Related Sponsors

Online Book Clubs

Home » College Life » Book Clubs » Online Book Clubs

Many online book clubs are formed in order to sell books. If that is what you are looking for, then there are thousands on the internet just waiting for you to click by. However, there are also book clubs that select books, and discuss them online, in chat rooms, and by email. These groups operate in much the same way as book clubs that meet in person to socialize and discuss the book. The benefit of joining an online club is that you can participate from the comfort of your home, in your business suit or PJ’s, whichever suits you. Online book clubs meet at specified times just as in person book clubs do, but the place where online clubs meet is a URL address and chat room.

Online book clubs work very well as long as the rules are spelled out in advance and everyone understands and abides by the rules. Some clubs specify no profanity or discussions that are “off topic.” Others discourage members from leaving the group discussion to “go private” and discuss the book on your own, out of view of the other members of the group. It is also helpful if an online book club has a designated moderator for each session, even if the members of the group take turns being the moderator for different sessions.

If you are serious about book discussions and not so interested in the social aspects of a book club, then an online book club might be a perfect fit for you. Some online book clubs keep the chatting to a minimum so that all messages posted in the chat related to discussing the book.

Online book clubs are also great for those who don’t have a lot of time to read, and even less time to find a book that really interests them. One online book club emails excerpts of the current book to participants, just a short amount each day. A small amount of the book arrives in your inbox every day for a week or perhaps two. At the end of that time, most readers will know whether or not they want to continue the book and can either buy it from an online vendor, book store, or borrow it from the local library.

Next Page: Starting Your Own Book Club

Related Book Clubs Articles