{"id":27059,"date":"2021-11-04T09:54:14","date_gmt":"2021-11-04T16:54:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=30000023055"},"modified":"2021-11-05T13:34:50","modified_gmt":"2021-11-05T20:34:50","slug":"why-you-should-join-or-start-a-book-club-and-how-to-do-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/why-you-should-join-or-start-a-book-club-and-how-to-do-it","title":{"rendered":"Why you should join (or start!) a book club and how to do it"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Reading is a great way to exercise your brain and improve your sleep. What\u2019s more? According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alzinfo.org\/articles\/reading-alzheimers-bay\/\">Fisher Center for Alzheimer\u2019s Research Foundation<\/a>, reading may even help to prevent or delay Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re a book lover or hoping to read more, here are five tips on how to launch your own book club.<\/p>\n<h3>Benefits of Starting (or Joining) a Book Club<\/h3>\n<p>On its own, reading may seem like a dull or solo activity\u2014but it doesn\u2019t have to be that way. In fact, there are several <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/benefits-of-reading-books\">physical and mental health benefits<\/a> associated with reading.<\/p>\n<p>In one <a href=\"https:\/\/n.neurology.org\/content\/81\/4\/314.short?sid=a1bfa954-8377-4c64-bb4f\">2013 study<\/a>, researchers found that people who engage in mentally stimulating activities such as reading and solving math problems earlier in life (and for the duration of their lives) are less likely to develop dementia.<\/p>\n<p>Reading has also been proven to <a href=\"https:\/\/worldliteracyfoundation.org\/reading-reduces-stress\/#:~:text=Reading%20is%20found%20to%20decrease,rate%20and%20improve%20overall%20health!\">decrease blood pressure<\/a>, lower heart rate, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu\/reading-stress-relief\">reduce feelings of psychological distress<\/a>. Beyond that, reading may even help you live longer. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6245064\/\">a 12-year study<\/a> published in <i>Innovation in Aging<\/i>, participants who read books (opposed to other forms of media) lived approximately two years longer than those who didn\u2019t read at all.<\/p>\n<h3>How to Start a Book Club<\/h3>\n<p>Once you figure out the purpose of your book club (whether you want to socialize, focus on a specific genre, learn something new, etc.), decide on a club name, and determine where you\u2019ll meet (online or in-person) and how often. Then, you\u2019ll be ready to gather your members and host your first discussion.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10000055590\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10000055590\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-10000055590\" src=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/04094902\/Untitled-2-450x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10000055590\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Here are a few ideas to get you started.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Word of mouth: <\/b>Before Facebook, many people relied on word of mouth to get their businesses and ideas off the ground. If you\u2019re interested in starting a book club, try reaching out to your friends first. This could mean chatting with your hairstylist or calling up an old friend\u2014you could even mention it during your weekly fitness class or morning coffee run. When it comes to word of mouth, the opportunities are endless.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Facebook Groups: <\/b>If you\u2019re social media savvy, Facebook Groups is a great way to create or find an existing community. To find an existing book club, simply type \u201cbook club\u201d in the Facebook search bar. To create your own book club, navigate to the \u201cGroups\u201d tab and click \u201cCreate New Group.\u201d Need a step-by-step guide? No problem. Here\u2019s a link to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/help\/167970719931213\/\">Facebook\u2019s Help page<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Meetup: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/\">Meetup<\/a> is similar to Facebook in that it helps its users make friends and share ideas. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meetup.com\/lp\/start-a-book-club?utm_medium=SEM&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_campaign=mmrk_adwords_orgacq_us_bookclub_general_pm&amp;utm_term=group&amp;utm_content=lp_bookclub&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwsNiIBhBdEiwAJK4khvoAByQN63ZFQyzqeKUdVgnqP5xrElzll3ZpRpx31ZxadF4okHDcrhoC9GAQAvD_BwE\">Starting a book club with Meetup<\/a> is easy for every type of bibliophile\u2014Kindle readers, fantasy bookworms, non-fiction lovers, and so on. You can also search for groups by entering your location and interests.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Goodreads: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/\">Goodreads<\/a> is one of the largest web-based places for readers to discuss their favorite reads and get book recommendations. To create a group on Goodreads, navigate to the \u201cCommunity\u201d tab, click \u201cGroups,\u201d and then click \u201cCreate a Group.\u201d If you need help, here\u2019s a quick guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/help.goodreads.com\/s\/article\/How-Do-I-Create-a-Group\">how to create a group on Goodreads<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Bookclubz: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/bookclubz.com\/\">Bookclubz<\/a> is a free site and mobile app designed specifically for users who want to start or <a href=\"https:\/\/bookclubz.com\/join-a-book-club\">join a book club<\/a>. (According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/adamrowe1\/2020\/04\/18\/book-club-in-place-how-the-bookclubz-app-brings-booklovers-together-during-coronavirus-lockdowns\/?sh=4276761868fc\">Forbes<\/a>, the site has added thousands of book clubs since March 1, 2020!) In addition to managing your club, Bookclubz offers messaging, scheduling, and polling, among other helpful features. To get started, click \u201cCreate Your Club\u201d on the Bookclubz homepage. Bookclubz also offers monthly book recommendations with discussion guides, just in case you need a bit of direction or a jumping-off point.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Reading is a great way to improve your physical and mental well-being. And, if you can do it with friends, that\u2019s even better!<\/p>\n<p><span data-sheets-formula-bar-text-style=\"font-size:13px;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;font-family:'Arial';font-style:normal;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;\">The <\/span><a data-sheets-formula-bar-text-link=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/ads\/tag\/sponsored-by-cambrian-homecare\" data-sheets-formula-bar-text-style=\"font-size:13px;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;font-family:''Arial'';font-style:normal;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;\">Active Aging Series<\/a><span data-sheets-formula-bar-text-style=\"font-size:13px;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;font-family:'Arial';font-style:normal;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;\"> is brought to you by our partner, <a href=\"http:\/\/cambrianhomecare.com\">Cambrian Homecare<\/a>.<\/span><span data-sheets-formula-bar-text-style=\"font-size:13px;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;font-family:'Arial';font-style:normal;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;\">\u00a0Cambrian Homecare has been assisting individuals to stay independent in their homes for 25 years. Flexible experience you can trust, when the best place is still at home. Click <a href=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/ads\/tag\/sponsored-by-cambrian-homecare\">here<\/a> to see all of Cambrian&#8217;s informative articles. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Don\u2019t let the cooler temperatures affect your social life! Here are five ways to start (or join) a book club this month.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":201,"featured_media":71781,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[31883],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[3245],"class_list":["post-27059","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hi-lo","tag-sponsored-by-cambrian-homecare","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27059","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/201"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27059"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27059\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27059"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=27059"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=27059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}