What is a Reading Group?
Why belong to a Reading Group?
How do I start a Reading Group?
Points for discussion in meetings
What some well-known Australian book-lovers say...

W H A T I S A R E A D I N G G R O U P ?
The two main elements of a Reading Group are the books you read and the people you read them with.

Members of the group select books to read and then meet regularly to discuss them. The books change from month to month and over the years members will come and go. But underneath it all the Reading Group is guided by a coherent philosophy – this is what we are and this is what we read.

W H Y B E L O N G T O A R E A D I N G G R O U P ?
"I'm not reading enough books anymore."
"I feel I want to understand, appreciate and talk about the books I read."
"I want to make some new friends outside my career and my family."
"I want to get out of the house on my own once in a while."
"I want to catch up with the classics I haven't read or discover new books and writers."
"I want to talk about books as a person, not as a student."

H O W D O I S T A R T A R E A D I N G G R O U P ?
When organising a Reading Group aim to create a mix of people which will provide lively, comfortable and fun discussions.

Remember that different opinions and styles should be sought and encouraged - if the members of the group or the books themselves are too similar the collective responses may be limited and over time members may become disinterested.

Points to Consider
Give some thought to the composition of your Reading Group and how it might operate before you start inviting individuals to join. While the variety and commitment of members matter more than the quantity, do ensure there will be enough people for a good discussion in the event of a few absentees or non-finishers. At the initial meeting the group as a whole can consider and refine the following points:

Membership
gender
age
occupations/interests
numbers

Meetings
frequency of meetings
selection of books for discussion
location of meetings
recruitment of new members

P O I N T S F O R D I S C U S S I O N I N M E E T I N G S
Penguin supports Reading Groups with a range of notes on specially selected titles; the notes list many questions which can prompt and guide group discussion on a specific book. However in general you may like to address the following areas when discussing books:

Content
Context and background
Meaning of the text
Technique
Appreciation
Anecdotes

reading group notes

Click on a title below for accompanying Reading Group Notes in Portable Document Format (PDF) - requires Adobe Acrobat Reader ®

You are welcome to view or print copies of the Notes for your own private, non-commercial use; but please be aware that these materials are copyright and may not be reposted to other networks, repackaged or resold.

The Alphabet Sisters
McInerney Monica

Blue Sky July
Wyn Nia

Butterfly Song
Janke Terri

The Case of the Imaginary Detective
Fowler Karen Joy

Closed For Winter
Blain Georgia

Cloudstreet
Winton Tim

A Curious Intimacy
White Jessica

Drylands
Astley Thea

The End of the Alphabet
Richardson CS

The Hunter
Leigh Julia

An Innocent Gentleman
Jolley Elizabeth

Isobel on the Way to the Corner Shop
Witting Amy

It's Raining in Mango
Astley Thea

Johnno
Malouf David

Knitting
Bartlett Anne

Lines In The Sand
Deveson Anne

The Love Child
Cusworth Fran

The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Edwards Kim

The Nearly Happy Family
McKinnon Catherine

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
Tolle Eckhart

Oil!
Sinclair Upton

The Olive Grove
Newell Patrice

Pieces of Blue
Mcginnis Kerry

The Rose Notes
Mayes Andrea

The Shark Net
Drewe Robert

Shearwater
Mayes Andrea

Three Cups of Tea
Mortenson Greg

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism & Build Nations One School at a Time
Mortenson Greg, Relin David Oliver

Thursday's Child
Hartnett Sonya

The Unexpected Elements of Love
Legge Kate

Click here for more Reading Group Notes from Penguin US

A N D F I N A L L Y . . . See what 1, 2, 3 well-known Australian book-lovers have to say about Reading Groups
*"What a fantastic idea!* I started a Reading Group of ten women eight years ago in Melbourne, and another in Sydney five years ago. Both are going strong and devour books... they are occasions for celebration, discourse, dialogue, argument, in which the book can either be the focal point or the point of departure for more general conversation. I have found that belonging to a Reading Group has improved my reading, made me more critical, more aware, broadened my tastes, introduced me to new writers and to old neglected classics - it's also made me buy books!" Caroline Baum, formerly Between the Lines, ABC TV
	*"Reading Groups are great fun* where we can get together and talk about food, about men and the latest gossip and if we exhaust these we quite often find the time to talk about books" Kaz Cooke, author, cartoonist and humorist
*"In my experience of Reading Groups I have seen how beneficial the choosing of the reading of books can be.* Usually about twelve people make up a group and take turns to hold a monthly meeting at home. Sometimes the books are paid for individually, or the groups may have the system of one member each month choosing and paying for the books that month. Members find they read with far more pleasure and understanding. Discussion blossoms. In Western Australia in metropolitan areas and in the remote wheat towns and farms, the Reading Groups have flourished for years. I have attended very many discussion evenings, they are very lively." Elizabeth Jolley, Australian writer