I don't know how many of you set New Year's Resolutions (and for that matter, how many people proactively work on achieving said resolutions), but it's that time of the year and I have been playing with an idea in my head that I think is befitting for resolution setting. Thusly, I would like to cordially invite you to participate in a virtual book club. If you're thinking about reading more books (or any books) in 2020, this could be a good way to get inspired and stay motivated. The goals of the book club would be to (1) help hold us accountable to our reading goals, (2) encourage sharing of ideas and additional book recommendations, (3) forge and strengthen relationships with great people and (4) learn and have fun!
Book topics will vary but will generally fall into categories like fiction with life-lessons or some kind of deeper meaning, non-fiction regarding business, political or socio-economic issues, self-help/motivation, with maybe a sprinkling of historical nonfiction. Why these topics? Because they are what I'm drawn to, frankly.
How I'm picturing this would work, at least for our first try (hey, I'm nothing if not open to continuous improvement):
- I'll start a group for people to join in social media (probably Facebook)
- New book announced with reading schedule; most books will take 6 - 10 weeks to complete, this will give you plenty of time to fit the reading into your busy schedules
- Interested parties RSVP with their willingness and availability for said book - I am asking for a commitment, the success of the group depends on everyone contributing
- I'll assign chapters to Book Club Members (I need a cooler name) to act as Discussion Leaders
- If you are going to be unavailable on your assigned week, I would ask that you coordinate a swap with someone in the group to ensure coverage.
- Members download, borrow, buy or otherwise acquire book (many will be available on Audible, most will be available on Kindle)
- Members can utilize group page to post random thoughts while reading, complimentary articles, etc.
- Once a week, we'll do a live call or video chat to discuss the assigned chapters for that week. Discussion Leaders summarize the chapters, bring discussion-prompting questions related to the chapters, and provide their own personal insights. Discussion ensues. Depending on the book, some weeks will have two or multiple chapters per week, so there may be multiple Discussion Leaders each week. Don't stress too much about being a Discussion Leader, I'll provide more ideas and examples and I'll help out if anyone is struggling.
- At the end of the book, I'll ask for feedback on opportunities for improvement and book suggestions for the next round.
Book Ideas: Those with * indicate I've already read them, I definitely recommend them and don't mind reading again myself. All others are books I've started/perused or am pretty sure I want to read.
Return to Orchard Canyon by Ken McElroy
This Is Not How It Ends by Rochelle B. Weinstein
Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
Your Perfect Year by Charlotte Lucas
Raising the Floor by Andy Stern*
Manna: Two Views of Humanity's Future by Marshall Brain*
A Beginner's Guide to Free Fall by Andy Abramowitz
How to Hide an Empire by Daniel Immerwahr
A beginner's guide to free fall looks good.
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