The 2012 Virginia Festival of the Book is history, and we’re contemplating the programs that sparked our imaginations. “Calling All Book Groups” was an great experience from my side of the podium, and I hope members of the audience enjoyed it as well. Thanks to Charles Meade and Laura Viannathe from Reading Group Choices for the handouts and lovely door prizes. Congratulations to those of you who won!
Book groups are popping up all over the place. It was obvious from our discussion that there are many approaches to organizing one. If you can’t find one that suits your needs, get some friends together and create a book group of your own. Below are some online resources that will help get you started and don’t forget that you can always ask your favorite librarian for recommendations. You can also join one of JMRL’s many book groups as found on the JMRL Wiki. If you don’t see one that works for you, email or call your preferred JMRL branch to see what other reading groups they may have.
Stella Pool
JMRL Staff
- Amazon’s Shelfari – reading group support
- Beacon Press – reading group guides
- Book Browse – a guide to good books for book clubs
- Book Club Resources
- Book Club Meetup – a few local book clubs
- Book Glutton: Books are Conversations
- Book Movement – support for book groups with reviews, study questions
- Book Talk – online book club
- Bookmarks Magazine – reviews
- GoodReads – online book discussions
- Harper Collins Publishers – book suggestions
- Knopf Doubleday Publishing: The Reading Group Insider – reading group support
- Macmillan Publishing – library and reading group support
- Opra’s Book Book Club
- Paperback Swap
- Penguin Publishing for Book Clubs
- Random House’s Book Club Corner
- Reading Group Choices
- Reading Group Guides – The online community for reading groups
- Simon and Schuster Publishing
- Stuck in a Book – a reader’s blog
- Vintage and Anchor Reading Group Center
- W. W. Norton Company, Inc. – reading guides