgenres: cozy, hard-boiled, holiday mysteries, mysteries where cats solve the crimes. Come dressed as Miss Marple, Sherlock Holmes or any other favorite sleuth.
2. Get swept away by romance. If you have members who turn up their noses at this genre, have them check into some of the different types such as paranormal, historical or time travel. There are even crossover science fiction and mystery romances, and a lot of "chick lit" takes a more humorous, even slightly cynical look at the conventions of romance. Dress as Scarlett O'Hara, a medieval maiden, or just wear your regular clothes as many romance novels take place in everyday modern settings.
3. Round up a posse of westerns. Encourage non-western fans to look for romances or mysteries with western settings, or perhaps western-themed science fiction or fantasy novels. There are even westerns told from the Native American point of view. Everyone will have fun dressing up and playing cowboys and cowgirls or maybe showing off some authentic Native American garb or jewelry.
4. Travel back in time with a historical novel. In addition to giving you tens of thousands of years of settings from which to choose, this genre will allow you to discuss the relationship between fiction and nonfiction. Would you consider your book to be primarily fiction with a little costume window dressing, or would you consider it to be a work of history made more readable by the introduction of fictional characters or dialogue? Costumes range all the way from cavepeople garb to, well, stuff you've had in the back of your closet since the '80s.

Tips & Warnings

• For a mystery book club night you could serve mystery meat-or, if you prefer a selection from some of the many culinary mysteries by authors such as Diane Mott Davidson or Claudia Bishop.
• Romance night refreshments can be champagne and chocolate (served in heart-shaped boxes if the month you've chosen is February).
• Western nights can give you an excuse to break out the franks and beans or you could try some Navajo tacos made with frybread.
• For historical refreshments you can always choose a more recent era and go with jello salad (popular in the 50s) and chips with onion dip (big in the '70s).
• Don't waste too much time arguing about whether or not a book belongs in a particular genre, as there are no hard and fast rules.