Your own book clubs

Mine is similar to your first description. Our numbers hover at around eight or nine. Any more and we find discussions tend to fragment especially in some people's home where the layout of seating isn't conducive to an 'in the round' talk.

I really like my group partly because when I joined I only knew the person who invited me so I met a whole bunch of fresh new friends!

I belong to one where there must be about 12-15 people all together but usually 8-10 attend - we meet in the house of the person who has chosen the book for that month. Most times we sit around the dining table to have our chat and glass of wine and nibbles.
Once a year we decide on the ‘book of the year’ - we all vote for our top three. We used to have our meeting when we did this in someone’s house - but as it was a prolonged meeting of at least two hours instead of about one - it got to the stage of everyone needing feeding properly - many people did not have a table big enough for this or were not prepared to cook a meal - so now we book a quiet local restaurant and he does us a special menu and a set price. Seems to suit everyone. We are having this meeting at the end of the month - my votes this year going to - an Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris (the Dreyfus Affair) and a Man called Ove.
My only problem is that from time to time the book choice I find dire - last month was War of the Worlds - this some comic book and I hate comic books!

I attend a U3A book club. The success of the group is largely down to the way meetings are formalised and controlled by the group leader. Our group has a very efficient group leader. The book selection process is as democratic as possible. Discussions of selected books are as follows:
1. The person who originally selected the book presents it for ten minutes or so. It's a small group so people can interrupt.

2. The group leader gets each member to talk about their impressions round the table, then we each evaluate the book 1-5 how we liked it.

About two hours a month.

We meet in a pub every month, usually about 6 -8 turn up. One person chooses 2 books for the next time and members vote which one they prefer. After the discussion we give the book the thumbs up or down. There are more men than women in the group and some of them like scifi or war novels which I would never read normally, but one or two have been ok. Next one is Martin Amis, I haven’t liked any of his books so far but will give it a go.

The Book group I belong to has been running for nearly twenty years, with eleven original members; the twelfth moved a hundred miles away. We meet once a month in each other's houses, coffee and biscuits only, and choose our books by trying to read something from every genre, classics, modern, fiction , non-fiction, with science fiction proving the most difficult.
We start by going round the group with a very brief resume of people's opinion of the book, strictly no interruption or discussion until everyone has had a chance to say something, then launch into a general discussion, which usually lasts about an hour. If we are not able to attend we send in our thoughts by email or scribbled notes. Once a year we have a celebratory lunch.
We use the local library or buy our own copies; you can spot Book Group titles in the charity shops. I have read so many books I would never have looked at previously, (and some I would never read again) and think we all really enjoy the meetings and get a lot from them. Husbands and family members hide well away and cannot believe the amount of noise we make!

Ours meets on the second Tuesday of the month in the home of whoever has chosen the book. We have 8 members at the moment ( a couple of people have left) but most months somebody is unable to come for one reason or another. I have read some dire books as we have very varied tastes but some I have really enjoyed and maybe would not have chosen myself. It's my turn next week and I've chosen Ian McEwans "A Child in Time" after watching the drama about it on TV I have read a lot of his books and like him as an author. I have made friend with one member who lives nearby and we have coffee or lunch sometimes. The others I only see at the book club but some of the others socialise together as well.

There are 7 of us at the moment. All female, our choice. Meet monthly, during day in each other's homes. Local library issues reading group books, and they have a list from which we choose 12 books annually. Cost £42 for year. We enjoy a variety of books, and although we have cuppa and chat at the beginning, it is quite an organised affair. We usually have one person who keeps us focussed, and we take in it turns to share our thoughts on the book, and send in brief summary if we don't attend. The best discussions are usually when we have disliked a book. Sounds a bit dry but it is enjoyable and it takes us out of our usual "comfort" reading to books that we wouldn't otherwise have read and liked.

There are about a dozen of us and we meet each month. During the winter we meet in afternoons (tea and biscuits) and when the clocks change we go to evenings (wine or fruit juice). Books are chosen in small batches, modern literary novels or classics, and we like the person making the suggestion to have actually read the book. Reviews and other people's suggestions have been disappointing. Once a year we go out for a meal. We've been going for about 20 years with almost the same people.

Thanks for all replies? interesting how varied these book groups are.

I could have written this myself! We operate on very similar terms but we have wine and nibbles first and coffee at the end of a meeting (or more wine for some members) .
The social benefits are as important as the literary enhancement and we have regular social events and the occasional weekend away. We have been going for 20years and its great to read back over the journal of our reading and the fun we have shared.

I was referring to easybee's post!

I run a group for my W.I. & we have been going for about 10 years now- obviously the members have changed a bit & we have lost & gained as we go along.
There are around 10-12 of us & we meet in the evening once a month in someone's house who has the perfect very large room with comfy sofas arranged in a 3 sides round a coffee table. We have tea/coffee & biscuits after we have discussed the books & time for general chat.
I get all the books from our local library & we charge 30p for the book ( which is what I pay the library) & 30p for the refreshments
When I started it I went to W.I. College ( Denman in Oxfordshire ) & did a 3 day course on running a reading group which was a lot of fun but maybe a bit of overkill although I found it really useful when we were starting up.
My original idea was that members would take it in turns to choose the books but that has never happened as they prefer me to get them- all from library who are wonderful to us.
We do not have any particular 'style' of book & tend to read new books whenever possible but do have at least one classic a year.
I must admit that I would love someone else to sometimes choose a book & do the discussion points but it rarely happens.
It is always a really nice evening & I do enjoy it. The main comment is that they have read books they would probably never have picked up themselves & usually they are very glad to have read them.
If you have not yet read Eleanor Olliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman can I just beg you to read it. It is the best book we have read for ages & everyone loved it.

Thanks for book recommendation Craftycat.

Craftycat I've just this week finished Eleanor Oliphant and loved it. Not all my friends are in agreement, though.

Sounds as if you do all the work in your group Crafty unfortunately something that happens a lot in WI groups.?
I will recommend the book you mention, always nice to hear of good new books.