The Benefits of Joining Book Clubs
In the past year, a combination of endless quarantine boredom and the urge to seek an escape away from the real world has prompted many to delve back into their dusty bookshelves and the comfort of printed pages. Simultaneously, the human need for social interaction and connection has also become more apparent than ever. The culmination of this pressure to keep up with friends and family as well as the quarantine spike in reading eventually gave rise to new, virtual book clubs. In this article, we will be giving you a brief overview of the benefits of these book clubs and why you should go grab a virtual book club membership ASAP!
They are a place where you can engage in healthy, intellectual conversations with new and old friends. Book clubs are an inexpensive and casual approach to enlarging your social circle. Chatting about common or contrasting likes and dislikes with fellow book-lovers across the globe is very rewarding. On the other hand, the differences in opinion will enable you to learn to accept them, while improving your critical thinking skills as you discover varying perspectives of the same book. This will in turn benefit you in your daily communication with others and will increase your tolerance towards differing viewpoints.
You may discover new books that you might not have picked up voluntarily. Through the selections and suggestions of others, you can expect to be introduced to a diverse range of genres, topics as well as writing styles. As a result, you might uncover a whole new category of books that pique your interest, and even discover new favorites. In addition, you can gain new insights and become more familiar with genres that might’ve been completely foreign before. Book clubs allow you to be exposed to a broad range of topics, cultures, and people which in turn increases your overall knowledge and expands your worldview.
Book clubs help members build the habit of reading regularly with an end goal in mind. Having a purposeful and highly anticipated objective often drives readers to read habitually. Moreover, fellow members can motivate each other to finish a book and discourage procrastination. As there is now a purpose for reading, the activity becomes more significant which pushes readers to do it.
You can also grow as a writer and gain insights into the preferences of a general audience. Reading consistently and extensively analyzing books allows writers to refine their writing techniques. Besides learning about what appeals to readers, writers have the opportunity to examine the numerous aspects of a literary piece. This comprises themes, characters, settings, plots, and writing styles. Having an in-depth study of other authors’ works will inspire creativity and help writers unveil their potential.
Lastly, they also help you regularly schedule time to relax and rewind. Book clubs offer you a chunk of time in a busy week to wind down and have an enjoyable time with friends. The discussions and activities do not possess an underlying grade or judgment, which provides you an undemanding, stress-free environment to voice your opinions. Furthermore, the traditional procedures can be revamped imaginatively for added fun. For instance, all the members could dress up as characters from a book, enjoy snacks together (even through screens!), or produce entertaining skits.
Ultimately, book clubs offer countless benefits beyond a simple reading experience and a discussion session. Partaking in one is the starting point to an exciting journey of self-improvement no matter where you are and what your past experiences with reading are. The ceaseless hours of fun await, so join that book club now or better yet, host your own!
References:
Ahlin, C. (2016, January 29). 11 Reasons Every Woman Should Join A Book Club. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://www.bustle.com/articles/138281-11-reasons-every-woman-should-join-a-book-club
Kindrachuk, M. (n.d.). Six Reasons to Join a Book Club. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://stratfordwritersfestival.com/six-reasons-to-join-a-book-club/#:~:text=A%20book%20club%20can%20help,regular%20basis%20can%20be%20fun!
7 Reasons to join a book club. (2020, May 13). Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://msa.monash.edu/7-reasons-join-book-club/