As we are a new(ish) club, this process is still evolving, but here’s how we’ve been selecting books.

First, our staff members choose potential nominees that are newer books in paperback that seem to be ripe for discussion but that haven’t yet been picked by Oprah or topped the bestseller lists or been picked by any other local book clubs that we’re aware of.

Once we’ve whittled our suggestions down to 4-6 titles, we present them at the next book club meeting to all those in attendance, and the voting begins.

You can vote with a paper ballot in the store (and look at copies of all the nominees) or you can vote online and view synopses and review quotes on our website.  

We’re trying to stay at least a couple months ahead of schedule in selecting books so that people can plan ahead which is why we’re choosing September’s pick in June and July.

We are always open to your suggestions for titles or for new methods of selecting books. At this time, we are focusing primarily on contemporary literature, but we may consider classics in the future. We may also consider hosting another book club dedicated to classics in the future if we feel there is enough interest. Let us know what you want so that we can be a community center for literature.

The list of criteria used to select nominees for the first choice seems like a good general reference point for future selections as well.

1. Not too long. We don’t want to intimidate anyone or make book club feel like too large of a commitment.

2. Not over-exposed; that is, not already a local bestseller or one that is being talked about everywhere else all the time. It’s often better for genuine and thoughtful conversation not to be full of others’ ideas or opinions on a work.

3. Make it new. The other side of this point is that we hope that our book club helps introduce books to readers that they might not otherwise have encountered or noticed. This may include older books that we felt were overlooked (especially the fabulous titles so often “saved” by the New York Review of Books) or books in translation.

4. Accessibility. We expect to focus primarily on fiction available in paperback with a literary bent that would seem to appeal to both men and women, young and old.

5. Quality. As we expect to focus discussion on ideas and characters, the book will need to be more than just a page-turner. One possible mark of literariness is being short-listed for a major book award.