About LBG
Hello!
We are the Loveliest Book Group, based in central London, UK. Our family consists of:
- Ten active members
- Including three of five Founding members
- Seven global alumni
We’ve been meeting (mostly) every month since July 2003. When we started we had no idea we would be going this long but the evidence suggests we’ve got a working formula. We take a break in August for summer holidays, which gives us an opportunity to read a longer selection.
Each group does it differently but the below outlines how we operate.
About LBG: Book Selection Methodology
We follow a (mostly) democratic process.
- Each month a host is agreed based on sequential rotation
- This host proposes between one and three books and puts these selections to a democratic vote
- Votes are conducted electronically and the winning title is read by all members of the group for discussion the following month
The Discussion
We’ve never set or needed formal rules as the quality of the discussion is what keeps us coming back. Some traditions have evolved organically:
- Only one person speaks at a time
- The host always prepares discussion questions but everyone should be ready with questions for the group
- Everyone has an opportunity to respond to every question (or not)
- This is a literary discussion group, it is not a drinking club
- We all make an effort to make the discussions both serious and fun
We also adapted to having virtual book groups when needed, generally conducted as above with one additional behaviour: we found an effective way of reducing people speaking over each other was having the host be more directive about the sequence of speakers.
Keys to Success
If you’re looking to start your own book group there are no hard and fast rules on how to make yours a success. Every group dynamic is different and depends on the expectations of the members.
However, over time we’ve found several important attributes of our group which have maintained enthusiasm and commitment:
- Respect. This is the most important and cannot be understated. Everyone’s voice is heard and respected in our group. Without this we would not have lasted 20 meetings much less 20 years.
- Range. We read a wide range of material, including classical literature, pop lit, YA, sci-fi, plays, poetry, biographies, graphic novels and even self-help. We intentionally select titles which stretch our comfort zones and the best discussions emerge about books which divide opinion.
- Regularity. We meet monthly and have enough people so that we can manage a few people being away due to work, family or illness. This maintains a self-sustaining rhythm and affords everyone the flexibility to manage their busy lives. Book group should be fun, not work.
Venues
We are continually scouting Central London for venues which allow the best possible environment for our discussions. Key characteristics we look for are:
- No music (if possible)
- Nice food
- Good transportation options, as we are coming from all corners of town
Check out our venues page for our favourites, including those we prefer and other strong secondary contenders. A good venue is hard to find – and worth returning to regularly.
You can also find us on Good Reads.
Any other questions?
Our group has enjoyed weddings, births, numerous qualifications and even hosted several authors over the years. Ultimately, your book group will succeed if the people involved enjoy spending time together. But it’s also good to select books worth discussing. Naturally.
Whether you’re part of a regular book group or looking to start one of your own, drop us a line if you have any questions.
Happy reading!