June 2006

Kate Bearce of Mainstreet Books in Pella, IA actively hosts or participates in as many as six book clubs sponsored independently and by the local church, library, and her own store. From these experiences, Kate has become quite an expert on understanding others' reading and book-buying habits, which she details in this interview. She also shares her own successful methods of spreading word of mouth on new titles and describes a presentation she gives to local book clubs called "30-in-30," which introduces them to great reads.

Q: Does your store host any book clubs? If so, are they based on a certain theme or genre (i.e., mystery)? How often do the groups meet?

A: Our store hosts an adult book club that meets once a month in the evenings at the store. 

I have also scheduled 2 different kids' book clubs.

Our store co-sponsors a Church book club. This one meets quarterly.

I attend a library book club. This one meets monthly at noon.

My Mom sponsors a book club at her summer place that I attend 1-2 times a year. The group meets monthly, from May to October.

Q: How many members are in each group? How many men, how many women? What ages are most of the members? Are the groups open to accepting new members?

A: The store book club is all female and has between 8-15 members. Their ages range from 17-72.

The kids book club is aimed at 13- to 15-year-old boys and at 10- to 13-year-old girls. During the school year, I can't get any kids to come, but I am hoping for summer.

The church book club has about 5 active members. The facilitator and one other member are male, the rest are females between the ages of 30-75.

The Library book club consists of all females who are 35 to 80 years old.

The summer book club meets monthly and the members are all females in the retired age.

Every group is open and accepting of new members.

Q: Who leads the book discussions? Are reading group discussion guides used?

A: In the bookstore-based clubs, I choose the books and lead the discussions. I try to find reading guides or something interesting on the web to facilitate discussion. Most of the groups are very talkative.

The church book club is facilitated by the pastor. I don't think he uses a traditional reading guide.

The Library book club has a different facilitator each meeting. The facilitator does a bunch of research (these are mostly retired college faculty) on the author, the book and the setting, and does about 15 minutes of presentation before we discuss.

The summer book club has a changing facilitator and I provide the reading guides off the web.

Q: How are books selected? Is a new one chosen at each meeting, or are they chosen for a number of meetings ahead of time?

A: The bookstore and the summer club selections have been chosen for the year. The others all choose at each meeting.

Q: What were some of the best discussions or favorite books the groups have read?

A: For our bookstore, The Bookseller of Kabul was the liveliest discussion. The group really liked a personal story of someone living in a different culture.

Q: How are book club meetings kept interesting and fun?

A: I try to include some sort of activity/food that ties to the theme. For instance, for the discussion of The Bookseller of Kabul, I found someone to wear a Burka and I served yogurt pomegranate treats. For Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Kate Horsley, we had a ceremony of Bridgett's candles. For the discussion of Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue, we all dressed up in our best London streetwalker clothes.

Q: What advice would you give to other bookstores that would like to start hosting book clubs, or provide resources for ones in the community?

A: Book clubs are great. Most members seem to like reading and owning books. There are always lots of sales before and after the discussions hosted in the store. The library-based book club doesn't generate sales, but those members come to buy other books.

Try to make the clubs interesting and incorporate a themed activity or food item to enhance the whole reading experience. I always try to provide reader guides or information on the author. Lots of people seem to like to know why the book was written, as well as just experiencing the story.

Q: What general advice would you give to book club members? Any specific ideas for making reading selections?

A: As a member, be sure to read the book! Come to the meeting willing to talk. When selecting, make sure it's not just a great story, but also something to talk about. Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper was an excellent choice because there was so much that was current to today's life choices, in addition to being a gripping story.

Q: How can book clubs better utilize resources at their local bookstores?

A: Bookstores can do a great job letting book clubs know what's on the horizon. For the first time, I am hosting an author for the Library book club and we can do this because the author sent promotional materials early enough and we have access to coop that helps advertise. The publishers are also willing to provide marketing materials and sometimes giveaways if they can increase sales.

Q: Does your store offer anything special for book clubs?

A: I get tons of ARCs. When we meet, I drag out a box full of them and let the members pick what they want. I also offer 15% discounts for book clubs. 

Q: Is there anything else unique or noteworthy about book clubs (either ones that meet in your store or ones that you know of) that you would like to share?

A: I do a presentation for book clubs and groups in town that I call 30-in-30 (I got the idea from Donna Paz). I present 30 books in 30 minutes. I do this annually for 5 different groups and introduce great reads to them. This presentation generates a lot of sales for me and only costs me my time. It is also a great way to get obscure or sleeper titles, like Water for Elephants or The Madonnas of Leningrad, in front of more people. I also have my Mom and Dad read ARCs and reader copies. If you can find a retired person or two who loves to read, give them everything you can and have them write reviews or single sentence descriptions so you have an idea if the books are worth it. I also have a few young teens reading the Middle Fiction and YA books. We post these reviews on our website and our local newspaper shopper posts them as well.

Q: What books currently on your shelves are you interested in sharing with book groups?

A: The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch, and The Vanishing Point by Mary Sharratt.

Q: What galleys and advance reader's editions that are in your store right now are you interested in sharing with book groups?

A: The Mailbox by Audrey Shafer, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson, and Against a Crimson Sky by James Conroyd Martin.