Book clubs can last for decades or fizzle out after just a few months. Some have elaborate rules, and others are looser arrangements. Many of us are in one or, in some cases, multiple. So, what is it that makes a book club successful? And why do we keep seeking them out?
The book club concept has been commodified by the publishing industry, with new releases often sold as book club recommendations (particularly if they have a celebrity Book Club endorsement) and some books even being published with a list of guiding questions at the back for your group.
But, at its heart, a book club isn't about ticking off the hottest reads on a list, or answering questions designed by a marketing team. A book club is about coming together with others to read, share, talk and maybe find common ground.
Does book choice really matter?
When my book club recently celebrated our 10-year anniversary, we marvelled at its longevity. Much has happened during those years: babies; deaths; milestone birthdays.
We did not all know each other at the beginning, instead turning up when invited by the founding member, slowly shifting from strangers to friends. We have all used book club as a place to cry, to laugh and to escape whatever else is going on in our lives.
At the beginning, the choice of book was pivotal to the success of our group. Because we didn't all share history, books were the way we shared ourselves. But over the years, the pressure to read the selected book has diminished.
Now we meet because we want to see each other and there is almost always at least one of us who hasn't read the book or, in more recent times, has forgotten which book we were reading and read something else altogether.
Book club is the vehicle we use to catch-up because we are busy with work and family and it can be hard finding time to socialise — but we make time for book club.
'Shorthand and a great level of trust'
As much as I love a hearty discussion about a new Australian novel, the people are the reason I turn up, not the choice of book.
Writer Fiona Wood is in a book club that began 34 years ago, and she feels the same.
"We love each other, and we talk about life and work and the world and books and reading," she says.
"We have shared so much over the years that we have a shorthand and a great level of trust. Reading group is like a lovely continuing conversation."
Being able to have a continuing conversation can only really occur if it's the same group of people who come each month.
Perhaps, then, it is not just important who the people are, but also important there is a constancy about the group, so people can trust you enough to be open about their thoughts. Particularly if you have a strong, or controversial, opinion.
"There's a lot of overlap of taste, but we also enjoy discussing books we disagree about," says Fiona.
"A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara is one that divided the room."
In Fiona's book club, they don't all select the same book to read, but instead they just bring along whatever they've been reading that month.
"We talk about the books we've brought, and we borrow and return books," she says.
"Books often stay in circulation for ages, because someone will bring a book back, share their response to it, and another person might borrow it. So, threads of discussion can continue over months."
Maybe this is a sign that the choice of book doesn't really matter at all — although some of my favourite book club sessions have involved feisty arguments about a book nobody can agree on.
By its very nature, reading is a solitary pursuit, but the joy of talking about a book you have devoured, or detested, with a group of people who may or may not feel the same, is special.
As much about people as it is about books
Melbourne author Ailsa Wild started a middle grade book club five years ago, seeking connections.
"I had a not-quite-two-year-old and I was writing children's fiction at home and feeling slightly alone with my thoughts," Ailsa explains.
"I really wanted to talk with other grown-ups who wanted to take children's fiction seriously."
This club reads books aimed at children between 8–14 years — most people are involved in the industry, either writing or publishing children's fiction.
"So, the book club serves a second purpose as being a place for talking shop, celebrating each other's wins and talking things through when they are tricky," says Ailsa.
It is a fluid book club with a "rolling cast of members".
"We have a few core regulars and a big network of people who might come every now and again; it means if a few people are away the group still has a life," she says.
"I do my best to make sure people feel welcome and I want other members to feel comfortable inviting people they think might be keen."
And like me, Ailsa agrees, that it is "as much about the people as the books".
The more I chat with others who are in book clubs, the more stories I hear about groups who have been meeting for many years who no longer even read a book, but just come together to share their own stories.
After meeting monthly for more than 20 years, my dad's partner has accepted that her book club doesn't involve reading at all anymore, but it doesn't affect their commitment to turning up each month.
Perhaps, like most clubs, book clubs just exist to bring us together.
Nova Weetman is a writer of fiction, non-fiction and screenplays. She has published sixteen novels for children and her books have been shortlisted for many awards and published internationally. Her adult memoir Love, Death & Other Scenes is out April 2024.