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Book clubs are more popular than ever - and no wonder. Whether you gather with friends for a casual evening of book talk (and gossip), or hold serious literary discussions with fellow bookworms, a reading group takes book appreciation to the next level by making it a communal experience.

But like any informal group, a book club takes organization, time and dedication from its members. Here are three easy steps that take the work out of organizing your own book club:

1. Use our free Reading Group Guides to get your members talking.

2. Sign up for our newsletter to get updates on new books, read author interviews and find helpful tips from other reading groups - even enter your group for book giveaways!

3. Look over our tips on leading a discussion, choosing books and making your book club a success.

Reading Group Guides are currently available for the following titles:

Tropical Fish by Doreen Baingana

Tambourines to Glory by Langston Hughes

HUNG by Scott Poulson Bryant

Sweet Magnolia by Norma L. Jarrett

Sanctified Blues by Mable John and David Ritz

Last Night A DJ Saved My Life by Lyah Beth LeFlore

FAB by Kieran Batts Morrow, Tiffany Anderson, Adrienne Carter and Tracy Richelle High

Neecey's Lullaby by Cris Burks

Can't Get Enough by Connie Briscoe

When Love Calls, You Better Answer by Bertice Berry

The Quest of the Silver Fleece by W.E.B. DuBois

The Heart of Happy Hollow by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Accident of Birth by Heather Neff

Sunday Brunch by Norma Jarrett

The Full Matilda by David Haynes

Dad Interrupted by Van Whitfield

The Laying on of Hands by Brenda Rhodes Miller

Floating by Nicole Baily Williams

Cosmopolitan Girls by Charlotte Burley and Lyah Beth LeFlore

Hottentot Venus by Barbara Chase-Riboud

Strength for their Journey by Robert L. Johnson and Paulette Stanford

Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Keckly by Jennifer Fleischner

Jim and Louella's Homemade Heartfix Remedy by Bertice Berry

Free by Anika Nailah

The Haunting of Hip Hop by Bertice Berry

SilkyDreamGirl by Cris Burks

The Queen of Harlem by Brian Keith Jackson

A Little Piece of Sky by Nicole Bailey-Williams

How to Make It Work

Location, Location, Location...and Other Important Details

If you've planned a wedding (or even attended one) you can certainly hold a book club. But like a wedding, you need to work out the details before the fun can begin.

Where? If you plan to meet at members' homes, rotate the meeting's location, so having the book club doesn't become one member's burden. If you live in a city and space is tight, consider meeting at a restaurant or coffee shop. What better way to spend a weekend morning than with a book club brunch and the latest novel from E. Lynn Harris?
When? If you can have a regularly scheduled meeting, members are less likely to forget or accidentally double book. Decide how often you plan to meet and be realistic about how much time members will need to finish a book. The last thing any book club wants is a meeting where no one's ready to talk about the selection! And what happens if you choose a really long book? You might meet at the regular time and read the book in installments � plus you'll have a new topic, what happens next?
Why? To discuss books, of course! But what types of books is a major element in the life of a book club. Every person's tastes differ, so think about what sort of books appeal to your group, and not just to you. If you are planning to put a book group together, you might want to think about choosing a genre or theme for the group, or think about how your future members' reading preferences will mesh once you start meeting.
Who? Will one person be in charge of these details - will it be you? Book clubs work when everyone feels a sense of ownership, so just as you might rotate location, alternating who handles details, who selects the next title, or even who brings the snacks are all great ways to keep the whole group involved.

What if no one talks?

The fear of the book club founder is that she will be left to lead a discussion all by her lonesome. While this is unlikely, it pays to be prepared.

Reading Group Guides make it easy to discuss the book, because they provide some background information, and questions that will get the group talking and thinking about their impressions.
Author Interviews Learn more about the author of your selection, and you may find some interesting talking points, or inspire a new perspective on their work. Email these around beforehand, or print them out and have them at the meeting.
Think Like a Critic Was there a part of the book that made you pause and wonder what the author had in mind? Did a character's motivation seem unclear? Chances are someone else in your book club had the same thought - or completely disagrees with you. Good! A little disagreement goes a long way in getting the group to think about how the book affected them and to go back for a closer reading.
Big Picture A great bonus of participating in a book club is that you can ponder the larger themes of a book -- together. Is there a big picture or point that the author is making with his/her book? Did the book make you think differently about something in your own life? Did you identify with one of the characters - and if so why?