Heard great things about book club but not 100% sure what the benefits of joining a book club are.
Well, keep on reading as I’ll be sharing 7 benefits of joining a book club.
1. There is accountability to finish the book
If you are someone who struggles to finish a book then a major benefit for you could be that there is accountability to finish the book. In normal circumstances, when you don’t finish a book, or take longer to read a book than planned, no one else knows about it. When you think about it there isn’t really a reason or any urgency to finish a book. However, when you join a book club all of a sudden you have a clear deadline. With a deadline, you are much more likely to finish the book within that given time. Whilst it isn’t essential to have read the whole book to join a session, most people want to have read the book and thus joining a book club will help you finish more books.
2. You might read books you wouldn’t have read otherwise
When you join a book club you are opening yourself up to reading books that you haven’t chosen yourself and therefore you wouldn’t have read otherwise. Depending on the book club there are a few ways the book might be chosen:
• The book club leader chooses all of the books
• A selection of books are put forward (by either the leader or members) and then the members vote
Regardless of how the books are chosen, it is very likely that you’ll end up reading books that you wouldn’t have otherwise.
3. You’ll meet other people with similar interests
One of the major benefits of joining a book club is you’ll get to not only meet other people interested in reading but specifically interested in the types of books that the book club specialises in. This is especially powerful if you have joined the book club because you have a passion that isn’t shared by your current friendship group. In the book club, you’ll be able to get to know other people will a similar interest and who knows a friendship may form outside of the book club.
4. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of books
There is a big difference between reading a book and discussing a book. When you discuss a book, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the book. This is a result of you having to form your own thoughts in order to share them and then when you hear other people’s opinions it will force you to ask questions that hadn’t previously considered.
5. You can improve your communication skills
Joining a book club can improve your communication skills. Firstly, you will be using your communication skills in order to share your response to the book. However, you aren’t just sharing your thoughts with one person. The fact you are sharing them with a group is a great way for those who may be less confident communicating in group settings to develop their confidence in this area. Because the focus is on the book and you are in a safe space it is a great way to build your public speaking skills.
6. It gives you the opportunity to regularly focus on what matters to you
There are lots of different types of book clubs, but hopefully you’ve chosen a book club that fulfils a specific need. You may have joined a fiction book club so that you can have a time to escape real life. Or you could have joined a non-fiction book club (like PropelHer’s Book Club) that allows you to focus on your personal development and growth. By choosing a book club that supports a need you can ensure that you are regularly having the time to focus on that area.
7. Your will broaden your horizons
Joining a book club will broaden your horizons in two ways. Firstly, because you aren’t choosing the book then you will have the opportunity to read book outside of your normal reading material and therefore will broaden your horizons. Also, the power of a book club is the other members. No two people will read a book and have the same view on everything. By hearing other people’s thoughts you’ll have the opportunity to think about things from other perspectives, thus broadening your horizons.
There you have it! You now know 7 benefits of joining a book club.
As you can see there are so many benefits of joining a book club and with so many different book clubs (online and in-person) there definitely will be a book club that is perfect for you.
If you would a woman looking to read great non-fiction books then check out PropelHer’s Book Club. PropelHer’s Book Club is a non-fiction book club, for ambitious women, who want to read books that will support their personal development and professional success. PropelHer’s Book Club is an online book club that meets monthly. For more information and to become a member click here.
