Interested in starting a similar book club of your own? Here's how I do it:
- About two weeks before our meeting, I ask my local librarian to give me a print out of books carried by the library and published within the past three to five years by whichever publisher we are reading that month.
- Once I have the list, I use a combination of the library website, Amazon, and the publishing house's website to check to be sure the books fit our criteria for the month.
- I put the books I want on hold (usually 25-30 of them) via the library website and have them delivered to my local library branch.
- When the books have all arrived, I check them out and (before the meeting) try to find out who edited them using a combination of Google searches, SCBWI resources, and author notes or dedications in the books themselves.
- For each book, I make note of the editor (if possible) and year of publication on a little piece of scrap paper and stick it inside the book.
- I meet with a wonderful group of authors and illustrators and we take turns reading about 20 books aloud (story time for grown-ups!). We look for common themes and try to come away with a better sense of the types of books released by the various publishing houses we cover.
Alternatively, you're very welcome to use this blog as a template for hosting your own meetings.
Happy reading!
Colleen Paeff
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