One might think that some who’s an editor, ghostwriter, and author would have experience with book clubs. In my case, one would be wrong.

A high school friend of my younger son invited me to join a book club she was starting. I accepted. She scheduled a date, canceled it due to inclement winter weather, and rescheduled. With no baseline of expectations, I attended our first meeting on Sunday evening at the restaurant where this young woman works.

In the restaurant’s back room (usually reserved for events and parties), I met four people: a twenty-something couple and their two toddler sons. My young friend had never met them either; they’d become acquainted through Facebook. I have no issue with that because I’ve met some interesting people through social media, starting in the days of usenet way over 20 years ago.

The young mother works at a day care facility. She quipped that she spends her days working with toddlers only to come home and … work with toddlers. (Her own.) The young father is an “undergraduate behavioral therapist” working with autistic children. Both reminded me of my older son’s former neighbors: young, pierced, tattooed, and genuinely nice people.

(Would you blame me if I started scheming to introduce these fine folks to horses? I’m always happy to share the equestrian passion!)

None of us has participated in a book club before, so the conversation wandered. For nearly two hours, we mainly focused on getting acquainted and learning about each other. Periodically, I’d bring the conversation back to the main topic: books. What did each person like to read? What book should we start with?

My young friend mentioned that I was an author. I immediately followed that up with a statement that I’d not joined the book club for commercial purposes. In short, I’m not there to sell my books. I am looking at this as an opportunity share books and discuss them, what we like and don’t like rather than for some academic purpose, something I’ve not actually had experience doing.

The conversation turned to what we were currently reading, what we like to read, and what we would like to try. The young mother stated she was working on A Court of Thorns and Roses by Susan J. Maas but finding it slow going because of the demands on her time. A young mother who’s employed full-time and has two toddlers to mind doesn’t have a lot of free time for leisure reading. She confessed to hoping that book club participation would impose some level of accountability to add that extra encouragement she needed to finish the book. The club organizer admitted to having read it, but it had been a few years, and she wasn’t opposed to reading it again. Neither I nor the young father has read the book.

So, ACOTAR it is. With one meeting per month—schedule of meeting dates to be determined—I ordered the box set which was delivered yesterday. Before I pick up the first book in the series, I need to finish the novel I’m currently reading. I don’t have any doubts I’ll be able to read the book before our meeting in April. Our next book? Who knows? The young father said he likes dystopian and urban fiction. The young mother likes fantasy and romance (of the “romantasy” variety). The organizer likes fantasy and romance (contemporary, historical, and romantasy). I like fantasy, romance, historical, mystery, science fiction, and westerns. I think I’ll advocate for the group to try out a mystery, detective novel, or western in April. And, yes, I have something in mind: perhaps Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series or Lindsey Davis’ Marcus Didiius Falco series or anything by Zane Grey or Louis Lamour.

I do think we’ll focus on genre fiction. The book club selections should be something we want to read, not dreaded assignments.

So, why would an author/editor/ghostwriter join a book club?

First, it gets me out of the house and interacting with real people. I have hermit-like tendencies, so human interaction is something I need to schedule into my life.

Second, it will put me into touch with newer authors and current reading trends in a more immediate fashion than looking up bestseller lists on Amazon or Goodreads. I’ll have more reason so seek out those books and read them.

Third, it will give me an opportunity to introduce older authors and older books to a younger generation. Call it cross pollination if you will: all of us will broaden our literary exposure.

Fourth, continuing the extension of our literary horizons, we’ll sample different genres. We’ll see what we like and dislike about those genres and maybe even discover books and authors that become our new favorites.

The book club has room for more people. In fact, we’d love to get more people involved. So …

If you’re near Springfield, Ohio and would like to join a brand new book club, then let me know. I’ll pass on your information to the organizer so she can put you on the notification list. If you have experience with book clubs, tell us about it, what you liked and disliked about participation, what worked well and didn’t work at all for the group. With no actual structure thus far, we’re open to suggestions to grow the group and make it thrive.

And if you’re an author—aspiring or established—and would like some help with the book you want to write, the book you’re writing, or the manuscript you’ve written, then I’m happy to offer professional services in ghostwriting, editing, book design, and/or proofreading.

#bookclub #henhousepublishing