It’s about relationships – with books and with people

What are the top priorities of a book club?

Sure, books are nice. And so is a glass or two of wine. But for Vesna Dan and the Book Club Girls Sparta book club in Sparta, New Jersey, the book club experience goes beyond lively conversations about the monthly selection.

“What I love are the friendships that are formed,” says Dan, a stay-at-home mom and mother of three soon-to-be college-graduating daughters who has led the book club for six years. “We’ve also made connections outside of the book club that have led to great friendships. Everyone is very open to meeting new people, and it’s a joy to see women reach out to each other and make friends they wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

This kind of personal bonding dynamic is common in book clubs, even if the main goal, at least in the beginning, is to discuss books. “I was looking for a way to invite a few friends over and discuss books, starting with five or six people at my kitchen table,” says Dan. “We became friends and developed bonds that last a long time, and it’s just so nice to be in a group of women who would do anything to help you.”

The club, which has been part of BookTrib’s Book Club Network almost since its inception, has 23 members ranging in age from mid-30s to early 70s — an age range guaranteed to produce great conversations and a wide range of opinions. Many of the members met in the Girl Scouts, either as staff or volunteers. Some are retired teachers. The group usually meets at Dan’s home, but the person leading the monthly discussion chooses the venue, which ranges from a winery to a local restaurant to a diner.

“I had hoped it would only last a few months, but our group has been together for six years. It’s rewarding in many ways to be the founder of a book club, but really it’s a group of friends.”

Sometimes members break into smaller groups and drive to New York City for dinner and book signings or to attend author events at local bookstores. They have befriended a local author, Maryanne McFadden, who lives a few towns away and attended one of their meetings.

The club, like most, reads a book a month. Assuming Netflix isn’t fooling her, Dan says she usually reads about 100 books a year. So if you ask Dan, what is the one book that changed her life if you multiply 100 books a year by “X” years? The answer: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. “Once I immersed myself in these epic stories, I was captivated and transformed in ways I never thought possible, reading about two people who, through time and place, had managed to love each other so much that they always found their way to each other. I sat there on vacation reading until the early hours of the morning.”

And which book do you think has sparked the most lively discussions among Spartan women?

“That’s a difficult question because the book is interpreted so differently by every reader. One that comes to mind is The Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton, which deviated so far from our typical genre that many people didn’t know what to make of the plot and characters. However, most people enjoyed the escapist reading and were happy to get to know a new genre and a new author.

“That’s one thing everyone agrees on: we get to know new genres, books and authors that we wouldn’t have noticed on our own.”

Of course, Dan is all for book clubs and for books, so she’s extremely enthusiastic and encouraging to anyone thinking about starting a club. “Just do it. Don’t be afraid to gather a handful of your favorite people, sit down at a table with wine, coffee, snacks or whatever, and books you’ve recently read and loved.”

“Maybe it’s the best thing you’ve ever done. For me, it was.”

Would you like to be considered for BookTrib’s Book Club Network? Learn more HERE.