BOOK CLUBS

Book clubs are a powerful way to laugh, enjoy a good book, and make lasting friends. Meet kindred book lovers on our site and be invigorated by finding out how other book clubs in the world operate.

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The Heron Book Club

Our club has been going since 1995. We are 12 ladies who live in Tableview. We each pay R60 pm and one person gets money to buy books of her choice. Each member hosts the club once a year. All books are numbered and we stick a rating and comments page into each book so one can see what others thought about the book. We have a database list with all books bought by our club so one can look on the list when it's your turn to buy books and make sure it's not in the club already. After about a year one takes the books bought by oneself home. At the meeting each person has a turn and talks about the books she has read. A bit of personal happenings is thrown in with a bit of wine. The newly bought books are briefly introduced. Then all books are layed out on a table and each member gets 2 turns to choose a book therafter everyone can take as many books as they like. We have a book where we write down the book numbers that are taken home as we found that people always forget books and then they don't know which one is missing. After business there is food, tea and talking. DIARY: Wednesday 15th October. Consuelo visited with Heron Book Club. Impressed with huge variety and number of books read. Proof that Bookclubs are instrumental in keeping the thrill of reading alive. Thank you to Inga Hitzeroth for inviting me!

The Bergvliet Writers' Circle

The Bergvliet Writers' Circle was established in March 1973 and is still welcoming new members. Our members are all warm, friendly people with a common love of creative writing. Every meeting is exciting. There is always an air of happy anticipation.

A balanced programme of fiction, articles, fillers, children's stories, poetry and occasionally one act plays is set at the beginning of each year by the committee. At each monthly meeting, new writing competitions are made known and hearty congratulations are offered to any members who have had material published in the previous month. There have been many literary successes over the years.

Generally, two members comment on the work which has been submitted anonymously based on a structured marking system. At least three times a year guest critics are invited to comment on the assignments. Awards are presented at the end-of-year party, a prize-giving to which the guest critics and a guest speaker are invited. Guest speakers have included Lynette Barling, John Scott, Theo Aronson, Jane Raphaely, Willem Steenkamp, Monica Cromhout, Pam Edgar, David Biggs, Fiona Chisholm, Margie Orford and Maire Fisher. And recently, Consuelo Roland!

THE BOOK CLUB NETWORK

The world of books allows us to share kinship without regard to political, social or economic persuasion.

We hope to allow readers and writers to network more easily and to share finds of extraordinary books that let the invigorating breezes of new knowledge and possibility blow in. The unforgettable life-changing books that provoke thought and emotion beyond everyday experience are, almost without exception, books that dwell on the interplay of life, love and death. Mortality is an intriguing subject and what is more moving than love and loss?

Win the top books selected by THE GOOD CEMETERY GUIDE Book Club network in our annual Top Reads Competition.

Book clubs vary from the very informal to the more formal. We use the term 'book club' to include clubs which require members to read books, namely book clubs, reading circles and writing groups, as well as the occasional more casual community gathering of book affecionados.

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The Dinner Book Club

The Dinner Book Club has been going for about 18 months. We meet once a month, usually the 1st Monday of the month, but that’s not set in stone. As there are 12 girls, each has been given a month to host… Each member contributes R30 to the host for the book (of her choice) and dinner. The book then goes into the “box” and stays until everyone has had a chance to read it. Once a year, the box is cleared and started again. There is no set structure to the evening… We generally sit to eat first, and conversation usually starts flowing from there!

Some of the books the girls enjoyed were Love Eat Pray – Elizabeth Gilbert, East of Eden – John Steinbeck, Tuesdays with Morrie – Mitch ALborn, Life of Pi – Yann Martel, Under the Ombu Tree - Santa Montefiore, The Road Less Travelled - Dr Scott Peck.

Loreen Winton

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