7 Things You’ll Miss Out On Without a Book Club
When you first hear about book clubs, the first thought that crosses your mind could be about elderly women meeting up every week. Yet, that's not the case; there's so much more to book clubs that you may need to learn. Here are seven reasons why you should consider joining a book club.
A Book Club Encourages You To Read
As the club name suggests, you are expected to read in a book club. With our busy schedules, we tend to overlook some activities like picking up a book, but once you join the club, you have to read. Your group members will put some friendly pressure on you to complete the text that you have collectively started reading, and in the long run, you'll find yourself burying your head in books. Who doesn't want that?
Enables You To Make New Friends
Talking to people comes easily for some people, while others have to psyche themselves up for human interaction. That could be solved by joining a book club, where you will have conversations with real, like-minded people. The beauty is no one will judge you for behaving like a character in a book, and you get to establish friendships and networks. This is a great way to improve your social life without breaking the bank.
You Gain A Different Outlook
We can agree that most of us read literature in high school because we were forced to do it, and for fear of getting the plot wrong, we had to stick to what we were taught. Yet, if reading is done voluntarily, you enjoy debating the lessons you've picked from the book, and what better place to do that than in a book club? Discussing the characters and emerging themes with the other members gives you a different perspective on what you've read. The informal setting sets the tone for everyone to speak their mind without fearing that they might be wrong. This helps you learn something about society and the people around you, and you're not reading for entertainment anymore.
It Broadens Your Scope
When someone else picks your reading material, it ultimately opens you up to new genres and writing styles that you wouldn't have chosen yourself. What that does is you add to your library (books that you'll read in the future), and you also get to explore other cultures and understand other people's perspectives. In addition, reading different types of texts will help you grow and broaden your scope.
Your Writing Skills Improve
Becoming a writer is challenging; you must read a lot before becoming a great author. The best place to improve your writing skills is at a book club, where you'll learn how to analyze the characters, plots, themes, and settings of other authors. You'll also know what readers relish, and you can also try to incorporate some writing styles in your work.
You'll Always Have Snacks
If the reasons above have not convinced you to join a book club yet, this one may be. Whenever there is a meeting, you can be sure that there will be food involved, and you get to wine and dine while talking about books. If the food is a bit meh, why not implore everyone to bring book-themed snacks to your next meeting? That will sure be adventurous for everyone involved.
It Gives You A Much-Needed Break
Life can be tricky; between work, being with family, and maintaining a social life, things can get a bit hard to handle, and you might feel overwhelmed. Books provide a desired break from world pressures, and you can forget your worries for a moment when you're turning over the pages. Yes, reading by yourself can be therapeutic; you can comfortably unwind and relax, but have you tried reading in a book club? While escaping the world for a bit, there's some sense of friendship and homeliness.
Joining a book club could be the best decision you make for your literary pursuit, and we recommend that you join one close to you as soon as possible. You will not only develop a reading habit, but you'll also have fun while at it.