Both of my book clubs use the same method for selecting books.
We try to pick 6 months of books at a time. I ask everyone to nominate 2 books. We usually end up with half the group members nominating 3-4, and half nominating none, which works out fine.
I put together a ballot listing all of the books.
Each member gets 15 points to distribute as she wants, no more than 5 points on a single book. She can give 3 books 5 points each, rank her top books with 5-4-3-2-1 points, or whatever else works for her.
I add up the points. I look for a break in the scores, we can end up with as few as 4 or as many as 8 books.
This is the current ballot for book club M. As you can see, we consider a very wide variety of types of books. Have you read any of these books? Would they lead to good discussions? How would you vote?
- Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas
- The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy
- In the Woods by Tana French
- I see you everywhere by Julia Glass
- A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
- Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
- A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean
- Dreams from my father : a story of race and inheritance by Barack Obama
- The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett
- Halting State by Charles Stross
